Children's home run by Enabling Futures Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 1 Registered provider: Enabling Futures Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home provides care for up to 3 children with learning and/or physical disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children's home

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager leading the home.

p.1

Information about this children's home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2024 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child enjoys exceptional experiences at this home. The staff are dedicated and knowledgeable childcare practitioners. They provide care and nurture. They are positive adult role models, who guide the child to develop a wide range of life skills. As a result of this nurturing approach, the child continues to thrive and is making great progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent relationships with family are central to ensuring that the child maintains bonds with those who are important to them. Although challenging, this challenge is met with well thought through planning, which has meant the child sees family regularly at this home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Highly effective and structured care enables the child to experience a wide range of stimulating experiences. Ability or disability creates no barrier. They enjoy spending time in their local community, shopping and eating out. They travel further afield to the seaside. At home, staff provide the child with daily activities to expand their potential. The child has opportunities that they may otherwise not have.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has highly complex health and care requirements. The manager and staff team are ensuring that these needs are being met. When more specialist interventions are needed, the manager works tirelessly with the multi-agency team to make sure these are available. Healthcare practice is excellent.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff prioritise the child's education, and the child attends school daily. Staff and education colleagues both agree on targets for the child. Because of the complexity of the child's needs, including the requirement for their own classroom, strong collaboration between the home and school, and the sharing of resources, has meant sustained educational progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All progress and achievements are celebrated. Their progress is evaluated weekly and monthly and added to an ongoing progress report so achievements can be viewed and evaluated by the manager and staff. The document also shows areas where the child requires further support, especially with challenging behaviours. This allows the child to receive specific and targeted support so that they can continue in making excellent progress.

p.3

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

The child's needs are such that they require close supervision. Therefore, they do not go missing from the home or become involved in any form of exploitation. Safeguarding the child, both within and outside of the home, requires meticulous planning. This planning reduces risk and keeps the child safe. Risk assessments are continually reviewed to accurately reflect levels of risk. This means that, wherever possible, the child can experience new challenges and develop new skills while remaining safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 4 Staff continually build on their knowledge of the child and the most appropriate way to support them and keep them safe. The child has a detailed risk assessment and behaviour support plans. These documents provide staff with the necessary guidance on how to meet the child's needs on a day-to-day basis and ensure that they remain safe.

p.3

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

The child has incidents within and away from the home. When these occur, staff are responsive and ensure that the child is safe. This home is effective at adapting the physical environment to help the child with their anxieties and to keep them safe. Staff receive a debrief after each incident. It has been agreed that to debrief with the child would be counterproductive, and therefore extra monitoring is employed after incidents. A manager oversees all incidents, setting actions or identifying learning opportunities. However, some of the monitoring of individual physical interventions and incidents is limited.

p.4

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

Complaints and allegations are escalated and investigated appropriately. Managers ensure that they promptly inform the local authority designated officer following any allegation. Safeguarding protocols are consistently followed. Although staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding process, this could be further enhanced with regular updates to provide ongoing confidence in this process.

p.4

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

There is a clear medication process in place. Senior staff receive detailed training and are observed administering medication before they can take the lead in this process. There have been no medication errors. There is a robust and regular overview of the process, led by a manager.

p.4

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

Children, staff and visitors are protected and their welfare promoted through the rigorous health and safety arrangements in the home's environment.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager continues to be aspirational for the child. Their primary focus is on ensuring that the child is provided with a loving home where they have every opportunity to thrive. The manager is proactive. Their foresight and leadership often pre-empt significant issues that may arise. They work alongside the deputy manager and senior staff and together are a strong team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and their team are clear about their vision for the home. This is clearly and continually conveyed to staff. Team meetings are held on a regular basis, and staff find these highly beneficial. Staff can share their views, and their views are supported and respected.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that supports their ongoing development. Alongside this, they complete all mandatory training coupled with any child-specific training as required. This provides children with responsive and considered care. Individual supervision with a manager or senior staff member does not always provide a detailed account of discussions Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 5 about the child. This could be a missed opportunity for staff to celebrate progress and to share any concerns.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is strong. The manager and relevant professionals meet regularly to progress plans for the child. The manager challenges professionals in the best interests of the child. The manager actively seeks expert support when required. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive and commends their commitment and dedication to the child to provide great care and opportunities.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed, and recruitment for vacant posts is being prioritised. The manager has a robust approach to the safe recruitment of new staff and those employed through an agency. A comprehensive induction program is in place for new staff. Staff appreciate the organisation's approach, finding it valuable, and they feel well prepared with essential knowledge and skills before they work with children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good management monitoring through a variety of quality assurance systems. This helps the manager to ensure that timescales are met for a range of activities that relate to the running of the home. Independent scrutiny is built into the quality assurance systems. Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to supervision for staff not being effective in ascertaining staff's knowledge of children in their care. 20 March 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day-to-day basis. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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: 2770840 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Enabling Futures Ltd

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Coach House, Millbrook House Estate, Manchester Road, Hollingworth, Cheshire SK14 8LA

p.7

Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2770840 8 regulates 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.7

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 .

p.8

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8