Children's home run by Embrace Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 1 Registered provider: Embrace 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 owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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: none Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive relationships with staff. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Staff spoke fondly and with pride about the children they support. One child said, ‘If I am struggling or have any worries, I can talk to staff and they help me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in meaningful activities that enhance their skills and resilience as well as providing them with new opportunities and hobbies. Children are supported to build age-appropriate friendships, which help to give them a sense of identity and build relationships. Children are also supported to engage in activities to promote and develop their independence and life skills. This targeted work supports children to prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have their views, wishes and feelings listened to. Staff advocate for children’s voices to be heard in meetings with professionals and in decisions about their day-to-day care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend routine health appointments. Staff also work with external professionals to make sure that specialist health and well-being support is available for children. However, for one child who is new to the home, staff have not taken advice to support them to stop smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children’s education. When one child faced difficulties with school, staff challenged this with the school to support the child’s educational and social needs. One child who is new to the home has been out of education for a significant amount of time. Staff have taken swift action to support the child to identify college courses that they are interested in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers complete admission assessments prior to children moving into the home. These are robust documents that factor in all relevant and necessary information. There have been occasions when children have moved into the home with little or no planning possible. Children are supported to move into the home with thoughtful consideration, factoring in their individual circumstances and the needs of other children in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have moved out of the home, the manager and staff have worked with the child, their placing authority and their new placements, where possible, to support them to move to their new home in a planned and sensitive way. Following the child moving out of the home, the team have completed a reflection session to identify lessons learned from the child’s time living in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 3

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

Staff are suitably trained in safeguarding subjects. This is also a standing agenda topic in supervisions sessions. Staff understand the whistle-blowing procedure and have used this when necessary. When there have been concerns raised, these have been suitably explored, with the children’s welfare a priority throughout.

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

Positive behaviour support (PBS) plans and assessments are detailed documents that provide clear guidance and strategies for staff. These are working documents, which are also advised by the therapy team and regularly updated as staff get to know children. Staff support children suitably during periods of distress, using their relationships and following strategies detailed within plans. This provides consistency of care to children.

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

When children express distress through self-harm behaviour, staff have suitable plans in place to support them with this and to ensure their safety. They provide first aid and emotional support, and seek help from external medical professionals when necessary.

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

When children are away from the home or school without authorisation, staff take suitable action to search for children and work with external professionals, such as the police, to help children return as soon as possible. Once children return home, staff show professional curiosity to identify the reasons children have gone missing and where they have been.

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

Staff responded quickly when a child reported being bullied at school. This has been shared with the safeguarding lead at the school and a meeting arranged to address this and ensure that there is action taken.

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

Staff understand the restrictions in place to keep children safe. They implement these in line with children’s deprivation of liberty orders in the least-restrictive way possible. These restrictions are reviewed and monitored regularly to ensure that they remain effective and necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced manager in place who is dedicated and inspirational. She is supported by a deputy manager who shares her ambitious vision for what children can achieve. Leaders and managers know the children well. The manager has successfully created a culture in which staff place the needs of children at the heart of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems in place for the effective monitoring and oversight of the home. They use these systems to highlight positive practice, address any shortfalls and drive improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel valued and supported. There is a positive ethos within the home, and the staff aspire to improve the lives of the children who live in the home. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and have a shared sense of ownership and accountability; they work well as a team and managers lead by example. Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 4 There is a stable and consistent workforce. This means that children are supported by staff who they know and can build positive relationships and settle into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a wide range of training to meet children’s individual needs. Some of this training is complemented by reflective sessions with the clinical team, which informs strategies within children’s PBS plans. However, some training needed to meet children’s specific needs, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender matters and substance misuse, has not been completed by the team in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions take place regularly. These are practice related and a supportive tool for staff. In addition, team meetings are well attended and valued by staff. They are used as an empowering aid for staff and as a training and development opportunity. These are complemented by monthly sessions with the in-house therapy team to support reflection and therapeutic practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to working together with parents, placing authorities, specialist health advisers and schools. They attend regular meetings and reviews. When external services are not meeting children’s needs, this is professionally challenged with the relevant professionals. These positive and effective working relationships support children to make progress in line with their individual targets. One parent said, ‘[My child] is happier, more settled and content since moving into the home.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations’, Page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being, such as the use of vapes and tobacco. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations’, Page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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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: 2820761 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Embrace Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 116 Duke Street, Liverpool, Lancashire L1 5JW

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2820761 7 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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