Children's home run by Elevated Futures Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 1 Registered provider: Elevated Futures Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2024 and is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to six children in three separate houses. This is a multi-building children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in July 2024. The current manager is not registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, two children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 20 to 22 August 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified serious concerns in relation to safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, two compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act. Compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). Due to the concerns identified, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation to prevent any further children moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider in meeting the steps in the compliance notices and their compliance with the notice restricting accommodation. Good progress has been made since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

There are safety measures in place to ensure that the home environment is safe. This includes lockable boxes for all keys and staff members’ personal belongings. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 2 Training has been delivered to all staff to improve their knowledge and skills and safeguarding practice. This includes training on matters such as whistle-blowing, child criminal and sexual exploitation and reporting and recording. Leaders and managers have strengthened staff knowledge and skills by discussing training in team meetings and supervision sessions and have used questionnaires to evaluate staff learning.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments have been simplified to ensure that risks and reduction strategies are clear. The manager has reviewed and evaluated all risk assessments to ensure that children’s current risks are accurately reflected. Supervision is an opportunity for staff to reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies used to manage risks to children. Risk assessments are reviewed and updated following any incidents, and children are consulted about any updates.

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This monitoring visit

Appropriate action has been taken to safeguard children following any allegations.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and responsible individual have introduced a new case recording system that allows them to monitor and oversee all activity in the home. As a result, they are identifying and addressing any shortfalls in practice promptly.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are visible, and this has increased staff confidence. One staff member said, ‘We see managers in the home, and they have ensured that we have support and training focused on the areas for improvement.’

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight is evident on all incident records. Management oversight considers staff practice and areas for development and the impact on children. When debriefs are required following incidents, these take place promptly with children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff now benefit from reflective supervision that is centred around children. Supervision is an opportunity to further develop staff’s safeguarding knowledge and identify any learning needs.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has a clear understanding of the training needs of the staff team and has ensured that staff have completed all essential training, including physical intervention.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken sufficient action to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection and has met the compliance notices. The notice restricting accommodation is no longer required.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the full inspection were not reviewed at this visit and will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)) 1 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 1 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 5 details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(iv)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 1 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 6 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b)(i)) 1 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

that staff— 1 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 7 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate,

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Requirement Due date

helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 1 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Elevated Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 1a, Thursby House, Thursby Road, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 3PW

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Inspector

Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2778325 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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