Children's home run by Lily Residential Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 1 Registered provider: Lily Residential Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted their application to become registered with Ofsted and is awaiting their interview.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 12 February 2025

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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: 2650947 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2025 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built good, supportive and meaningful relationships with the child. For some new staff this is a work in progress, as the child can take time to get to know staff, but good progress is being made in these relationships. Staff speak with lots of pride and love when talking about the child. Staff offer the child caring and nurturing support. They know the child well, understanding their needs and additional vulnerabilities. The home is filled with laughter, showing how relaxed and happy the child is in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are very proud of the child and the progress they have made since the previous inspection. The child is flourishing in a wide range of areas, especially since a deprivation of liberty order has been removed. This has been managed sensitively and at a pace which supports the child. This work continues, including reducing the number of staff required to support the child. The child’s independence skills have improved. Staff have carried out effective work with the child on maintaining healthy relationships and sexual health, not only with the child but with their partner as well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in full-time education at a local college and is doing well there. Staff support the child to take part in a wide range of different activities, not only with them but also involving their partner. These have included going to concerts and out for meals and shopping trips, as well as maintaining their interest in craft, especially in the beautiful diamond art pictures which are displayed around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have made improvements to the environment. It is now a more welcoming and cosier home. The home reflects the child’s personality and their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals involved in the child’s care praise the staff for their care and support of the child and recognise the progress they have made. Parents reflected this view, saying how proud they were of how well their child was doing.

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improvement to be good

The child feels safe and is safe at the home. Staff support the child in developing their understanding of keeping themselves safe and their own risk management skills effectively. Staff are not risk-averse; they manage and mitigate risks well. This is particularly evident in the management of online risk.

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improvement to be good

Most of the staff have a good understanding and working knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities. Some further work is required with a few staff to embed their safeguarding knowledge. Most safeguarding incidents has been well managed. However, one incident was not well managed. While appropriate action was taken in response to concerns to protect the child, the incident was not identified and reported as a safeguarding concern in a timely manner to ensure robust information sharing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 4 Behaviour is well managed. Due to the relationships with the child, and the in-depth knowledge the staff have of the child, they understand how to support the child when they feel anxious or upset. Behaviour support plans are current, comprehensive and provide clear guidance for staff. Since the previous inspection, physical restraint has not been used.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practices generally follow safer recruitment guidance. Leaders and managers now consistently use curiosity to understand applicants’ history at the interview stage. Leaders and managers use 3 different staffing agencies when they require temporary staff. Currently, leaders and managers have only ensured they have received the relevant information on workers’ childcare experience from 2 agencies. This does not support leaders and managers in making a sound judgement on whether the agency worker is suitable or not.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the previous inspection, a new manager and a prospective responsible individual have been appointed. The new manager is already the registered manager for one of the organisation’s other homes, which is close by. The prospective responsible individual is new to the organisation. They have extensive childcare and management experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a comprehensive understanding of the home, its strengths and areas for improvement, which they have plans in place to address. Leaders and managers are ambitious for the future of the home, the team and especially the child. They have a shared vision for this work. In addition, leaders and managers are effective role models for the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is small, with some members being relatively new. Staff say they are supportive of each other and feel that staff morale is good. They feel supported by leaders and managers, saying they are approachable and easy to contact. Leaders and managers understand the training needs of the team and support staff’s development appropriately. Staff feel their training is of a good quality and supports their individual development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are occasions where staff in their probationary period work together or with agency staff. There are now detailed risk assessments in place to support the rationale for leaders and managers allowing this to happen. However, leaders and managers do not link these risk assessments with other risk assessments that individual members of staff may have in place. This does not provide a comprehensive overview and management of the identified risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s plans and records are current, clear and provide comprehensive guidance for staff, which promotes continuity of care. Wherever possible, staff include the child in the development of their plans and records. These plans support the child’s understanding of their time in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 5 The independent visitor is now ensuring that they send the reports of their visits to the home to Ofsted in a timely manner. However, the independent visitor is not ensuring that they see the child who lives at the home. In the previous 12 visits, 11 of these have taken place when the child is at school or college. On the remaining visit, the child was in the home but the independent visitor did not see them. This does not provide the child with an opportunity to give feedback about the home. In addition, the independent visitor’s reports contain little evidence of them seeking the views of, or

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

feedback from, staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified and shared with relevant agencies in a timely way. 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the independent person visits the home at times when the child is there to spend time with them and gain their views about the 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 7 home. In addition, the independent person should also gather feedback from staff during their visits.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they link all references for staff effectively to provide comprehensive management of risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)  The registered person should ensure that the profiles they maintain on agency staff consistently include the agency workers’ experience of working in childcare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure they routinely seek references from all the candidates’ previous care employers, including adult care services. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2650947 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lily Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Spirare Ltd, Mey House, Bridport Road, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3QY

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2650947 9 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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