Children's home run by Elevated Futures Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 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 new manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted and was registered in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

The inspection started on 12 November 2024. Inspectors returned on 16 December 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 2 At the full inspection from 20 to 22 August 2024, inspectors identified serious concerns in relation to safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management arrangements. 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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 9 October 2024. The provider had taken sufficient action to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection and had met the compliance notices. The notice restricting accommodation was no longer required. Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has made improvements to the home to ensure that children have more positive experiences of living there. There has been no further use of agency staff, meaning children have a more consistent staff team to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s recent move into the home was positive. The child specifically asked for staff members who they had started to build a connection with to collect them from their previous home. The child is building relationships with staff through shared activities and is starting to personalise their bedroom, with staff support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child who left the home sooner than expected had begun to disengage from staff before their planned return home to their family. Staff attempted to arrange a positive activity with the child to say goodbye, but this was not taken up by the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The progress made by one child living in the home is limited. However, this is not a reflection on the support off by the staff team, as they have made significant efforts to support the child, which the child has chosen not to engage with. Staff try to engage positively with the child through incentives and focused discussions. The child has shared their views about their education provision, which have been taken on board. The manager is working with external professionals to ensure that the child’s voice is heard and to build trust with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child has been supported to take an exam since moving into the home. This will help the child to secure an apprenticeship in the future. The child is also being supported to write their CV.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. One child is attending appointments with key health professionals and referrals have been made for additional specialised health support. Another child is refusing to engage in health appointments, however, the staff continue to support the child and have made appropriate referrals to relevant health services. Staff are helping to manage the child’s health condition in a sensitive and supportive way, to limit the daily impact on the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s engagement in activities is encouraged. One child is being supported to re- engage in sports which they previously enjoyed, including mixed martial arts. Staff continue to encourage another child to engage in activities despite the child’s reluctance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. The manager is attuned to ways in which children’s relationships may not always be positive and acts on this appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is much improved. Communal areas are comfortable and welcoming, and children are involved in personalising their own bedrooms. Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 5

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

Risk assessments clearly identify the key concerns for children. Staff know and understand children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities and know what is expected of them to support children to stay safe. However, some records require further clarity.

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

Managers do not always keep a full record of significant incidents which occur in the home. In one incident where a child made an allegation, there was no incident report or outcome of the child’s complaint or outcome of the referral to the local authority designated officer.

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

The manager has raised the concerns around one child’s behaviour and disengagement on the home with the placing authority and partner agencies. He has appropriately escalated his concerns due to worries that the child is not safe when away from the home. Staff are taking opportunities to discuss their concerns with the child to increase the child’s awareness and ability to keep themselves safe.

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

There are now clear and consistent boundaries in place due to the improved management direction and oversight. There have been several missing from home episodes for one child which relate to them struggling to adhere to the new boundaries set for them, which are more appropriate to their age. When the chid is missing from home, staff follow the missing from home protocol and actively look for the child. There is effective communication with family and friends to try to return the child home safely. However, some records of incidents of children going missing from home are not clear or consistent in terms of the action that has been taken.

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

The manager has implemented an end of placement review to consider areas of learning. The document was completed for a child who recently left the home. It was identified that some areas of risk had reduced for the child and other risks, such as going missing from home had not, and that these were linked to the child recently being given a mobile phone.

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

There were previously a high number of physical interventions used in the home. There have been no physical interventions since the last monitoring visit. Managers have ensured that staff have engaged in further training and had group reflection meetings to consider their practice in this area.

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

The risks identified for one child when they recently moved into the home have significantly reduced. There has been no recurrence of any of the risks outlined in referral documents. Staff are proactive in managing children’s risks, such as substance misuse and vaping, with their key focus being on supporting children to lead safer and healthier lifestyles. Staff take appropriate action to manage risks, such as carrying out room searches and having key-work sessions with children to improve their understanding of the risks. Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 6 Recruitment and health and safety practices in the home are effective and help to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has had a significant positive impact since starting work at the home in August 2024. Staff gave positive feedback about the changes in the management and direction of the home. Staff say that managers are approachable and make time for them. As a result, staff feel morale is much improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has brought in new face-to-face training for staff in place of online learning, which he does not feel is as effective. Staff noted the benefits of this, saying that they feel well supported and invested in and this helps them to feel more confident in their roles. There is also a revised and detailed induction plan in place for new staff. Due to the previous shortfalls identified, managers are considering disseminating this plan to staff to help them to continually improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work with other professionals to improve outcomes for children. The manager is proactively challenging one placing authority as they feel that risks to one child are not being taken seriously. One social worker raised on inspection that the rationale for changes to a child’s missing from home protocol had not been shared with them. The manager accepts this, however, the changes were made due to the concerns for the child’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision takes place regularly and is of good quality. Sessions help staff to reflect on their practice in a supportive way. Records of sessions are well written and include clear and time bound action plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly. There are clear discussions about pertinent issues, which supports staff to reflect together on their experiences of working in the home and the impact of their practice on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, the manager’s oversight and recording are not always sufficiently detailed and need to be strengthened. This includes him writing notes by hand which are difficult to read and are undated. Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 7

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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, 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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Statutory requirements

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse and neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Statutory requirements

The procedure must be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(2)(d) 31 January 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively, ensuring that they are advised of any changes to key elements or documents involved in the child’s care and the rationale for those changes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that records about children are carefully written, objective and clear. This includes ensuring that records, including oversight of those records by managers, are legible, dated and signed by the author. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 8

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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: 2778325 9

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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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Inspectors

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2778325 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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