'Outstanding' children's home praised for affection and warmth
A residential children’s home has received an"outstanding" rating in all areas following a recent inspection.
Lyth Hill residential home in Shrewsbury is registered for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties, and has been praised by Ofsted for its staff's "strong knowledge, affection and warmth" and for making children feel valued. The home is owned by Family Care, and its latest rating is an upgrade from the "good" score it received at its last inspection.
Inspectors wrote: “The dynamic and personalised support offered by staff ensures that all children thrive. The registered manager and staff’s care of children is informed by a strong knowledge of research-based practice.
“Children trust staff and enjoy spending time with them. Children feel valued, cared for and listened to. Furthermore, children benefit hugely from being able to receive affection and warmth from those staff who look after them. For example, inspectors observed one child seeking out a hug from staff. These positive relationships ensure that children flourish.”
Residential services manager, Liz Hiley said: “This is an amazing achievement especially given the current Covid-19 situation. The team at Lyth Hill deserve the outcome and recognition for all their hard work and commitment, as do the children who have been fantastic given the challenges of the past 15-months.
“Staff are creative in meeting the needs of children. For example, staff recognised that one child, who was self-isolating due to Covid-19, was struggling with the lack of physical affection from staff. Staff gave the child a teddy bear; each member of staff had hugged the teddy bear and written a message on it for the child. The child was able to hug the teddy bear and read the messages whenever they were feeling upset or anxious. This provided the child with reassurance and comfort during a difficult time. As a result, the child was able to successfully regulate their emotions. For this child, this was a real achievement.”
James Spice is the registered manager of the home. He said: “I am so proud of the staff team here at Lyth. The past 12-months have been really challenging due to Covid-19, so to achieve Outstanding in all areas is brilliant. It’s always nice to receive recognition like this, but as long as the children in the home are thriving and happy, that is all we really care about."
