Children's Home run by Williamson Care Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 1

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Williamson Care Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 11 and 12 February 2025. Inspectors identified serious concerns about safeguarding practices in the home, and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, two compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act. These compliance notices were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider in meeting the steps in the compliance notices. Ofsted found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the risks for children have increased.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents of being missing from the home have increased for one child. Staff look for the child when missing and work with relevant professionals to find them. Staff have received training and guidance to improve their approach to children when they go missing and this has resulted in some improvements. However, staff are not always nurturing in their responses to children when they are missing from the home. In Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 2 addition, some staff say that they do not agree with plans for collecting children when they are missing during the night.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the increased risks for one child, staffing ratios in the home increased for certain times during the day. This means that there has been an increase in the use of agency staff and the manager has been required to work shifts in the home on a regular basis to cover gaps in staff rosters.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents of challenging behaviour are not managed well. When staffing ratios de- crease, staff do not use effective de-escalation techniques to support children in dis- tress. On occasions, this has resulted in police involvement to manage behaviour. On one occasion, the manager and staff locked themselves in the office with one child to safeguard themselves from the behaviour of the other child living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessment documents are not updated to include new and emerging concerns for children. Strategies are not in place to support all children’s needs. One incident of a child being suspected to be under the influence of alcohol was not recorded. As a result, records do not evidence all the actions that were taken to safeguard the child. The child’s records have not been updated to reflect this risk. Strategies are not identified for staff to follow to manage risks moving forward.

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This monitoring visit

Plans are in place to manage one child’s use of electronic cigarettes. However, strategies are not in place to manage incidents of the child refusing to give these to staff. Staff do not engage the child in regular meaningful work to help the child understand the risks.

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This monitoring visit

Strategies are in place to monitor children’s use of mobile phones and social media. However, these are not effective for all children. One child was able to connect to a staff member’s personal internet connection. This means that they were able to access the internet without any parental controls.

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This monitoring visit

Managerial oversight of incidents does not always include an evaluation of staff practice or reflection about how incidents are managed. Leaders and managers do not always identify further support needed for children following incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not challenge staff when they are not child centred in their approach. Leaders and managers do not manage poor practice well. Plans do not demonstrate how leaders and managers are working to improve staff practices.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit identified that leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Further notices are issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the last inspection were outside of the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children and take action to reduce the risk of harm to children. 25 May 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 5 *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 promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (13)(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that leaders and managers must ensure there is evaluation of all incidents, that children’s records are reviewed and maintained to include all accurate and relevant information and that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed 25 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 25 May 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 6 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff support children with warmth and empathy and receive clear guidance to follow in practice. The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 25 May 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 7 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that leaders and managers must ensure that they are able to meet the needs of children moving into the home, that they are aware of children’s risks when moving in and that plans are in place to manage any conflicting needs for children living together. 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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff support children’s individual care needs. 25 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 25 May 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 8 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s records are maintained and updated and include accurate information.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Williamson Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mayes Business Partnership, 22-28 Willow Street, Accrington, BB5 1LP

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Inspectors

Claire Hobbs, Regulatory Inspection Manager Renee Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2775284 10 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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