Children's Home run by Emsee Living Ltd in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 1 Registered provider: Emsee Living Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2026.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 2

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Summary of findings

The child has made positive progress since moving to the home and has experienced an increasing sense of stability and belonging. Managers and staff have worked well to develop their understanding of the child’s underlying needs, and they continually adapt their approach to take these into account. Supported by this individualised care, the child has engaged in a wide range of activities and social opportunities.

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Summary of findings

Because the child is subject to a deprivation of liberty order, staff apply necessary restrictions to keep them safe. This is managed safely and appropriately alongside the child’s daily routine.

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Summary of findings

Furthermore, multi-agency working between professionals is of a high standard. Managers have proactively engaged the child’s birth family, ensuring that they are also an important part of the supportive network of adults around the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before moving into the home, the child experienced frequent and multiple moves, which diminished their trust and sense of belonging. Managers implemented a child-centred and emotionally attuned approach to supporting the child, recognising the impact of their journey through care. As a result, the child has settled in well and is now benefiting from an increased sense of stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed an individualised plan of support for the child, carefully balancing known concerns with an intentional desire to enable the child to have a fresh start. This has helped to restore a sense of normality for the child and improved their day-to-day experiences, enabling them to experience a more natural and child-friendly environment. For example, the child can have full access to their television and remote control; these items have been made safe to enable this. In the past, these items had been taken away from the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives support from a tutor 5 times per week, and they have engaged well with this activity. Managers have provided extra support and resources to help enhance the child’s experiences of education and to support the develop of their relationship with the tutor. The child has missed a significant amount of school previously and steps are already being taken to identify an appropriate longer term educational environment for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As result of positive multi-agency working, several external assessments relating to the child’s underlying needs are due to be carried out in the coming months. These assessments are intended to enhance the current understanding of the child’s needs and to help with consideration of any specialist provision that may be required to help the child make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 3 The child has been supported to maintain important relationships with their birth family, including them visiting the children’s home. This has been very important for the child and has helped to ensure that the network of adults around them are all working together. Staff have organised themed days to help the child connect with their cultural and ethnic background and have also helped an extended family member to cook a preferred meal for the child in the home.

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

The child has a number of appropriate restrictions in their life linked to their care plan; these are carefully managed and implemented as necessary to minimise the impact on them. The willingness of staff and managers to think creatively to improve the child’s day-to-day experiences have been significant factors in helping the child to settle and to experience some relative normality, in contrast to the difficult experiences in their past.

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

There has been a coordinated response to create a safe and positive environment for this child in the home. Managers have thought carefully about the relationships that the child has developed with preferred staff and have adapted the staff team to ensure the right support is provided for the child’s social and emotional needs.

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

The staff team is currently entirely female; this is reasonable, given some previously unknown risks from the child’s past. Managers recognise their responsibility to support the child to build positive relationships with male staff as well, reflective of their need to interact with different adults in the wider community in the future.

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

Staff use well-informed plans and strategies to respond carefully and provide positive boundaries for the child. On a small number of occasions, some staff have needed to seek external management support and guidance about how to respond to the child’s presenting needs. Managers have responded effectively, and this has ensured that the respective incidents have been well managed.

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

Staff enjoy writing personalised letters and affirmations to the child to reflect their experiences of living in the home, as well as some of their daily challenges. This helps the child to connect with the memories they are making, as well as providing constructive opportunities for the child to reflect on what has happened when things have not gone to plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team consists of the registered manager and a home manager. Together, they bring a significant amount of expertise and experience to the home. Staff value their input and support. Managers have been able to use their previous experience to help staff understand the child’s underlying needs and to predict situations in which the child may require further support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 4 The home’s manager is very invested in the day-to-day running of the home, and it is planned that they will apply to register as the manager in the future. They are very attuned to the child’s needs and bring a creative and child-focused approach to the child’s care. This has helped the child to benefit from an individualised range of opportunities and experiences. This has included a planned ‘second’ birthday, as the child’s actual birthday fell at a time when other events were being celebrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have embedded a child-centred culture across the home and staff are becoming increasingly attuned to the child’s needs. The child’s relationships with preferred staff mean that they can be resistant to receiving support from others. The managers recognise this and are working with all staff to develop their skills, confidence and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals value the support that staff provide for the child. The social worker for the child commented, ‘Staff demonstrate a calm, patient and consistent approach, using effective de-escalation techniques while maintaining clear boundaries.’ The child’s reviewing officer noted, ‘[The child] has made progress since moving into the home, particularly in terms of reduced incidents and increased engagement. The staff team provides a structured and nurturing environment and demonstrates a clear commitment to the child’s care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff benefit from a positive induction and ongoing training. Supervisions are reflective and promote staff welfare, providing opportunities for staff to reflect on their role and the day-to-day care of the child. This helps to create a highly supportive and transparent working dynamic between staff and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a clear sense of the responsibilities of external professionals and routinely advocate on the child’s behalf. This included direct challenge to a number of professional agencies following the child moving into the home, to ensure that the right support was in place. This positive advocacy was important in helping to create the foundations for the child to settle and enabled the child to benefit from support without delay. Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should support staff to build positive relationships with the child and help them to develop the skills and knowledge to actively promote positive behaviour. All staff should be able to confidently respond to the child’s individual behavioural needs. The management team should carefully consider how they support staff to ensure they consistently benefit from opportunities to enhance their practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)

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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: 2857330 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Turnpike Lane, London N8 0EP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nuala Harrington

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2857330 7 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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