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

Inspection report for children’s home: 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

The home is owned by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 2 Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was completed on 30 July 2025. A further compliance notice was issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. This was in relation to Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). Inspection report for children’s home: 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: 2746850 4

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improvement to be good

All areas of the home are not cleaned or maintained to a good standard. The paintwork on some walls and doors is chipped and there are scuff marks throughout. A door and worktop in the kitchen are in need of repair. The home does not feel homely or welcoming, and this prevents the child from having a sense of pride in their home.

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improvement to be good

The child has now lived at their home for 18 months. They have been unsettled since the last inspection and have disengaged from staff. There have also been many missing- from-home episodes for the child. Despite this, staff and the manager have persevered and been able to rebuild positive relationships with the child. This has now helped to provide stability for the child and meant that the child has been able to remain living at the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been some difficulties for the child in education, and the child is no longer attending formal education. The manager is working with education professionals to secure an appropriate education provision for the child. In the interim, the child is being supported by staff to learn at home.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are understood by staff, who seek medical advice as required when there are accidents or incidents. When the child is reluctant to attend health appointments, staff provide encouragement and support. The child’s emotional health needs are prioritised, and staff work alongside external agencies to improve the child’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Family time is promoted, and staff recognise the importance of the child maintaining familial bonds. Staff have encouraged the child to form positive friendships in the community. The child’s friends are included in day trips and activities in the home in an attempt to develop the child’s social relationships in a safe way.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff are attuned to the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff attempt to support the child in a therapeutic manner. Negative consequences are rarely used and instead there is a programme of rewards and incentives to encourage good behaviour.

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improvement to be good

There have been a large number of missing-from-home episodes for the child. These have been broadly managed in-line with procedures. However, full records are not always kept of staff’s actions or their contact with other agencies. Staff search for the child and collect them when they are ready to return home. The manager and staff have worked proactively to try and prevent the child going missing from home. There is good joint working with other agencies to manage and mitigate risk to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 5 The child’s plans give clear direction to staff in managing missing-from-home episodes and suspicions of substance misuse. However, staff do not routinely search the child’s bedroom when they are missing. This is a missed opportunity to potentially find important information regarding where the child may be. Additionally, not enough preventative work is completed with the child in relation to them staying safe online.

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improvement to be good

However, action has now been taken to ensure that the child is safe online with more stringent control of phone use and increased checks of online use and content.

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improvement to be good

Allegations against staff are managed in line with accepted procedures. However, safe recruitment practices are not always followed to ensure that the chid is not exposed to individuals who are not suitable to work with children. In one case, full consideration was not given to the past experiences of one staff member in order to determine their suitability for the role of working with children in the home.

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

The manager is child focused and has a strong relationship with the child. He is supported by a committed deputy manager. Some improvements have been made to strengthen the quality of care provided to the child. When there are shortfalls in staff practice and recording, leaders address this.

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

There are a range of monitoring tools available to the manager and responsible individual. However, the quality of care review has not been completed within timescales. Furthermore, external monitoring of the home is below the standards expected. An independent person does not consistently visit the home on a monthly basis. This reduces the oversight of the provider and regulator and does not allow for the timely identification of any concerns or risks.

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

Staff have access to training, including to meet any emerging needs of the child. Staff are provided with regular supervision sessions where they can reflect on their practice. Team meetings are held regularly and are also used as a forum for learning and reflection.

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

The manager has cultivated strong, positive working relationships with other professionals. He advocates for the child and ensures that the child is aware of and understands their placing authority’s plans.

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

Return home interviews after missing-from-home incidents are not provided by the placing authority in a timely manner, and the manager has not escalated or challenged this robustly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 6

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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—

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are fully aware of expectations regarding internet safety. In addition, education must be provided to the child on how to keep safe online and access appropriate content. 23 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 7 The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that a rigorous assessment of suitability for the role is completed for all members of staff. Additionally, that any gaps in employment are fully documented, explored and analysed.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the property is cleaned and maintained throughout to an acceptable standard. 6 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 6 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 8 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are kept which detail all actions taken during missing-from-home episodes, including searches for children and contact with the police.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they robustly challenge the placing authority when return home interviews are not provided after missing-from-home episodes. 6 November 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 made at the last inspection and is restated 6 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 9 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

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 made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 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 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: 2746850 10

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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

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2746850 11 regulates 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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