Children's home run by Lasting Threads Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 1 Registered provider: Lasting Threads Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning difficulties. Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted. The registered manager position has been vacant since 1 February 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2024 Full Good 25/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 3

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improvement to be good

The inspector spent time with one child during the inspection to understand their experiences and views. The other three children chose not to speak with the inspector.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences in the home are varied. One child has made limited progress. Staff have struggled to engage the child, and they remain disengaged from daily life in the home and choose to spend most of their time away from it. Other children have made positive progress, including moving towards greater independence, securing full-time employment and reducing incidents. These achievements reflect the commitment of staff to supporting children’s welfare.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress in education is inconsistent. At the time of the inspection, one child had been out of formal education for over a year. The manager has appropriately escalated concerns to the local authority and the virtual school, but this has not yet resulted in a suitable provision. Staff have struggled to implement structure and boundaries, and limited oversight leaves the child isolated and vulnerable, with little engagement in activities. In contrast, another child has achieved GCSE passes and secured an apprenticeship, although leaders and the manager were unaware of the grades obtained.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is mostly welcoming. Communal areas are clean, recently decorated and display photographs of staff and children enjoying activities together, which adds to a sense of belonging. However, two children’s bedrooms were found in an unacceptable condition, raising concerns about hygiene and oversight from staff. The use of loud door alarms, locked doors and signage detracts from a homely feel, and food restrictions, such as storing snacks in the office, are not proportionate or child centred. The presence of multiple locked doors further contributes to an institutional atmosphere. The manager is aware of these issues and is taking steps to address them.

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improvement to be good

Staff are getting to know children and are committed to their care. However, routines are inconsistent. Bedtimes and mealtimes lack structure, this inconsistency means children do not always experience clear boundaries or predictable daily routines that support their welfare and progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met well. Staff respond promptly to health concerns and seek medical advice or treatment without delay. They have successfully encouraged children to attend dental appointments, even when children have previously been reluctant to engage.

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improvement to be good

Staff support family time effectively and positive interactions between staff and children are evident. Children are offered opportunities to take part in activities they may not have experienced before, which helps to build confidence and promote enjoyment. One Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 4 child has developed a love of hiking and has recently raised money for charity. Other children regularly engage in stimulating activities, such as fishing, football and trips to Blackpool. These experiences contribute positively to children’s emotional well-being. One child has aspirations to be a skydiving instructor and completed their first dive for their birthday.

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improvement to be good

Monitoring of children by leaders and managers has been inconsistent. Children are not consistently supported to follow daily structures and routines. Leaders have not ensured that staff have clear strategies to engage one child or maintain oversight of their activities outside the home. These shortfalls increase the child’s vulnerability and risk.

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improvement to be good

Online safety arrangements are not robust. The home does not have effective parental controls or filtering systems on the Wi-Fi network to prevent children from accessing harmful or inappropriate content. This lack of oversight increases risk and does not provide sufficient protection for children.

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improvement to be good

Despite these concerns, the manager has escalated issues appropriately, and they and the staff have worked closely with multi-agency partners, including the police and youth justice service. Staff have made efforts to engage the child through direct work sessions, despite limited cooperation.

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improvement to be good

When children have been missing from home, processes are understood by staff and newer staff know who to approach for guidance when they are unsure. There have only been two restraints since the last inspection. Staff use their knowledge of the children and their skills to defuse situations effectively and choose appropriate times to talk to children about their behaviours. This approach helps children reflect and learn in a supportive way.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are detailed and written to the child, incorporating their voice and how best to support them. Risk assessments are thorough, and the manager is now able to track risks and put in action plans when needed.

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improvement to be good

Direct work with children takes place frequently and is purposeful, addressing wishes, feelings and subjects important to the children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s voices are heard and acted on. Advocacy is provided when needed and records are written in a child-focused way, which helps children feel included in decisions about their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been significant changes since the last inspection, including a new manager, children and staff team. These changes have affected children, and inconsistency in practice has had an impact the quality of care they receive. Leaders have recognised the Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 5 need for greater consistency and stronger team cohesion following these changes. While planned team-building activities and specialist training on ADHD and autism are positive steps. However, improvements are not yet embedded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers demonstrate an understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. The manager has taken steps to strengthen oversight, including auditing systems, updating documentation and helping staff to be more autonomous in decision-making. Staff development is prioritised through training, and the responsible individual is developing a model of care to improve consistency. There is evidence of a growing commitment to trauma-informed and relational practice. However, these improvements are not yet consistently applied across the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite the gaps in consistency and oversight, the managers and staff remain child focused, and children’s wishes and feelings are central to practice. Staff are committed and caring and leaders are focused on developing practice. Staff view the manager as responsive and helpful, and they feel well supported through regular supervision sessions and team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Families speak very positively about the manager and staff, reporting that they feel well informed and value the consistent communication and support they receive. Professionals also report strong and responsive communication from the leadership team and view them as proactive and child focused. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are supported to develop positive routines and clear boundaries that promote their welfare and safety. This includes implementing consistent bedtime routines, ensuring that children are not out during school hours and that when they are out in the community, staff understand who they are with and what they are doing. In addition, the manager must ensure that appropriate parental controls and filtering systems are in place on the Wi-Fi network to safeguard children from accessing harmful or inappropriate online content. These controls should be regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the individual needs of the children. 31 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— 31 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 7 the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation is subject to any monitoring or surveillance requirements imposed by a court. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that bedroom and front door alarm sensors should only be used for safeguarding purposes. If there are no current safeguarding reasons for them to be in place, they should be removed. If they are required, the reasons must be explained to children.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 31 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 8 In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are supported to tidy their bedrooms so that their rooms are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must consistently offer educational activities to children who are out of education, and they must continue to escalate the issue to the local authority until an education provision has been sourced. 31 October 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 9 out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lasting Threads Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 49 Jamaica Street, Liverpool L1 0AH

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2677411 11 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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