Children's Home run by Flora Care Solutions (1) Ltd in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 1 Registered provider: Flora Care Solutions (1) Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a small private provider. The home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025. This was the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good-quality care for children and work hard to understand their individual needs. Two children have moved into the home since registration. Transitions into and out of the home are managed effectively, with a strong focus on the children’s well- being. When possible, children are invited to visit the home and meet the staff before moving in. When one child moved into the home in an emergency, staff worked to ensure that the move was child focused and supported positively. One child moved out of the home in a manner that did not align with their care plan. Despite this, staff maintained clear communication and provided consistent support to the child while an appropriate new home was identified.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home has made significant progress, demonstrating improved emotional stability, engagement in education and positive relationships with staff and peers. Before moving to the home, the child was not attending school. They are now in full-time education. This reflects staff’s effective support in promoting educational engagement and routine.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has complex needs and staff have adapted their approach effectively, taking time to build trust and understand the child’s experiences. The child’s thoughts and feelings are explored in a creative and sensitive manner. The registered manager has promoted the child’s interest in video recording by supporting them to record a video in which they can share their opinions and experiences of living in the home. This includes giving a virtual tour and saying what they like or would like to see improved. This approach empowers the child to have a voice in a way that feels natural and engaging, helping them feel valued and heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s independence skills and personal hygiene are promoted in a way that is adapted to their individual needs. Staff provide consistent support and encouragement, resulting in clear and sustained improvements. The child is developing greater confidence in managing daily routines, which is contributing positively to their self- esteem and overall well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is significant to the child and, despite difficulties in relationships, staff have consistently demonstrated a commitment to supporting the child’s time with the people who are important to them. Staff have actively engaged with the child’s parent, advocating for ongoing communication and ensuring that they are kept updated on the child’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is well maintained and well decorated, creating a welcoming and comfortable space for children. However, propping fire doors open use of compromises fire safety and undermines otherwise positive standards of care and attention to the physical environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 3

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and have implemented clear, effective plans to support them. Staff work in close partnership with external professionals to address both established and emerging areas of need. When required, the registered manager has appropriately escalated concerns regarding limited communication from the social worker and continues to act as a strong advocate for the child. As a result, the child’s needs remain prioritised and at the centre of decision- making.

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

One child lived in the home for a brief period before a significant safeguarding incident led to their move. Staff acted swiftly to ensure the safety of all children, identifying short-term alternative accommodation and seeking effective additional support. Staff engaged actively with professionals to facilitate as positive a transition as possible, maintaining a child-centred approach and taking decisive actions to safeguard the child’s welfare.

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

Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques, which significantly reduces the need for physical intervention. Physical holds are used only as a last resort and are rare, ensuring that children’s safety is maintained. Staff’s approach focuses on proactive strategies, prioritising calm and constructive responses to prevent escalation.

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

The registered manager promotes a restorative, incentive-led approach to behaviour management. Staff responses to negative behaviour are adapted to each child’s level of understanding and prioritise safety and learning. Children are supported to understand the reasons behind decisions and to take part in reviewing incidents and are encouraged to make positive choices in the future.

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

Staff respond promptly to incidents of self-injurious behaviour, offering emotional support to help children regulate and to ensure that they are safe. However, on a small number of occasions, opportunities have been missed to carry out room searches or implement further preventative measures to reduce the risk of recurrence.

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

Visits to the home by an independent person are not always completed within timescales. Subsequent reports have not been submitted to the regulator, which has hindered effective external oversight and limited the ability to identify and address emerging issues in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a committed registered manager who is dedicated to improving outcomes for children. They are supported by a capable and supportive deputy manager, creating a strong leadership team. Together, they provide clear direction for staff and are focused on maintaining good standards of care, which is reflected in the nurturing environment created by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the home’s leadership and management. They describe managers as approachable, supportive and consistently available to offer Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 4 guidance. Staff feel valued and say their well-being is prioritised. Managers use clear communication and promote a strong team ethos which supports the good quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision and well-structured team meetings, which are used effectively to develop and enhance practice. These sessions provide opportunities to share learning, reflect on the needs of the children and discuss strategies to improve outcomes. As a result, staff feel confident in their roles and are consistent in their approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new responsible individual has recently started work at the home and has quickly gained a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. In a short time, they have identified priorities for improvement and begun implementing changes to support continued progress. Staff speak positively about the new leadership team and feel motivated by the clear direction and renewed focus on delivering high- quality care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals speak highly of staff, praising their strong communication, professionalism and the good standard of care provided to children. They describe staff as proactive, well informed and child centred in their approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While the home’s statement of purpose outlines its overall aims and objectives, it does not clearly detail the qualifications and experience of all staff members. This impacts the regulator’s ability to effectively assess the suitability and competence of the workforce. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are assured that children’s environments are safe following incidents of self-injurious behaviour. The registered person should also ensure that room searches are carried out in a timely manner 19 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 6 when there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that fire doors are not held open using door wedges. 19 June 2025

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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

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 19 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose details the experience and qualifications of all staff. 19 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 7

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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: 2780410 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flora Care Solutions (1) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Apartment 3, Belgravia House, 51 Brown Street, Altrincham WA14 2WH

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Inspector

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2780410 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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