Children's Home run by Bright Futures North West Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report children's home: 2734267 1 Registered provider: Bright Futures North West Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2734267 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2734267 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spent time with both children during the inspection. Children say that they feel happy and safe living at the home and that they have adults they can talk to if they are worried. They also shared that, although they feel well cared for, they would still prefer to be living at home. Children’s views are listened to and staff advocate well on their behalf. Children are supported to express their views and thoughts, they are confident in raising a wide range of topics with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents spoke positively about the manager and staff. They described the manager as approachable, flexible and supportive, particularly during times that are emotionally difficult for them. Parents say that they feel well informed and included in decisions about their children and that staff communicate clearly and seek consent appropriately for activities. Parents reported that their children feel well cared for and talk warmly about the staff. They feel that the manager and the wider team consistently make efforts to maintain and strengthen family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders, managers and staff provide a warm and welcoming environment that is centred around the needs of the children. Communal areas of the home are comfortable, well maintained and used frequently, contributing to a homely and nurturing atmosphere. In contrast, the quality of the children’s bedrooms is noticeably lower. One bedroom, in particular, has issues with cleanliness and organisation, which does not reflect the same standards elsewhere in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational outcomes for children are mixed. Both children have made progress and attend education more regularly than when they first moved into the home. However, they continue to access part ‑ time timetables, which reduces the range and consistency of their learning opportunities. The registered manager works proactively with education professionals, who report that staff encourage attendance and contribute effectively to multi ‑ agency planning. For the child who is currently not attending school, staff provide structured educational activities, including support to create a curriculum vitae to help them begin exploring future work options.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are managed well. Routine health appointments are up to date and staff support both children to access relevant specialist services. Although one child continues to refuse to attend dental appointments, staff offer consistent encouragement and this is appropriately recorded, monitored and reviewed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a wide range of activities and opportunities for holidays. Although they often choose not to take part in activities alongside staff, the team continues to offer age ‑ appropriate options and respect the children’s choices. Staff remain proactive in supporting friendships and are flexible in helping children maintain their social lives, including providing transport to events and welcoming friends to the Inspection report children's home: 2734267 4 home for tea and sleepovers. This year, one child chose to attend several concerts rather than go on a holiday with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning to support children to develop their skills for adult life is not yet fully embedded. There is no structured approach to supporting children to develop age ‑ appropriate independence skills. For older children, the absence of a detailed plan limits oversight of how well they are being prepared for adulthood and how effectively staff are helping them to build essential life skills.

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

Staff have a strong understanding of each child’s individual needs and manage these safely in day ‑ to ‑ day practice. They follow established routines and remain well informed through handovers and team meetings. Staff implement agreed strategies to promote children’s safety and wellbeing, ensuring a consistent coordinated approach across the team. However, some of the written guidance available to staff lacks sufficient detail. This reduces clarity and consistency in how certain aspects of children’s care are managed and does not fully reflect the progress children make or the support they continue to require.

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

Physical intervention is used infrequently, as staff rely on their strong relationships with children and use effective de ‑ escalation skills to manage difficult situations. On the two occasions when physical intervention has occurred, the interventions were recorded clearly and appropriately. However, restorative or repair work between the child and the staff member did not take place following these incidents. As a result, opportunities to rebuild their relationship and reflect together on what had happened were missed.

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

Staff have meaningful conversations with the children. Oversight is strong, with leaders and managers reviewing children’s progress each month and further discussions taking place during team meetings and supervision. The involvement of CAMHS in team meetings, alongside open and reflective discussions among the staff team, contributes to a comprehensive multi-agency approach to understanding and meeting children’s needs.

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

Safety arrangements at the home are generally appropriate and proportionate. Staff use parental ‑ control tools to support children’s online safety and children receive guidance on how to stay safe online. However, internet usage is not currently monitored and the boundaries and expectations around online access are not consistently established and clear for children when they first move into the home.

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

Some children’s plans from placing authorities are not consistently up to date or readily accessible. Although the registered manager has escalated these gaps in the past, this has not been sustained. These delays in receiving the required documentation for children impacts on staffs understanding of children’s needs and arrangements. Inspection report children's home: 2734267 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. This insight supports effective oversight and contributes to the ongoing improvement of practice and a sustained focus on enhancing children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as supportive, approachable and an effective leader. They feel well supported in their roles and say that supervision is reflective and helps them consider their development needs. Supervision records reflect discussions about safeguarding, children’s progress and staff development. However, they do not consistently include clear or measurable actions, which limits how well ongoing improvements to practice can be tracked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Induction and training are well organised and consistently delivered, helping staff feel confident in their roles and valued as part of the team. Leaders promote a positive safeguarding culture and respond promptly to staff needs, contributing to a stable and motivated workforce. Staff have completed all mandatory training and have also undertaken specialist learning relevant to the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals report that communication from the home is excellent. They describe the staff and manager as dependable, easy to work with and fully involved in multi ‑ agency discussions. Professionals feel that the home engages well with partner agencies to support positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Assessments completed before a child moves into the home are thorough and clearly set out how their needs, routines and behaviours may impact the existing group of children. These assessments give staff practical, detailed guidance on how to manage any identified risks and support a smooth transition into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints are investigated and recorded appropriately, and letters are provided to children following complaint investigations to share the outcome with them. However, on one occasion, this process was not followed, and the outcome was not clearly documented. This inconsistency meant that a full record of the complaint and how it was resolved was not captured. Inspection report children's home: 2734267 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s plans including support plans and education plans are written in clear, plain language. Each plan must contain specific and measurable strategies that clearly set out how the child will be supported, including their educational progress, targets and any interventions required. 27 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all complaints are adequately recorded, to support children now and in the future to understand the action taken and the outcome. 27 February 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2734267 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are proactively advocating for a child and are forceful in their challenge to the relevant person so that a child’s needs are met. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that children’s transitions happen in a timely way and that children have up to date plans such as Pathway Plans and a PA to meet the child’s needs. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 11, paragraph 2.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. In particular, staff need to be consistent in providing support with skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting, and personal self-care. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should strengthen preventative planning when new placements occur by setting clear boundaries and expectations for children from the start of the placement. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that supervision records and team meeting minutes are strengthened to include reflective commentary and SMART actions to drive improvements in practice. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 39, paragraph 8.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support the child to maintain a clean and tidy bedroom. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that, following any incident or use of restraint, timely and effective restorative work takes place between the child and the staff member involved, so that relationships are repaired and the child’s views are understood and acted upon. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.12)

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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 children's home: 2734267 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Bright Futures North West Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 48 - 52 Penny Lane Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside L18 1DG

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2734267 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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