Children's home run by Idem Living Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 1 Registered provider: Idem Living Ltd 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 organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may have needs associated with social and emotional difficulties, and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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: 10 September 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection, and two children have moved in. The children who have recently moved in have settled well and are making good progress with education and positive behaviour and are developing relationships with the adults who care for them. Staff ensure that important occasions are celebrated, such as one child having a birthday party, and they have planned a number of festive activities for the coming weeks.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are understood and met, when children present with complex needs staff respond with patience and nurture, and seek guidance from external professionals when needed. Children attend school regularly, and they are making progress in their new educational settings.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Prior to children moving into the home, good consideration is given to children’s needs. Leaders and managers consult all relevant professionals to support safe and thoughtful decision-making. Although children do not always visit the home before they move in, due to factors beyond the control of leaders and managers, staff work hard to ensure children’s arrivals are as positive as possible.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move out of the home, there is good planning, and good multi-agency work to ensure that the staff have all the relevant information. Children are supported by staff to have opportunities to visit their new home. The manager ensures that all relevant information is passed to the new service promptly, and this helps children to settle quickly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have started to spend time with their peers outside of school. However, further work is needed to ensure that children have regular opportunities to engage with a wide range of social and extra-curricular activities. This is recognised by leaders and managers, and some steps have been taken to plan new enriching activities for the children to engage with.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living in the home and like the adults who care for them. Children say that they get to do things that are fun, and they know how to make a complaint if they are not happy with something.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and mostly has a homely feel. However, some signs, files and labels detract from the homely feel and more could be done to ensure that children’s rooms are personalised. Both children who live in the home have requested pets, and creative strategies are being used by the home to help the children spend time with animals in a positive way. Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 4

p.3

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

Children are kept safe by staff who know them well, and who understand their individual needs. Staff prioritise children’s safety and respond appropriately when children are hurt, seeking medical attention promptly. Staff are aware of protocols to follow to keep children safe, and they follow these consistently. When significant incidents occur, staff respond with nurture and care, helping children to feel safe. There is good management oversight following incidents, during which areas for learning are highlighted.

p.4

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

Key-work sessions take place regularly and are used to help children understand important issues in their lives, including hygiene and positive communication. Children are helped to learn about issues which are relevant to them, and they are helped to reflect on incidents where they have experienced difficult emotions, helping them to develop insight into their own feelings.

p.4

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

Links with safeguarding partner agencies are established to support and safeguard the children effectively. When concerns are raised about external professionals, these are responded to promptly. The manager is confident in escalating concerns when they are not satisfied with the responses provided from external agencies, and this has meant that children have been kept safer.

p.4

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

Restrictive practice in the form of window restrictors is being used in the home. The use of these is not being regularly reviewed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to providing good-quality care and leading a child-focused staff team. There is effective oversight by the manager, who is reflective about staff practice and takes learning from incidents to drive service improvement. Staff who work in the home say that they are supported well, and they are proud of the children’s progress as a result of the team’s work. Staff speak positively of the manager and feel that they can raise concerns as needed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervisions sessions take place regularly and provide opportunities to reflect on practice, children’s feelings, and children’s needs. Leaders and managers use these forums to consider how staff practice can improve. However, further focus is needed on how children can be supported to make better progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access training which is relevant to the needs of the children. However, more could be done to enhance staff’s understanding of trauma-informed care and to ensure that staff engage with training which is meaningful and fully equips them with an understanding of trauma, and therapeutic care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents speak positively of the care provided and of the observed relationships between children and staff. One parent felt that they would benefit from increased communication from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 5 External professionals speak highly of the home. Professionals from education say that children form close relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff are attentive with children and children are supported to attend school ready to learn. Additionally, professionals feel that there is good communication with the home, and that transitions are planned as well as they can be. Social care professionals feel that the children are forming close and trusting relationships with staff, and that they are confident that there is a robust response from the team to any safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 6

p.4

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 enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

p.6

Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)).

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have regular and sustained opportunities to take part in social and extra-curricular activities that promote their interests, skills and social development. 26 January 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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 26 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 7 arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any restrictions used within the home are regularly reviewed, proportionate and necessary to safeguard children.

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive high quality training in trauma- informed care so that they have the skills necessary to effectively understand and implement the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment, which is homely in all areas, and free from an unnecessarily institutional feel, for example by removing folders, labels and signs from around the home which are not considered necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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: 2580890 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court Business Centre, Water Lane, Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

p.8

Inspector

Minnette Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2580890 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.

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