Children's Home run by Libertas GBR Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 1 Registered provider: Libertas GBR 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 privately owned home is registered to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in May 2026. A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 25 November 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/11/2025 Full Good 23/07/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 3

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Summary of findings

There have been inconsistences in the quality of the service due to changes in managers. Leaders have not always implemented safe recruitment procedures, and they do not assess risks effectively. Management oversight of incidents, case records and staff training is not effective, resulting in missed opportunities to identify shortfalls.

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Summary of findings

The child who lived here had positive experiences. They had warm relationships with staff and made progress that is individual to them.

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improvement to be good

There were no children living at this home during the inspection. One child lived at this home since its registration in April 2024. This child moved on to supported accommodation in line with their local authority care plan. This child made progress in relation to their starting point. Despite this, the shortfalls in safeguarding practice and leadership and management have limited the overall judgement.

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improvement to be good

Staff supported the child to develop skills such as cooking, shopping, understanding money and numeracy. However, the overuse of restrictions at the home, including keeping the kitchen cupboards and washing machine locked, limited opportunities for the child to develop confidence and life skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff developed a good relationship with the child and talk about the child with warmth. The child said, ‘Staff were kind and listened to me.’ The child participated in a wide range of activities of their choice such as bowling, going to the park, trips to arcades and the zoo. As a result, the child’s social skills in the community improved.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of education. They support regular attendance and support the child’s appointed tutor. The tutor said that the child’s concentration improved over time. Unfortunately, the learning ended due to local authority funding constraints. Managers advocated on behalf of the child to have an educational offer.

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improvement to be good

Staff built a relationship with the child’s family and encouraged regular family time, including welcoming family visits to the home. Staff supported the child to process the loss of a grandparent in a way that was appropriate to their level of understanding. This helped the child to express their feelings.

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improvement to be good

The child moved on to supported accommodation. This move was sensitively managed by staff and was a positive experience for the child. Staff shared relevant information about the child’s needs. They supported the child to visit the new home and welcomed Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 4 staff from the new home when they came to visit the child. This enabled the child to form relationships with new staff.

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improvement to be good

The house is safe and is decorated to a good standard. A new kitchen and carpets have been fitted, adding to the general standard of the home.

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not consistently follow safeguarding procedures. Staff members have started working without all recruitment checks being completed. For example, a staff member started working without having received their DBS certificate. Leaders have not completed right-to-work checks for overseas staff. This potentially compromised the child’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not consistently assess risk effectively. Staff took the child to another children’s home owned by the organisation during the day for a few days while this home was being renovated. Leaders did not adequately consider children’s contrasting needs. While the child did not suffer harm, this potentially exposed the child to risk.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, staff have not used physical restraint. Staff are confident in implementing the child’s support strategies and helping them to calm down. The incidents have reduced in severity over time. Staff undertake direct work with the child, which contributes to the support provided. However, managers do not consistently review these incidents and, therefore, opportunities to learn and improve staff practice are missed.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s preferred method of communication and use combined approaches to help the child understand different aspects of safety in the community. They discuss various topics such as road safety, stranger-danger awareness and socially appropriate behaviour. The child developed social skills at a pace individual to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager left the organisation in May 2026. A new manager was appointed in July 2026. This manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s oversight is inconsistent. Following incidents, the manager does not review incidents. The manager has not undertaken a review of care as required or submitted a report to Ofsted. This limits opportunities for reflection, learning and improvements to practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has a training programme for all staff to support them in meeting the child’s needs. However, managers do not consistently monitor the staff’s training. Most staff members have not completed the safeguarding training. Staff lack confidence in Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 5 contextual safeguarding topics such as exploitation. There is a risk that staff may not quickly identify safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers and staff have failed to keep full records. There are inconsistencies in the home’s recording system. For example, there are gaps in the records of conversations with the child, and some records have incorrect names. The child’s case records are not easily accessible and there is lack of continuity when there is a change in managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is sufficiently staffed by a permanent workforce. There is no use of agency staff. Staff said that the support and guidance has improved with the new manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff develop positive relationships with professionals and family members. All the stakeholders consulted unanimously gave positive feedback and highlighted the child’s progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 4 August 2026

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(c)(h)) 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 7 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 1 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. Staff should discuss the decision with the child’s placing authority where appropriate. If a child makes a choice that would place them or another person at significant risk of harm, staff should assist them to understand the risks and manage their risk-taking behaviour to keep themselves and others safe. In particular, any restrictions and limitations are kept under review and, if necessary, revised to allow children as much freedom as is possible against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child

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Recommendations

and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. A report should be generated at least once every six months. The report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority of all children in the home who are looked-after children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 8

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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: 2772356 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Libertas GBH Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Greystoke Gardens, Enfield EN2 7NX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: David Obodoechina-Joseph

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Inspector

Priscilla Koroka, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2772356 10 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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