Children's Home run by Rencare Homes Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 1 Registered provider: Rencare Homes 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 operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2025. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual and a new manager. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke to the inspector about their experience of living in the home.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2827777 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently moved into the home in a planned way. The child said that they are happy, they like living in the home and that they are starting to build trusted relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of supporting the child to maintain relationships with their family in line with the child’s care plan. This helps the child to maintain important relationships and increases their sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s education. When the child is not in school, they are supported to remain in a structured routine. The child is being taught by a tutor in the home but is currently receiving less education than their peers. Staff are persistent and advocate for the child to receive education that meets their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child in maintaining their health and hygiene. Conversations have taken place around the risks of using electronic cigarettes, which helps the child to understand how to stay healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly encourage the child to express their wishes and feelings. Staff have meaningful conversations with the child and discuss topics such as exploitation and keeping safe online in a factual and child-focused way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and tidy. There is sufficient space for the child who lives in the home. However, the child’s wardrobe is broken and has not been replaced. This does not ensure that the child lives in a well-maintained home so that they can take pride in where they live. The home also has a video doorbell which has not been included in the home’s statement of purpose or the child’s risk assessment.

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

The child is safeguarded effectively. The child’s risk management and behaviour support plans consider previous and current risks. Strategies to reduce risks give guidance to staff on how to keep the child safe. Staff act proactively to respond to incidents and understand how to keep the child safe.

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

Staff provide the child with calm and nurturing care with good routines. Interactions between the staff and the child are positive. Staff form positive relationships with the child by being open and honest. This helps the child know that staff care about them.

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

There has been one serious incident during the inspection period. This included the police being contacted to help staff manage an incident in the home. Records of the incident include actions taken by staff and the support provided. This incident was notified to Ofsted as required by regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 3 The child has only been held when necessary to keep them or others safe. De-escalation is always the priority, and a child and staff’s debrief was undertaken with managerial oversight to explore reflection and learning.

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

Safer recruitment practices have been implemented. This ensures that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been several changes in the leadership and management of the home since registration. Following the previous manager and responsible individual leaving shortly after the home was registered, the provider has taken action to appoint a new manager and a new responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager is child centred, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager. They enjoy working at the home and are committed to improving outcomes for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and staff liaise with the child’s placing authority to ensure that professionals around the child are kept informed about what is going on for the child. The child’s social worker is positive about the care and communication from the team and the support provided when there was a serious incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have not always received regular reflective supervision, and formal team meetings have not been undertaken. However, this is being addressed to ensure that these forums are provided to share experiences and offer additional support to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have not received thorough inductions into the home. This limits opportunities for staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have received training to meet the child’s needs. However, the home’s workforce development plan has not been updated to reflect the home’s aims and objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since registration, an independent visitor has not visited the home as required by regulation. Therefore, opportunities to provide external scrutiny and to evaluate practice in the home have been missed. Action has now been taken to address this to ensure that there is continuous improvement in the care provided by the team. Internal monitoring systems are in place but are being embedded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 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 within 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h)) 3 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 5 Specifically, The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there are clear internal and external monitoring systems in place to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided.

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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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

If the independent person becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43(3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report—

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Requirement Due date

details of the conflict of interest; and 3 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 6 the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit.

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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) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5) (6)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for monitoring and surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)) 3 September 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s bedroom furniture is replaced when broken. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan details the process and agreed timescales for any core training. The plan should be kept updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working in the home, and used to record ongoing training, and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.08) Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 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: 2827777 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rencare Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 41 Davern Close, London SE10 0HP

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2827777 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 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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Inspector

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