Children's home run by Lytham Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 1 Registered provider: Lytham 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 run by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. The manager is also registered to manage another home owned by this provider.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2024 Full Good 21/02/2024 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Good 26/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is one child living at this home. The child is settled, and they are making good progress from their starting point.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive and trusting relationships with the child, who enjoys spending time with them. One professional said, ‘The staff are brilliant. The child speaks highly of them, and they have gained his trust quickly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s interests and encourage them to participate in new activities. For example, the child has an interest in the fire service and staff supported them to gain a place at the fire cadets. The child loves attending this group and it is helping to build their independence. In addition, staff arrange trips to fire stations as they know that this is something that the child will really enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the child to develop and maintain friendships with other children in the local area. Appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure the child’s safety while still giving them the freedom to play independently. As a result, the child’s confidence is increasing alongside their social network. This is especially important given that the child does not currently live with other children, and their school friends live some distance from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a good daily routine. They enjoy going to school and attend regularly. The manager and staff work closely with school leaders to share information. This promotes consistency for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good health. They are registered with primary healthcare services and staff encourage the child to attend appointments. However, a copy of the placing authority’s health assessment is not held on the child’s records. This means that important information about the child’s health needs is not readily available to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to regularly spend time with their family. This is planned effectively to ensure it is a positive and safe experience for the child. Staff have developed positive relationships with the child’s family and are in regular communication with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a comfortable home that is welcoming and well furnished. There is ample space for the child to relax and spend time with staff. The child is proud of their bedroom and has personalised it to reflect their individual tastes and interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child is supported by a consistent team of staff, who understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. A parent said that the staff team keep their child safe and understand their roles.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the risks to the child. The manager ensures that there is a detailed and up-to-date risk management plan in place to support staff to manage risks to the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have developed clear and consistent boundaries for the child, which the child generally accepts. These boundaries are supporting the development of positive daily routines. For instance, the child goes to bed at the agreed time and follows expectations around the use of a gaming device. Although the child does not always welcome these rules, staff take time to explain their purpose, helping the child understand why they are important.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child occasionally uses inappropriate language when they are upset. Staff respond with resilience and insight, recognising that this behaviour often reflects underlying anxieties rather than intentional defiance. Their focus is on understanding what is causing the child’s distress, rather than reacting to the language itself. When staff do address the child’s choice of words, they do so sensitively and at a time that will not escalate the situation. This consistent, calm approach is beginning to make a positive difference; the child has started to apologise for some of their words and actions. A professional said, ‘[Child’s name] is calmer. They feel more secure, and this is showing in their behaviour.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff manage difficult situations calmly. They use a range of individualised strategies to help them defuse and manage incidents in the home. The use of physical intervention is rare. Managers review incident records to look for any patterns and identify areas for learning. Staff are encouraged to reflect and adapt their practice, where it is identified that there may have been more effective ways of managing the situation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child knows how to complain. Managers take complaints and allegations seriously. Appropriate action is taken to investigate the matter and inform the relevant professionals. This ensures that the child is given the opportunity to talk to someone independently about the issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is led by an experienced and suitably qualified manager. He is committed to ensuring that the child is living in a stable, nurturing environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced fresh ideas and new ways of working within the home. He has a clear vision for the service and has communicated his expectations effectively to the staff team. He is supported by an experienced and knowledgeable deputy, and Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 5 together they are helping staff to reflect on their practice and consider alternative approaches to meeting the child’s needs. Staff have responded positively and have embraced the new methods being introduced. The manager has robust systems in place to regularly monitor the quality of care provided to the child. This supports him to understand the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home every month to make an impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding children. However, the child is reluctant to spend time with unfamiliar people, and this is a barrier to the visitor consulting with the child. This means that the voice of the child does not inform the independent person’s assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff are enthusiastic in their role. They understand the child’s needs and the progress that the child is making. The manager has established a diverse staff team with a range of interests, skills and experiences. Staff say they are valued and supported by their managers. One member of staff said, ‘I know I can rely on [Manager’s name]. He listens to me, and he is always there when I need him.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers prioritise and invest in the staff team’s professional development. Staff have access to a comprehensive training programme. They access a range of courses, which are centred on children’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. This equips them with the skills they need to care for vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal of their performance. The manager ensures that supervisions and appraisals consider the views of the child in the home’s care. Supervision sessions are used to talk about the child’s needs and ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Managers provide additional coaching sessions on practice-related topics to support learning and continuous development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with other agencies. Professionals are complimentary about the collaborative working and the communication they receive from the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 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, 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 registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a copy of the child’s local authority health assessment must be held on the child’s records. 28 February 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the child is supported to share their experiences of living in the home with the home’s independent visitor. This should be done in a way that is meaningful for the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5).

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried 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: 1256658 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 400 Longmoor Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool, Merseyside L9 9DB

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1256658 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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