Children's home run by Teen-Works Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 1 Registered provider: Teen-Works Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2021.

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

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Good 17/01/2024 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home and three children had recently moved out. Two of the children were spoken with, as well as a child who continues to visit regularly after leaving.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children describe the home as a loving and nurturing place where they feel safe, respected and valued. They spoke warmly about staff, saying that they ‘feel genuinely loved and cared for’ and that staff ‘always listen and never give up on us.’ One child described their experience as ‘life changing’, explaining that they felt truly supported to believe in themselves and achieve their goals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The atmosphere in the home is calm, relaxed and filled with laughter. Relationships between the staff and children are positive and built on mutual respect and affection. Managers and staff are ambitious for children and have created a culture where they are encouraged to thrive. One child described the home as ‘the best place I have ever lived’, reflecting the strong sense of belonging, stability and care that children experience.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is given high priority by the manager and staff, and children make strong and sustained progress from their starting points. Staff have high aspirations for every child and support them to see education as an essential part of their future. They work closely with schools, colleges and the virtual school to ensure that children attend regularly, achieve well and receive the right help to overcome barriers to learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is currently out of full-time education. A clear plan is in place, with staff providing daily transport to enable daily attendance on a reduced timetable. The manager is working closely with the virtual school head to support the child’s full return to education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child was supported to resit an examination after leaving school, which they successfully passed. The child was also helped to complete driving lessons, demonstrating the home’s continued commitment to promoting independence and achievement beyond statutory education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to explore new opportunities and think ambitiously about their futures. Staff support them in attending college visits and university open days, providing guidance and reassurance throughout the process. One young person reported that this support ‘gave me the confidence to believe I could do it’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s achievements, both academic and personal, which motivates them to keep progressing. As a result, children engage positively in learning, achieve well and develop strong foundations for adulthood. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 4

p.3

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

Children who go missing from the home are supported by staff who understand their roles and responsibilities. When a child goes missing, staff take swift and coordinated action to locate them, including checking known locations, contacting family and professionals and monitoring transport routes. Searches continue throughout the night, if necessary, until the child returns home safely. Upon return, children are offered an independent return home interview and information from these interviews is shared with staff and professionals to identify patterns and reduce the likelihood of further incidents. Risk assessments are reviewed and clear plans are implemented to help prevent recurrence.

p.4

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

Staff are alert to risks of exploitation and take appropriate steps to manage these, including gathering information and working closely with relevant professionals. The manager ensures that multi-agency meetings are held to review safeguarding strategies and agree alternative measures where necessary. While practice is proactive, it could be strengthened by reviewing transport arrangements, such as ensuring clarity about destinations when children are dropped at transport links.

p.4

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

Allegations against staff are managed promptly and appropriately. The manager ensures that investigations are completed without delay and that liaison with the local authority designated officer takes place before any staff return to work with children.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of online safety risks. They research potential dangers and help children to understand the impact of unsafe or inappropriate content, including pornography. Clear boundaries and parental controls support children to reduce excessive screen use, with one child significantly decreasing their device time to a healthy level. As a result, access to adult material is prevented and there have been no further incidents.

p.4

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

Incidents of self-harm are managed sensitively and effectively. Staff support children to explore and understand their feelings, resulting in clear progress. For example, one child reported that they had not self-harmed after previously doing so extensively.

p.4

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

Managers maintain strong oversight of safeguarding practice and ensure that staff are confident in recognising and managing risk. However, some records of incidents include language that is blaming.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a committed and skilled manager who knows the children and staff exceptionally well. She is supported by a skilled and experienced responsible individual who is visible and actively involved in the life of the home. The manager’s calm and consistent presence means that she has a clear understanding of daily practice and children’s lived experiences. She provides strong, visible leadership and spends regular Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 5 time with children, which helps her to understand their views and strengthen relationships.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as approachable, supportive and inspiring. They say that they ‘love' their role and working in the home feels like being part of a family. This sense of shared purpose and belonging contributes to high staff morale and a stable, motivated team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective oversight of the quality of care provided to children and the progress they make. Robust monitoring systems, including monthly progress reviews, incident analysis and regular audits, ensure that practice remains consistent and actions to improve outcomes are followed through.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings are reflective and purposeful, focusing on children’s progress, emotional well-being and staff development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes research-informed practice through staff training on topics such as online safety and the impact of pornography. While this is evident in some areas, it is not yet fully embedded across all aspects of practice. The manager is committed to strengthening this further.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are consistently positive about the quality of care and support provided to children. They describe communication from the home as timely, clear and proactive, and speak highly of the manager’s leadership and availability. One professional said, ‘The consistency of care, emotional warmth and professionalism observed within the home clearly demonstrate a culture that prioritises the well-being, safety and development of children.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes a culture of celebration and independence, ensuring that children receive safe, nurturing and aspirational care that supports positive and lasting outcomes.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirement and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.6

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.6

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

p.6

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff avoid using language in records that blames children for their behaviour. Instead, records should highlight a child’s vulnerabilities in a respectful way that demonstrates that staff understand their needs. 6 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 7

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: 2503574 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Teen-Works Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 509-510 Cotton Exchange, Bixteth Street, Liverpool L3 9LQ

p.8

Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2503574 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9