Children's Home run by Safe Base Care Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 1 SC480075 Registered provider: Safe Base 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 run by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/10/2023 Full Outstanding 25/01/2023 Full Good 08/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the same children have remained living in the home and have consistent support from staff to support their progress. Children say that they love the staff team and enjoy living in the home. One child said they ‘are like family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have ensured that children have the resources and support required to finish their education. Both children have successfully completed their final examinations or assessments and have educational plans in place for September. Staff communicate with teaching professionals and establish positive working relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide nurturing support to children and promote their independence in line with their age and understanding. One child has been supported to pass their driving theory test, started driving lessons and has gained employment. Children are supported to budget, cook and make decisions about their day-to-day living arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with their friends, who regularly visit and spend time in the home. Staff get to know children’s friendship groups and become familiar with their parents or carers to ensure that children are safe when spending time in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s relationships with their families are supported by staff and children regularly spend time with their family, including overnight stays. Staff ensure that there is consistent and open communication with family members, who say that the staff ‘are lovely and communication is good’.

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

Staff know the children well and understand their risks. Staff appropriately respond to any presenting risks for the children and know how to keep them safe.

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

Staff help children to make positive decisions through regular, targeted direct work. Children spend time with staff, learning new life skills and how to make better, safer decisions. Children are given the freedom to make age-appropriate mistakes and are then helped by staff to learn from these.

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

Incidents of children being missing from the home have reduced. Staff take immediate action to find children who are missing and support them to return safely home. Children are always offered return home interviews and staff complete follow-up work with the child to help better their understanding of risks when missing and reduce further incidents.

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

Staff help children to understand the risks associated with substance misuse and complete relevant work with children to promote safety and reduction. On the two occasions a child has returned home under the influence of a substance, staff have Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 4 sought immediate medical attention, informed external agencies and undertaken appropriate welfare checks as advised.

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

Consequences are rare and are proportionate when used. However, the registered manager has not always evaluated the effectiveness of any consequence and the child’s views have not been routinely captured.

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

Staff have the skills, knowledge and relationships with children to keep them safe. However, the children’s case records and risk assessments do not accurately reflect this. Children’s assessments and behaviour management support documentation is overcomplicated and out of date. Although staff respond to any risks effectively, the guidance and strategies documented are often unclear. A newer member of staff would not have access to a clear, written strategy on how to respond to children’s risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a present and visible figure in the home and leads the team to share a nurturing and supportive approach with children. She has made some positive changes since the last inspection to expand her managerial oversight and guidance of staff practice. The manager has high aspirations for children and staff and supports their development by ensuring they have access to the appropriate resources.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete regular training which is relevant to children’s specific needs. All staff have completed training in respect of children being missing from home and have a better understanding of how to support children in this area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have consistent supervision with the manager, who ensures staff have the skills and knowledge required through reflective, child-focused discussions. Staff say that they find regular supervision sessions helpful and are an opportunity to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager advocates for children and has challenged one local authority in respect of one child’s educational provision. However, this has not been consistent for all children living in the home. As a result, there has been a delay for one child having access to the appropriate level of housing support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 5

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is appropriate escalation and challenge to the placing authority for all children when delays affecting care planning are identified. 4 July 2025

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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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

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 31 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 6 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any consequence and its duration is appropriately recorded, and its effectiveness evaluated. The child’s views must also be recorded.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s documents and risk assessments are accurate and up to date and reflect the presenting needs of the children. 31 July 2025

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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: SC480075 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Safe Base Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Seafield Road, Wirral CH62 1EQ

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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC480075 8 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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