Children's home run by Ilea Palm Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 1 Registered provider: Ilea Palm Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by two directors. It is registered to care for up to three children with complex needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is appropriately experienced and is currently working towards a level 5 qualification in leadership and management for residential childcare.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Both were spoken with during the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and two children have moved in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child had lived at the home since October 2023. Overall, the child was settled and had made positive progress in many areas of their life. However, it became evident that the child struggled to maintain this progress when other children moved into the home. The management team proposed that the child remain living alone in the home to support their stability, but this was not agreed by the local authority. The child was informed that they would be moving out before an alternative placement had been identified, which unsettled them significantly. As a result, the child stopped attending school and began to display behaviours that included making allegations against adults and going missing from the home. These behaviours placed the child at risk. Staff were unable to safely manage the child’s behaviours within the home, which led to incidents in the local community, complaints from neighbours and police involvement. The

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

management team made a risk-assessed decision to give notice on the child’s placement, concluding that the service could no longer safely meet their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children currently live at the home. Both were admitted in emergency circumstances, with an initial plan to remain for a short period until foster placements could be identified. Their social worker described the welcome they received as ‘thoughtful and sensitive’. The children have settled quickly and are receiving nurturing care and support. Staff ensure that the children’s experiences reflect the aims and objectives set out by their placing authority. For example, staff have travelled significant distances to maintain continuity in the children’s education by supporting their attendance at their previous schools.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are making positive progress. They are leading healthy lifestyles and are attending health appointments and medication reviews. Where appropriate, medication has been successfully reduced. Children are supported to cook nutritious meals alongside staff, which has introduced them to healthier food choices. They are participating in a wide range of new activities and events in the local community. One child joined a local football club and has successfully tried out as a goalkeeper for a new team, where they now train and play regularly. Both children have excellent school attendance and are making academic progress based on their individual goals. Support in this area could be strengthened further if staff had more in-depth knowledge of the children’s educational abilities and targets.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is bright, welcoming and well cared for. Photos of the children enjoying activities, trips and holidays are displayed on the walls and in photo albums. Bedrooms are personalised to reflect each child’s preferences, helping them feel valued and at home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 4

p.3

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

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the risks posed to individual children. When incidents occur or allegations are made, appropriate actions are taken to ensure children’s safety. Risk management plans are updated to reflect changes and provide clear guidance for staff on how to support children, moving forward. These plans are shared with partner agencies, and where appropriate, stability meetings are held to discuss additional learning or actions required.

p.4

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

Children are supported to manage their emotions and to develop an understanding of risk. When children’s behaviour changes or when they become unsettled, staff recognise this as a response to wider issues the child may be struggling to understand or cope with. Staff worked diligently to support a child who, when unsettled, placed themselves at risk by going absent or missing from the home. Staff took appropriate actions to reduce risks and keep the child safe. Since this child moved out of the home, in February 2025, there have been no further incidents of children going absent or missing.

p.4

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

Staff work closely with partner agencies to safeguard children. The responsible individual and registered manager maintain clear oversight of patterns and trends in incidents. They review events, investigate complaints and work with the staff team to adjust practice where necessary. One initiative introduced has been monthly team reflection meetings, facilitated by a psychotherapist. Staff value this dedicated time to explore their observations and experiences, deepen their understanding of children’s emotions and behaviours and consider how best to support children, moving forward.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to supporting children to achieve positive outcomes. She is child focused and demonstrates a strong understanding of the individual needs of the children in her care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and registered manager have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and the areas they wish to develop. They maintain effective oversight of safeguarding concerns, complaints and children’s progress. Internal auditing tools are used to inform development plans. For example, recording systems are currently being refined to better evidence children’s progress, and impact risk assessments are being developed to strengthen the admission process.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the ethos of the service and the support they receive from the registered manager. They feel valued and proud to be part of the team. Relevant training, regular team meetings, reflective supervision sessions and appraisals help ensure that staff are equipped to meet the individual needs of the children they care for. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 5 There is strong partnership working between staff and professionals from other agencies. The leadership team is transparent with partner agencies and, where appropriate, will challenge them when they believe actions are not in the best interests of the children or responsibilities are not being fulfilled. External professionals speak positively about the care and support children receive and the quality of communication and partnership working with the registered manager and the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 6

p.4

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that adults have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)

p.6

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: 2718097 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ilea Palm Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 55 Belvidere Road, Shrewsbury SY2 5LY

p.7

Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8