Children's Home run by Liverpool City Council in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 1 Registered provider: Liverpool City Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. The home is registered to provide care for 5 children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were 5 children living at the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke with 4 of the children, 1 of the children chose not to share their views.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2026.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The responsible individual was registered with Ofsted in February 2026.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children have warm, positive relationships with staff and generally feel supported and listened to. Children benefit from well-planned transitions into and out of the home, enjoy a range of social activities, and are supported to maintain important family relationships.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff manage risks effectively, use therapeutic approaches, and ensure physical intervention is only used as a last resort.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff receive regular supervision, training, and support. Managers are working to improve communication and teamwork across the staff group.

p.3

Summary of findings

Areas for improvement include achieving greater consistency in care practice, better understanding and addressing barriers to education for some children, improving bedroom maintenance, and enhancing oversight of training and record-keeping systems. Overall, children experience good outcomes and make positive progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have nurturing, trusting relationships with staff. They speak positively about the staff who care for them and say they can approach any member of the team if they need support. Staff use humour appropriately and effectively, helping to create a relaxed atmosphere. Children are comfortable at home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's engagement with education is variable. Some children have made positive progress in improving attendance and learning. However, significant barriers to education remain for others. Staff do not yet fully understand and address the factors preventing some children from attending education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from extremely well-planned support for moving into and out of the home. Children are sensitively prepared for major life changes, including during particularly challenging circumstances. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to children and continue to offer support and care even after they have moved on from the home. Children experience positive and well-managed transitions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not always benefit from consistently delivered care. While individually staff demonstrate a good understanding of children's needs, children do not always receive a cohesive response from all staff members. These inconsistencies have created uncertainty in some children's experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of social activities. Children have fun and develop confidence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 4 Children's relationships with family members have improved. Staff work proactively to support and promote family time and meaningful relationships. Children maintain important connections with those who matter to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff decorate and maintain the home so that it provides a welcoming environment. Although the property is large, it retains a homely and comfortable atmosphere. Managers recognise that supporting children to maintain tidy and clean bedrooms remain an area for development. Strategies, including incentives and rewards, are being used to encourage children to take greater responsibility for their personal spaces, but progress in this area remains ongoing.

p.4

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

Staff manage complex risks effectively. Each child has detailed risk management plans, providing staff with clear guidance and strategies to follow. Managers are strengthening the home's focus on therapeutic parenting approaches, which are becoming embedded in practice. Most staff support children in a nurturing and responsive way.

p.4

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

There have been 12 incidents of physical intervention. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the threshold for physical intervention and all view restraint as a measure of last resort. Additional training has recently been delivered to the staff team, with a particular focus on further reducing the need for restrictive practices and promoting alternative de-escalation strategies. Children are only held for their safety.

p.4

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

Staff are using rewards and incentives more consistently. Children understand when they will be rewarded and their achievements are regularly celebrated. Staff continue to work towards identifying meaningful and motivating incentives for each child.

p.4

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

Staff usually follow correct procedures when children are missing from home. However, on one occasion staff did not go out looking for a child who was missing and did not go immediately to collect them when they were located. On this occasion children did not feel prioritised.

p.4

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place. Comprehensive background checks are completed before adults start work. Children are cared for by suitable and safe adults.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers take allegations seriously and investigate all concerns thoroughly. Children are kept informed throughout these processes. Children feel listened to.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some recent changes to the leadership and management of the home. The leadership team are providing stability and oversight.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale and relationships within the team are variable. Leaders have implemented plans to strengthen communication, including more detailed handovers and improved utilisation of support from external professionals. Teamwork is improving. Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 5 Children understand how to raise concerns about their care. Complaints have been responded to appropriately, with managers speaking directly with children about their concerns and providing written feedback. However, the response to one substantiated complaint did not clearly demonstrate what action had been taken to address the matter with the wider staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Records show that supervision sessions are reflective and purposeful. Leaders and managers set clear objectives with helpful professional development goals identified. Staff receive useful support.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and provide opportunities for discussion and reflection. However, the quality and consistency of meeting records vary.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a range of mandatory and developmental training. While training opportunities are available and routinely undertaken, management oversight systems for tracking and monitoring training completion are not yet sufficiently effective. Work is underway to strengthen these systems, although this has not yet been fully implemented.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers complete annual appraisals. They provide a comprehensive review of staff performance and continuing professional development. Managers include children’s views within appraisal documents. Performance targets are linked to outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 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, 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(i)(v))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that children benefit from a consistent standard and approach to care from all staff. 29 December 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 For some children who have experienced severe trauma, have mental health difficulties or have been excluded or out of education for significant periods, it may be necessary to address and work through their past experiences and present needs before they can positively participate in learning activities and formal education. Staff in children’s homes will play a key role in supporting these children in line with their personal education plan or EHC plan and recommendations from education and health professionals. The registered person should make sure that they have a good understanding of the barriers children face to engaging with education and put all necessary support in place to help them overcome these obstacles. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 7  The registered person should have processes in place which allow for robust oversight

p.6

Recommendations

of staff training and skills. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. The registered person should make sure that staff understand and follow the processes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. The registered person should make sure that children always know the outcome of their complaints, in particular when a child’s complaint is found to be

p.7

Recommendations

upheld this should be made clear. The steps taken to address any shortfalls in practice should also be made clear to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

p.7

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: 2809311 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Liverpool City Council, Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1AH

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Catherine Cavanagh

p.8

Inspector

Nicola Shaw, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2809311 9 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.8

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.9

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9