Children's Home run by Almoner Care Group Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 1 Registered provider: Almoner Care Group Limited

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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 by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, one child was living at the home. The child spoke with the inspector during the visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 10 and 11 June 2025. Shortfalls were identified in the arrangements to safeguard children and the effectiveness of the management arrangements of the home. Two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review whether leaders and managers have taken effective action to meet the steps required in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The child enjoys good relationships with the staff who care for them. The child told the inspector that they like living at the home and feel safe. The child has been unsettled since another child moved in and out of the home. However, managers are collaborating with other professionals to assist the child in settling in and engaging in positive activities. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 2 Since the full inspection, the responsible individual has supported the manager in reviewing and updating children’s risk management plans. These plans now include clear information about specific risks for the child and the steps that staff must take to mitigate them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are taking more consistent and effective action to safeguard children. Staff follow children’s risk management plans and missing-from-home protocols. Staff actively search for children when they are missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of the records of significant incidents in the home is improving. However, some records have gaps in the chronology of events. This means that the timeliness of staff responses to children who are at risk is not always clear. The manager has not identified the gaps in these records, and therefore staff practice has not been sufficiently explored and challenged. Furthermore, when the manager has identified shortfalls in the quality of the records staff write, he has not taken steps to address the issues with staff. This does not secure improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has increased his oversight of the home and monitors the manager’s performance. However, this has not been successful. Significant shortfalls remain in the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the home. Since the last full inspection, the manager has not prioritised making the required improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Due to poorly organised recording systems, managers were unable to locate some records relating to staff training. Poor oversight has resulted in some training expiring. In addition, the manager has not taken action to assure himself that all staff hold a relevant first-aid qualification. Full staff rotas and some training certificates were not available for the inspector during the visit. As a result, it is not possible to establish whether there is always a first aider on duty.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff are new and have no previous experience of working in residential childcare. Managers have not ensured that these staff members are skilled, equipped and supported to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is not always informed about significant incidents in the home. For example, Ofsted was not informed when a child was admitted to hospital. This compromises the regulator’s oversight of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following a case review on 4 August 2025, it was determined that the steps outlined in the compliance notice issued under Regulation 13 have not been fulfilled. As a result, a further compliance notice has been issued. The steps outlined in the compliance notice issued under Regulation 12 have been fulfilled. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Inadequate 14/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/09/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 28 September

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the skills, experience and qualifications of the staff team are considered when making decisions about moving a child into the home. 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 5 In addition, the registered person must ensure that they have sufficient information about the child to inform their decision about whether the child’s needs can be met at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first-aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 28 September

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place. 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 6 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the full names of the staff working at the home are recorded on the staff rota, that the names of visitors to the home are recorded, and that incident reports include the full names of staff involved in the incident.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place. 31 August 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

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place. 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 7 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the full inspection. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit and remains in place.

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should challenge the placing authority when children are not provided with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview following episodes when they have been missing from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 2746850 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Almoner Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Brunswick, Seymour Chambers, 92 London Road, Liverpool L3 5NW

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2746850 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 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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