Children's Home run by PALS Residential Services in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 1 Registered provider: PALS Residential Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 06/09/2023 Full Good 03/01/2023 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four children have left the home, and three children have moved into the home. One child is currently living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a calm and relaxed home. They are cared for by a committed and caring staff team. Staff show their care and affection for children through their daily interactions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health by ensuring that they attend necessary health appointments. When children struggle to engage with professionals, staff offer incentives to encourage their attendance as well as educating children about the importance of good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are vigilant about children’s mental health. Children benefit from access to a well- being counsellor. Staff and the counsellor work together to identify the best way of encouraging children to engage with this service. This enables children to better understand their feelings and emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of encouraging relationships with families and those who are important to children. They arrange opportunities for children to meet with their families, sometimes travelling extensive distances to ensure that children can spend time with their families. Staff understand the importance of positive support networks for children in their adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children frequently talk on a range of topics. However, the records of this direct work do not always reflect the views of children. Similarly, records do not always reflect the work that staff have completed with children moving out of the home. This shortfall does not provide children with an accurate overview of their time at the home.

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

Staff are effective in their safeguarding responsibilities by keeping children in their care safe. They talk to children about ways in which they can keep themselves safe. Staff take appropriate swift action when they have concerns about children’s welfare and involve relevant professionals in this process.

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

Serious incidents at the home are typically low, but there has been a brief unsettled period since the last inspection. Staff took appropriate, swift action to safeguard children and involved relevant professionals when necessary, during this time.

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

Although there have been incidents when children have gone missing from home, staff take action to find them and use an external service to ensure that return home Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 4 interviews are completed. Staff secure any learning from these interviews. Records of incidents of children going missing from home need to be clearer in reflecting the action taken by staff to find children.

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

Physical intervention is rarely needed as staff are able to use their skills in defusing situations with children in other ways. Behaviour management plans and risk management plans outline the needs of children, as well as strategies for staff to follow to manage children’s behaviours safely. Plans are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that children are cared for consistently by the staff team.

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

Although staff use consequences following any negative behaviour, they prefer to concentrate on offering children rewards for their positive behaviour. Children are able to earn regular incentives for their achievements. When consequences are needed to address negative behaviour, they are clearly evaluated to ensure that they are effective in helping children to learn from their behaviour.

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

Staff recruitment is on the whole safe. However, when checks raise concerns about an individual’s suitability recruitment records do not always reflect how the manager has assessed their suitability to work with children.

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

With the exception of one child’s bedroom, which needs redecoration and maintenance, the home is well maintained and provides a comfortable and homely environment for children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and qualified manager manages this home and another of the company’s homes. He is supported effectively by an experienced and qualified deputy manager. They share their clear ethos and values with the staff to provide good quality childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are well supported by the manager and that he encourages their professional development. Staff regularly complete useful training. This includes training specific to the needs of the children they are looking after. The range of training helps them to be effective in their roles. As a result, staff have the skills to provide good quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision. There is an emphasis on the needs of the children, and staff are encouraged to identify helpful targets to improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings provide staff with opportunities to discuss their roles and any concerns that they may have about children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a range of internal monitoring systems to ensure that standards at the home are maintained. He uses the systems to ensure that any learning is identified and used to improve standards at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 5

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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 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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children have thorough and well- planned moves in and out of the home, taking into account dynamics between children. 31 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records of discussions with children reflect the voice of the child. 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 6 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) In particular, ensure that all children’s bedrooms are repaired and decorated in a timely manner and risks relating to smoking are addressed. 31 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that as set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision, and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2634272 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PALS Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 119 Asser Road, Liverpool L11 8NL

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Inspector

Julia Toller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2634272 8 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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