Children's Home run by Brighter Horizons Care & Support Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 1 Registered provider: Brighter Horizons Care & Support 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

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in January 2026.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home and they were all spoken to by the inspectors.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 2

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Summary of findings

Children receive individualised, trauma-informed care from staff who build strong, trusting relationships with them. Children are supported to make positive progress and kept safe through effective multi-agency working. Managers and staff advocate effectively for children and demonstrate a good understanding of their needs. However, further development is required to improve the quality of the home environment. In addition, plans relating to children need to be followed more consistently and management oversight of records requires strengthening.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points and say that they are happy in the home. Staff talk positively about the children and develop trusting relationships with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with children before they move into the home and arrange visits and meals together when possible. This supports children to settle into the home. However, children's moves into the home are not always planned. When one child moved into the home in an emergency, staff supported the child closely in the first few weeks to get to know their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that staff help them to stay healthy. Children are registered with health services and enjoy healthy diets and exercise. Direct work is carried out on topics such as the use of e-cigarettes. However, staff do not always challenge children when they are seen with e-cigarettes in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and has sufficient communal space for children to socialise together. However, the home's decor is tired and needs updating in places. Children's bedrooms also require some personalisation and decoration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay in regular contact with the people who are important to them. This promotes a sense of stability and positive routine. Staff also support children to make choices about who they do or do not want to spend time with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular, meaningful conversations with children to help develop positive relationship in the home. They support children to plan shared activities, such as football, walks and other trips out of the home. Some staff members bring their dogs into the home for children to experience time with animals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals and family members is positive. They speak highly about the quality of relationships and how children are supported to identify and manage their emotions. Routines are consistent for the children, with staff providing daily education sessions when children are not attending an education provision. Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 3

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

Children say they are safe and protected from harm. Staff provide consistent support to help children manage their behaviour, meaning that incidents are rare. Staff use de- escalation techniques effectively and there have been no incidents requiring the use of physical intervention.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff understand the procedures to follow should such incidents occur. They receive regular training in a range of safeguarding topics, including specific areas of risk that are relevant to the children in their care.

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

Staff have regular conversations with children about keeping themselves safe and reflecting on their behaviour. Children receive support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Staff understand children's experiences, respond with appropriate boundaries about what is safe and acceptable for each child and seek to understand the triggers for behaviour. Staff are assisted by a therapeutic practitioner to help support the emotional needs of children.

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

Children are supported to take risks appropriate to their age or level of understanding as part of their independence skills development. This is tailored to each individual child and is focused on their interests to promote engagement. For example, one child has learned some DIY skills around the home as this is his area of interest.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place. This ensures that only suitable individuals are employed to care for children. This promotes children's safety and welfare and contributes to a secure living environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an enthusiastic and child-focused leader. She and the deputy manager have instilled a culture of development in the home and have high aspirations for the children and staff. The leadership team models positive and effective relationships in their interactions with others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a permanent and committed team of staff who work well together. No agency staff are used, ensuring that children are supported by familiar and consistent staff. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the management team. One staff member said, 'I have never worked in a place I have felt prouder working at.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The oversight and direction from managers lacks detail in some areas. Staff practice is inconsistent in recording of incidents, consequences and conversations with children. Team meetings take place regularly and give staff the opportunity to reflect on practice, discuss the individual needs of children and plan for team development. Staff value these as a way to build team identity. Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 4 Children are consulted regularly about their views, any changes to the home and the meals they eat. Children's views are shared in team meetings so all staff can take these into consideration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision. This includes single-subject supervision where necessary, ensuring that any specific concerns can be addressed in a prompt and supportive manner. Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that improvement is made to the standard of decoration in the home, including repairing a broken pane of glass in the front door. 14 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and wellbeing standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and wellbeing needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and wellbeing; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 14 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 6 that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and wellbeing outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff follow the plan regarding one child's use of e-cigarettes.

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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

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

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are clear systems in place for staff to record incidents, consequences and direct work with children. 14 August 2026

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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: 2837004 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Brighter Horizons Care & Support Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 22 Welton Green, Liverpool L24 0SJ

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Inspectors

Hannah Longdon, Social Care inspector Anna Belshaw, Social Care inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2837004 8 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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