Children's home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 1 Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Both children spoke with the inspector.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2025 Full Good 14/03/2024 Full Good 08/02/2023 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy, settled and thriving. The consistent, nurturing care they receive is helping them to make good progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel loved and cared for. They have positive relationships with staff that are based on trust. Children feel comfortable speaking to staff and feel heard. Staff understand children's needs and work effectively to address them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their education. They are ambitious for children to do well and are good advocates for them. One child is making significant progress with their education. Prior to living at the home, the child’s education was disrupted. However, they now attend college regularly and aspire for a future career in the fashion industry. Another child can struggle with their attendance. Staff are empathetic and understand the barriers the child faces. With consistent encouragement from staff, the child’s attendance is improving.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are helping one child to prepare to move to semi-independent living. A carefully planned programme of direct work has been completed with the child to equip them both practically and emotionally for this move. Staff are supporting the child to seek part-time employment and driving lessons are being jointly funded by the home and the local authority. The child now has the confidence and skills they need to make a successful transition to adult life. However, the child is uncertain about the ongoing support they are entitled to receive from their local authority as a care experienced child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children follow good daily routines. They listen to staff and adhere to rules and boundaries. For example, they return home at agreed times.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with their friends and family. This is effectively planned to ensure that it is a positive and safe experience for children. Children’s friends are welcome to visit the home and staff organise activities for them to engage in together.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable, well-furnished home with plenty of space for them to relax and spend time in. They are supported to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual style and tastes. Staff encourage children to take pride in their bedrooms and to take responsibility for keeping them clean and tidy.

p.3

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

Children say that they feel safe living at the home. They are settled and incidents that raise concerns about children’s welfare are rare. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 4 Risks to children are well understood. The manager ensures that clear risk management plans are in place to help staff manage these risks effectively. These plans are reviewed regularly and updated promptly when incidents occur.

p.3

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

Risks to one child have significantly reduced since they moved into the home. One professional said, ‘[Child’s name] is a different child. Staff gave them the tender, loving care that they needed and [child’s name] has blossomed.’

p.4

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They take swift and effective action when concerns arise about a child's safety.

p.4

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

Managers take all allegations seriously. They act promptly and robustly to investigate and resolve matters. Interim safeguarding measures are implemented to ensure the safety of children while the allegation is investigated. The management team are transparent throughout the process and keep Ofsted and other relevant professionals updated with the outcome of the allegation management process.

p.4

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

Children are settled and do not go missing from home. There is an appropriate protocol in place to support staff to respond effectively and consistently if a child does go missing from home. Staff complete regular checks on children's welfare when they are out in the community with their friends. This is in line with children’s risk management plans.

p.4

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

Staff manage difficult situations with children calmly. There have been no incidents where staff have needed to use physical intervention to manage children’s behaviour.

p.4

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

Rewards and incentives are used to reinforce positive behaviours. This approach has been effective in encouraging one child to engage with specialist support from health services.

p.4

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

Staff build trusting and supportive relationships with children which enables open and honest conversations when concerns arise about their behaviour. For example, staff complete direct work with children about the health implications of vaping and substance misuse. As a result, children are better educated about risks and are better equipped to make more informed choices.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. She is committed and enthusiastic about ensuring that children receive good quality care. The manager knows the children well and has a good understanding of the progress they are making.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a good advocate for children. She is confident to challenge other professionals when she believes that children are not receiving the support they require. One professional said, ‘The manager is really child centred. She is [child’s name] voice in meetings and will fight to have it heard.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 5 Children are cared for by a small, stable and consistent staff team. Staff morale is good and staff retention is high. This means that children benefit from continuity of care. One member of staff said, ‘I don't see working here as a job to be honest, it's just like being home from home.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. She has effective monitoring systems in place and takes swift action to address any shortfalls. This promotes the safety and well- being of the children living at the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak highly of the home. They value the good communication from staff and report that they are kept well informed about children’s progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal of their performance. Staff value these sessions and say that they are a good source of support. The manager ensures that supervisions and appraisals consider the views of the children in the home’s care. This helps to ensure that children understand that their views and opinions are valued.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by their managers and feel invested in by the wider company. They receive regular training which equips them with the skills and knowledge to work with vulnerable children. In addition, staff are encouraged and supported to undertake further training that is not essential to their role but will enhance the quality of care and experiences offered to children. For example, one member of staff is being supported to gain outdoor activity qualifications. This is supplemented by therapeutic guidance and support that is commissioned from an external provider. Staff say that they value this support and that it enhances their practice. Most staff hold a relevant, nationally recognised childcare qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are supported to understand their rights and entitlements. They should ensure that children are aware of the local authority’s offer to care experienced young people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27).

p.6

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: 1234432 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234432 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8