Children's home run by Elevated Futures Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 1 Registered provider: Elevated Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and provides care for up to three children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home, and they spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in August 2025, and the new manager has applied 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 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: 4 September 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/06/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has experienced a notable change since the last inspection, including a change in management. Two children have moved out, and one child has moved in. The two children who have moved out made considerable progress during their time at the home. The manager ensures that there are robust plans in place for children moving in and out of the home, which has helped to reduce the children’s anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home is starting to build trusting relationships with staff. Staff are caring and nurturing in their approach and the child responds well to this. Staff support the child to regularly attend activities in the local community, which is helping to develop their relationship.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good arrangements in place to meet the child’s complex emotional and mental health needs. Staff work closely with health professionals, including the in-house therapist, who provides advice and guidance. This enables staff to support the child’s emotional needs and improve their mental health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently attending school. The manager is working with professionals to identifying an appropriate school setting and has arranged a tutor for three mornings a week. However, the staff do not provide a consistent routine that includes formal and informal learning on non-tutor days. As a result, valuable opportunities to help the child understand the importance of education are being missed.

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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 through daily conversations, weekly meetings and planned discussions. The child chooses their meals and activities for the week and shares their views on how the home environment can be improved. This enables the child to participate fully in their daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and bright. The manager is consistently looking at ways to improve the home, which includes making it more personal to the child. Although the property has sustained considerable damage, repairs have been carried out promptly. However, some additional maintenance is still required to address the impact of recent incidents. In addition, the Wi-Fi hub and wires have not been properly boxed in, which poses a risk for the child.

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

The child requires a lot of support due to their complex needs. A deprivation of liberty order is currently in place for the child that permits high levels of supervision and restrictions. These restrictions are increased or reduced depending on the child’s needs at the time. Staff have regular discussions with the child on why the restrictions are necessary to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 4 Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to address them. The manager completes robust risk management plans, which are regularly updated to ensure that staff have the most current information to keep the child safe.

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

Significant incidents, allegations or concerns about staff practice are managed effectively. This includes the staff member being removed from their shift responsibilities until the outcome of the allegation is known. The manager ensures that all relevant professionals are informed and that appropriate action is taken to ensure the safety of the child.

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

When an incident of self-injury arises, staff promptly seek appropriate support for the child. They speak to the child to understand the trigger to these incidents and put safeguards in place, such as room searches. These measures are carried out respectfully to maintain the child’s dignity.

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

When the child goes missing from home, the staff follow clear missing-from-home procedures, including actively searching to locate them. The staff work in partnership with safeguarding agencies to promote the child’s safety. The manager ensures that the child is spoken to by an independent person on their return, so they have an opportunity to express their views.

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

Staff use effective de-escalation techniques to support the child when they feel frustrated or in emotional distress. The child responds well to this approach. Staff provide consistent advice, guidance and support, which is helping the child to start developing skills and strategies to manage conflicts and difficult feelings and to make safer choices. There is a consequence and reward system in place. Staff explain to the child why consequences are given and help them understand how their behaviour affects themselves and others. This approach promotes and encourages positive behaviour.

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

The child’s views are taken seriously and are central to the decisions made. The child said that they feel safe, are happy at the home and can identify a trusted staff member to approach with any worries or concerns. There have been no complaints made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly appointed manager is experienced and is in the process of applying to register. She has management responsibility for another home in the company. She is enthusiastic, child centred and has high aspirations for the child. She is supported in her role by a dedicated deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a strong focus on the care provided to the child. She has systems in place to ensure that she has oversight of the day-to -day practice. However, these systems are not sufficiently robust to identify shortfalls and ensure that all relevant documents are factual, clear and up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 5 The previous manager completed a review of the quality of care provided by the staff. He ensured that he gained appropriate feedback from children, parents and professionals. However, feedback from staff was not obtained, which was a missed opportunity to gain full oversight of the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work actively with other agencies and professionals, meeting regularly to ensure that the child’s holistic needs are being met. The manager has built positive relationships with external professionals and will escalate concerns if responses from other agencies are not satisfactory.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable core staff team in place, providing consistency and stability for the child. Staff are child centred, enthusiastic and dedicated, with a good understanding of the child’s needs. They share the same aspirations as the management team. Staff continually develop their knowledge and skills by accessing a comprehensive training programme. The manager has good oversight of staff’s training needs and ensures that additional training is provided when gaps are identified. This approach ensures that the staff have the skills required to meet the child’s needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are held regularly, are practice-focused and provide staff opportunities to reflect on their practice. There is a strong focus on staff development, and the manager acts as a positive role model for the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular team meetings. This gives them an opportunity to come together as a team, reflect and share information effectively. This ensures that there is consistency in meeting the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that education is promoted within the home. This should include informal learning.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that a child’s case records contain accurate information in relation to the child’s correct name in the risk assessments and home placement plans and the correct names of the professionals currently working with the child. 11 January 2026

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that issues of maintenance in the home are addressed, specifically the cleaning of the carpet, the WI-FI hub to be stored safely in an appropriate cupboard, and an unsecured blind cord to be removed from the child’s bedroom. 11 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This should include feedback from staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2754240 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Elevated Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 1a, Thursby House, Thursby Road, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 3PW

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Inspectors

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Sam Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2754240 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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