Children's Home run by Barnardo Services Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s

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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 registered charity.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff provide care for up to 4 children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home operates under a contract arrangement with the local authority in which it is situated.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account good

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

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

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

Date of last inspection: 19 November 2025

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 August 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2025 Full Good 04/12/2024 Full Good 15/02/2024 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 3

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Summary of findings

This is a nurturing home led by an experienced and child-focused manager.

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Summary of findings

Children make good progress, and staff encourage them to be ambitious for their futures.

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Summary of findings

The stable staff team know the children well. Their relationships are positive and continue long after children move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled in the home. One child said, ‘It’s like heaven’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned. One child recently moved into the home. The manager works closely with children, social workers and family members to understand the child’s needs. She carefully considers the feelings of other children living in the home. Transition visits to the home are made at a pace that is suitable for children. When children move on, staff encourage them to remain in touch. This ensures that children continue to feel valued and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in learning. Staff advocate strongly to education professionals to find the right provision for children. When there are delays in children going to school, staff encourage them to engage in learning opportunities in the home and local community. This ensures that children continue learning and maintain a good daily routine.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children remain in good health. If children struggle to attend health appointments, staff use positive strategies to incentivise them. When appointments have not been attended, staff ensure that follow up appointments are made. Staff support children to take their prescribed medication. However, they do not always fully implement essential medication protocols designed to prevent dispensing errors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a wide range of positive experiences. They play football, go to the local gym and yoga sessions. Staff arrange cultural celebrations in the home and have supported one child with her religious practice. This enables children to develop their understanding of culture, diversity and faith in a safe and enjoyable way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to prepare for their futures. Staff create an individualised independence plan for each child, and the manager tracks their progress. Staff encourage children to complete light chores, such as cooking, shopping, and caring for their pet lizard. However, staff have not enabled children to develop financial skills appropriate to their age and development. Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 4 Staff identified that one child struggled to make a specific decision for himself, and that they may require a capacity assessment by the local authority. Staff contacted the child’s social worker to request this. However, the assessment was not done. This affects staff’s understanding of the support that the child requires.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with their loved ones. Staff encourage them to see family and friends. When disagreements occur, staff support children to resolve conflicts. This enables children to develop a positive experience of rebuilding relationships.

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

Children feel safe and happy in their home. One child said, ‘This is my safe place.’

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

The children are supported by familiar staff who know them well and keep them safe. Staff are trained to use a recognised model of care which helps them to understand children’s responses and maintain consistency in their support. This ensures that children receive consistent care from the people around them.

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

Staff develop detailed and regularly updated risk assessments for children. The assessments identify known risks and outline appropriate strategies for staff to follow. Staff also have access to regular clinical support, reflection discussion and guidance.

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

Staff talk with children about their vulnerabilities. If staff are unable to engage children in conversation, they are persistent and will adapt their approach. As a result, children develop their own understanding about how to keep safe and manage their feelings safely.

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

Staff embed positive, relationship-based approaches into practice. These have been effective in de-escalating situations within the home. As a result, incidents are rare. When incidents do occur, children learn through the use of natural consequences, such as helping to repair damage that may have occurred. The registered manager completes an evaluation of each incident and responds swiftly to implement any learning into practice. However, they do not consistently record learning in their evaluations.

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

Leaders and managers recruit staff safely so that only suitable people work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child centred and has high ambitions for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She leads a stable and committed staff team who say that they are supported and enjoy working in the home. There are regular team meetings and supervision sessions which are reflective and child focused. Staff also have access to reflective sessions led by clinical staff for additional emotional and practical support. Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 5 The registered manager and staff have built positive working relationships with partner agencies and families. Staff maintain good communication, advocate strongly, and are active partners in planning for the children’s future. One health professional said, ‘Honestly, I couldn’t sing their praises enough.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager monitors the progress that children make. She has effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children. She has oversight of all aspects of children’s care and evaluates children’s progress. This enables her to demonstrate the positive impact that living in the home has had on children’s progress and life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is proactive in responding to new and emerging risks within the local community. She is involved in a multi-agency response to challenge planning decisions that place children at risk. The details of which have been included within her review of the suitability of the location as a children’s home. Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 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, 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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the systems in place to manage medication are consistently followed by staff and in line with the homes medication policy. 2 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. 2 October 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 7 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that when capacity assessments are required for children aged over 16 years, they are completed in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, ensure that children are supported to manage their finances in an age appropriate and least restrictive way.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they include their critical analysis and learnings and any actions taken in relation to staff practice, when evaluating incident records, (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36).

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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 children’s home: 2541467 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardos, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Caroline Bates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2541467 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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