Children's home run by Elevated Living Group Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 1 Registered provider: Elevated Living Group LTD

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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 operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in October 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was carried out on 11 December 2025 following a whistleblowing concern reported to Ofsted regarding the child’s safety. Inspectors identified serious failings in safeguarding, welfare and leadership within the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has autism and sensory needs and was found to have been chewing a lead connecting the shower box to the shower head. Although staff had raised this concern with the manager, no immediate action was taken to stop the child from using the shower or to implement urgent measures to reduce the unknown level of risk.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has a known nut allergy, and the provider had implemented a strict procedure for monitoring all food items entering the home to minimise risk. This included documentation stating that, ‘To protect all children within the home, including a child with a severe airborne nut allergy, all visitors, including staff, are fully informed of the nut ‑ free policy, risk management measures, and documentation requirements.’ However, products found in the home at the time of the inspection were labelled as ‘may contain nuts’, which could have posed a significant health risk. The manager accepted that further work was required to review and strengthen this area of practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Additional concerns include unsafe bedroom arrangements as the child’s bedroom door lock lacks a thumb turn mechanism and is key locked. There is evidence of poor hygiene, with a strong smell of urine, and the child’s toilet was filled with excrement at the time of the inspection. Furthermore, there is a damaged ligature blanket on the child’s bed, which has not been replaced.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not received training to meet the child’s communication needs, despite the home being registered to care for children with learning disabilities and social and emotional difficulties. Staff were unable to explain how the child’s needs are understood or supported, increasing the risk of misinterpretation and distress.

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Findings from the inspection

There are also inconsistencies within the staff team and insufficient staffing levels to safely care for 2 children, as required by the home’s registration. Conflict between team members is further undermining stability and consistency for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

These failings place the child at risk of serious and avoidable harm, compromise their right to a safe and dignified environment and reflect unsafe organisational practice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 4

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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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that risks to children arising from health needs, sensory needs, environmental hazards, hygiene and staff competence are identified, assessed and managed effectively so that children are protected from harm. 1 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are supported to develop and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 1 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 5 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and respect the rights of others; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is supported to develop positive relationships with peers and adults. (Regulation 11 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff use a consistent, child-centred communication and behaviour support approach that the child can understand, to promote positive relationships.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 1 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 6 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that placement decisions fully consider the child’s assessed needs 1 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 7 alongside staff’s skills and training and only admit children whose needs can be met within the home’s registration and statement of purpose.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that managers and staff advocate for children to receive education.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children have opportunities to learn, and activities must be in place to help them prepare for returning to education or employment. 1 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

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)) 1 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 8 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that documents are child focused and that they reflect the care, progress and lived experiences of children.

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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

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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 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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff undertake the necessary training to meet the needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they have management oversight to evaluate the quality of care being provided and identify areas of learning to make continuous improvements. 1 March 2026

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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 produce a report about a visit which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and 1 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 9 the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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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

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that Regulation 44 visits take place and that the independent person’s reports are submitted to HMCI in a timely manner so that the regulator has effective oversight of safeguarding and the quality of care provided in the home.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that consent is gained to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Elevated Living Group LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: In Accountancy Ltd, 2 Station View, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 5ER

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majety’s Inspector Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2845569 11 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 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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Inspectors

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