Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 1 Registered provider: Idem Living 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 home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living in the home.

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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 for children’s home: 1240449 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2025 Full Good 25/10/2023 Full Good 25/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff provide high-quality, individualised care. Since the last inspection, a new child has moved into the home. They have settled in well and staff have been creative in personalising their space. This has helped the child to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress across all areas of their health and wellbeing. Professionals and parents noted clear improvements in children’s mobility, reflecting the positive impact of consistent support. Staff actively promote children’s independence, for example by encouraging them to feed themselves with hand-over-hand guidance when needed. This approach also helps children develop personal care skills, such as brushing their teeth and washing themselves, building confidence and autonomy in daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious. Since the last inspection, a new kitchen has been installed. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, which gives them a homely feel. However, attention is required to some of doors in the communal areas, as these look tired and worn. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families. The manager and staff work closely with relatives to confirm that safe arrangements are in place. One family member said that staff are very accommodating when they want to visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently celebrated a milestone birthday and there is a clear plan for the child to move on into adulthood. The child is being supported by staff to visit their new home to get to know the child’s new staff, and there is a plan in place for the child to move on in the coming weeks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed warm, caring relationships with children. Staff have a good understanding of children’s differing communication styles. This is helping children grow in confidence. There is a high level of consultation used, which is child centred. For example, the introduction of ‘Your wish is our command’ demonstrates lots of ways children’s voices are captured, including activities they wish to take part in, bedroom designs and menu choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive aspirations for the children. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities and experiences. There are regular trips to local farms, parks and museums. Recently, each child has enjoyed a holiday. Achievements are well celebrated. One child took great pleasure in planning their holiday to Europe over the summer. These events and achievements are captured in individualised children’s ‘adventure books’.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are good. Risk management plans are regularly reviewed and there is clear guidance for staff to follow following a recent safeguarding incident. The Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 4 manager has ensured that the team has discussed learning from the incident and she has been clear about expectations of staff’s roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.

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

Staff keep children safe through appropriate levels of supervision and planning. The manager works closely with the organisation’s behaviour support team to ensure there are clear, detailed behaviour support plans in place. The manager has worked closely with one child’s occupational therapist to produce a sensory plan. This has resulted in a reduction in incidents of hair-pulling.

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

Staff are effective at managing children’s behaviour. However, there have been 2 occasions when one child was given a consequence, known in the home as life lessons. The recording of this was not completed in line with regulation and the manager has not ensured that the child was spoken to about the measure used.

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

Fire practices in the home are safe. Each child has a personal emergency evacuation plan that provides staff with details of the support the child requires in the event of a fire. All staff are suitably trained in fire awareness, and the children regularly take part in fire evacuations. Additionally, for one child, additional direct work has been completed to help them fully understand the fire evacuation processes. This has helped ease their anxieties.

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

There are robust medication processes in place. Medication is safely stored in individual children’s cabinets. Since the last inspection, the manager has revisited the medication policy with staff and staff have completed medication competencies and refresher training.

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

Families say the children are kept safe in the home. Recently, staff have used online resources with each child to complete various direct work sessions looking at body safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager who is supported by a deputy manager and team leader. Staff report that they feel well supported by the management team. They say that the home is a positive place to work. One staff member said: ‘The home is filled with laughter, singing, care and support, and I’m proud to part of the team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of the manager using research to inform practice in the home. For example, the manager used a strengths-based model to help look at support dynamics within the staff team. The learning from this was also incorporated into other areas of practice within the home, including behaviour support plans and incident records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed for the children currently living in the home. Since the last inspection there have been several staff changes. However, the current staff know the children well. The manager is currently recruiting new staff and safer recruitment processes are followed. Where there have been concerns about the conduct of staff members, this has been suitably investigated, and appropriate actions have been taken. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 5 Training in the home is effective. Staff have recently completed safeguarding training for children with additional needs, autism and epilepsy. This ensures that managers and staff have the required training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the needs of children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive monthly supervision. This is of good quality and allows for staff to reflect on their practice and areas for development. Team meetings are held monthly. They provide an opportunity for staff to share learning within the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff ensure that they have the children at the forefront of their practice. Feedback from families and professionals about the care being provided is positive. One professional said that ‘[Name of child] was at the centre of everything they do. Staff are constantly looking at things they need to be on top of and how they can change things, ensuring they promote identity, and the child’s communication needs.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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. 24 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 7 (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home meets the needs of the children. The home should provide a homely environment. In particular, attention is required to some of doors in the communal areas. The door in the bathroom requires replacing and the doors and skirting boards require repainting as these look tired and worn. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1240449 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Ruth Mortimer-Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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