Children's home run by Eternal Residential Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 1 Registered provider: Eternal Residential Homes Ltd

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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 company and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since August 2025. A new manager has been recruited but is yet to register with Ofsted.

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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home registered with Ofsted, two children have moved in within a short period of time. While these moves were generally well managed, there were shortfalls in care planning, support plans and aspects of the home’s management. These deficits have impacted the home’s ability to provide a fully stable and consistent environment for the children. As a result, the pace of admissions and gaps in planning have, at times, undermined the home’s capacity to meet children’s needs effectively from the outset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are beginning to settle and feel safe in the home. They benefit from consistent routines, nurturing relationships with staff, and a calm, structured environment. Staff make efforts to get to know the children and respond sensitively to their individual needs, which helps children feel secure and valued. Children express that they feel listened to and cared for, and their responses to staff reflect a sense of belonging and trust. This contributes positively to their emotional well-being and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The new manager and the responsible individual have devised a key-work plan, with the aim of providing consistency and emotional support, helping children to understand their care plans and actively participate in decision-making. This approach fosters trusting relationships and promotes emotional resilience, with the clear identification of individual goals and outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are actively sought and listened to, and there is clear evidence that their views influence aspects of their care and daily life. Staff demonstrate a commitment to promoting participation, so that children feel confident and empowered to share their thoughts and preferences. This inclusive approach supports children’s sense of agency and belonging within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm, welcoming and well maintained. It provides a homely atmosphere that promotes a strong sense of belonging and emotional security for children. Bedrooms are personalised to reflect individual identities, and one child has clearly made her mark on the home, with personal photographs and a pet fish prominently displayed. The presence of family photographs throughout the home, including those of foster and birth family members, demonstrates a nurturing approach to maintaining important relationships and supports life-story work.

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

There have been very few safeguarding incidents in the home during this inspection period. Medication is stored safely and administered appropriately, with systems in place to ensure safe practice. While there have been no complaints or allegations have been recorded during this period, there are appropriate procedures for managing complaints and allegations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 3 Staff supervision of children has not always been adequate. On two occasions, a child left the home during the night without staff knowledge. Although this was not a known behaviour and is understood to be the first occurrence, the failure to notice the child’s absence highlights a serious lapse in staff vigilance.

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

Ofsted was not notified of this incident. Furthermore, there was no internal investigation by leaders in order to understand how the incident occurred or to identify learning to prevent recurrence. While some measures, such as installing a bedroom door alarm, were introduced, these were initially ineffective and insufficient to ensure the child’s safety. The lack of timely and robust management oversight undermines confidence in the home’s safeguarding arrangements and reflects a shortfall in leadership and accountability.

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

Although care plans and risk assessments are in place and generally guide staff practice, there are gaps in how some known risks are identified and managed. For example, there is no guidance for staff addressing the use of cannabis within the home or the potential impact this may have on both children and staff. This oversight limits the home’s ability to proactively manage emerging risks and ensure the safety and well-being of all children.

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

Leadership and management of the home has been unstable since registration with Ofsted. Changes in management and systemic issues created a period of uncertainty. A new manager was appointed promptly. Although new to the role and not yet registered with Ofsted, the new manager has demonstrated a clear understanding of the challenges facing the home. They have developed a structured improvement plan and have begun to implement changes aimed at strengthening care planning, staff accountability and safeguarding procedures. Early signs suggest a proactive and reflective leadership style, with a focus on rebuilding team confidence and improving outcomes for children.

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

Managers have not ensured that children are cared for by staff who possess the necessary experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of children. For one month, there was a reliance on agency staff, which resulted in inconsistent care and a lack of continuity for children.

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

Recording and reporting practices in the home require improvement. Records do not consistently reflect a child-centred or trauma-informed approach to the provision of care, and the language used is not always aligned with the principles of the therapeutic model used in the home. This limits the effectiveness of documentation in supporting reflective practice and understanding children’s experiences.

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

Since the appointment of the new manager, staff report feeling more supported and confident in their roles. The manager has implemented clear communication channels, regular supervision, and a more structured approach to daily operations. Staff benefit from increased guidance, consistent leadership and opportunities for reflective practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 4 These improvements have contributed to a more stable and cohesive team environment, which in turn enhances the quality of care provided to children.

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

External professionals provide positive feedback about the care and support for children. They describe staff as proactive, communicative and child-focused in their approach to providing care. This demonstrates multi-agency working is effective, with timely information-sharing and collaborative planning that promotes positive outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that that all concerns of harm or potential harm are promptly acted on and that guidance for staff is thorough and addresses all known risks. 7 November 2025

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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 promotes their welfare. 7 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 6 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 work as a team where appropriate.

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that children are cared for by staff who have the skills, knowledge and experience and that agency staff are utilised as an exception.

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that there is oversight of incidents in the home and identify learning to improve practice and the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all serious and significant incidents are reported to Ofsted within the required timescale. 7 November 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 7 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: 2836271 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Eternal Residential Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 48 Quadrant Court, Calthorpe Road, Birmingham B15 1TH

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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2836271 9 and inspects 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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