A Rotherham children’s home which provides short breaks for children with complex health needs has been rated as Outstanding by Ofsted for the third time in succession.
Liberty House, which is run by Rotherham Council, was rated outstanding in all areas in its inspection report. This follows outstanding assessments in both 2019 and 2021.
The inspector’s report said: “Children are making exceptional progress from their starting points as a result of the excellent care they receive from a committed staff team.
“Children thrive once they have built secure and trusted relationships with the adults who care for them. In parallel to this, the children receive high nurture as well as consistent and dependable care. The staff demonstrate their exceptional knowledge and understanding of each child’s needs. This ensures that children feel safer, secure, more relaxed and able to take pleasure in their visit to the home.”
Inspectors also said that “children benefit enormously from the sheer enjoyment of having an overnight stay in the home”, “staff give a high importance to listening to the voice of the child and that “children and their families receive tremendous care and support from very experienced and well-trained staff”.
Richard Fisher, the manager of Liberty House is described as “having the utmost ambition for the children receiving care at the home” and “a role model to all, ensuring that only the absolute best will do for the children”.
Councillor Victoria Cusworth, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Rotherham Council, said: “This Ofsted inspection report for Liberty House is a wonderful endorsement of an excellent service that delivers great outcomes for the children of our borough. It reflects the very high standards we strive for across the children and young people’s service in Rotherham and those which we are embedding in our developing children’s home and residential care offer, which we continue to invest heavily in.”
Nicola Curley, Strategic Director of Children and Young Peoples Services at Rotherham Council said: “It’s the Council’s ambition that every child is able to fulfil their potential and it is very pleasing that our short breaks service at Liberty House has been recognised for helping to deliver exactly that. The staff at Liberty do an incredible job, we are very proud of them, and I know their dedication and expertise is appreciated by the families and children that use the service.”
Liberty House was opened in 1994. It provides planned short-break overnight respite care and support for families with children aged eight to 18 who have physical and emotional difficulties.
Download a copy of the Ofsted report here.