Children's home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 1 SC482340 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 operated by a private company and provides care for one child who may have learning disabilities and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection. Three children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. Inspectors spoke to 2 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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: 12 November 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: SC482340 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 15/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled living at the home and are making good progress. They enjoy positive relationships with staff, who speak about them with genuine affection and pride. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. They work closely with interpreters to ensure that children who speak English as an additional language are able to communicate their wishes and feelings. As a result, all children can share their views and feel confident that staff will listen and act on what they say.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with their family and friends, ensuring contact takes place safely. As a result, children enjoy positive and meaningful time with the important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Staff support them to attend routine health appointments and make specialist referrals when needed. Staff use the trusting relationships they have built with children to help them address sensitive issues or complete treatment plans that they might otherwise have been unable to manage. As a result, children experience improved health outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is well supported. When barriers arise, staff advocate strongly for them and work closely with the placing authority and the virtual school. This has contributed to positive outcomes, including improved attendance and children developing aspirations for their future. When children are not in education, staff provide structure and consistently create opportunities for informal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s independence, helping them to build self-esteem. For those children from overseas, their cultural heritage is protected while staff support them to adjust to life in the UK and move on to shared living or semi-independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved out of the home since the last full inspection. These moves took place in line with the children’s wishes and feelings and at a pace that suited them. While their individual needs and risks are appropriately assessed, not all children have been supported to move into the home with the best possible planning in the circumstances and time frames available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Children have their own personal space with all the necessary furnishings. However, repairs to damage and wear and tear are incomplete.

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

Children feel safe and their risks are well managed, which has resulted in their risks reducing over time. Staff take appropriate action when children are at risk of harm or exploitation. They work effectively with complex safeguarding teams and the police to Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 4 protect children. Clear protocols guide staff practice when a child goes missing from home, and staff respond promptly to locate them and support their safe return. When children return, they are welcomed warmly and offered the opportunity for independent conversations to help them reflect on their experiences and better understand the potential risks.

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

Staff respond swiftly when they suspect children are at risk of substance misuse or self-harm. They demonstrate consistent safeguarding practice, carrying out room searches, undertaking welfare checks and seeking medical attention when required. The manager ensures that all significant incidents are reported to relevant professionals within the appropriate timescales.

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

Children’s positive behaviours are recognised quickly and are appropriately celebrated. Consequences are rarely used. When they are applied, they are reasonable, proportionate and necessary. Staff discuss these with the child and, where possible, take a restorative approach.

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

Children rarely make complaints. When they do, the manager takes their concerns seriously and responds promptly. The manager spends time talking with the child to explain what action will be taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced manager in post. She speaks warmly about the children and is proud of the progress they are making. She has developed positive relationships with them and demonstrates a strong understanding of their needs. The manager is also a committed advocate for children when services do not meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a positive ethos in the home, and the manager leads by example. Staff are proud to work at the home and feel well supported. The manager provides regular, practice-related supervision and appraisal. As a result, children are cared for by staff who know them well and offer consistent care that promotes their safety, emotional wellbeing and stability. Clinically trained professionals also provide personalised support to staff, helping them to strengthen their trauma-informed approaches with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably trained and qualified. Training is provided to ensure that they have the skills needed to meet the children’s specific needs. Team meetings are held regularly and are generally well attended. These meetings are used for information-sharing and often provide opportunities for staff development. They also incorporate research-based practice and therapeutic approaches.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Systems are in place to monitor children’s records and incidents, and the manager routinely reviews the quality of care provided. However, these evaluations are not consistently recorded, and some information is not up to date. Consequently, the manager’s ability to maintain robust oversight is reduced. Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 5 There is a development plan in place that outlines proposed improvements to the building and identifies areas for staff development. However, the plan does not include clear, specific and measurable targets. As a result, it does not fully reflect the manager’s vision or demonstrate how continuous improvement will be achieved and monitored over time. Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes or to support the development of staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s plans are regularly updated with accurate, up-to-date information to enable the safe and consistent care of each child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all monitoring and review systems contain accurate information about care provided.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that actions identified to improve the quality of care provided in the home are specific and measurable.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure the workforce development plan identifies any additional staff training required to support the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 7 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to move into the home with the best possible planning under the circumstances and time frames available. 31 March 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is nurturing and is a supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. In particular, this means completing timely repairs of damage and wear and tear. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC482340 8

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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 L9 9DB

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Inspector

Samantha Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC482340 9 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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