Children's Home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 1 SC441410 Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Inadequate 05/04/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home. Both children who currently live at the home spoke positively about their experiences of their time there. They discussed the progress they have made while living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The children who have moved on from the home had unplanned and abrupt endings. One child was not informed of their move to another home and was taken without knowing they would not return. There was a lack of challenge from the registered manager to the child’s local authority about how this should be dealt with sensitively. The lack of planning and transparency does not support children’s attachments with their carers.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to achieve in education, with both children in full-time school and college. When there are barriers to learning, staff advocate for children to ensure that their education plans reflect their current needs. This promotes children’s educational outcomes and supports their progress.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from independence planning. Staff help children acquire practical independence skills, such as cooking, cleaning, and budgeting. They also benefit from regular consultation about their future arrangements to prepare them for their next steps.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to attend healthcare appointments. Staff are aware of and support each child’s health and medical needs. For one child, they were discharged from specialist health services due to progress made in two weeks of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe in the home and are cared for by staff who know them well. Children’s plans provide staff with the information they need to care for them effectively. Risks children face have reduced since moving into the home, and there have been no incidents of concern during this time.

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improvement to be good

However, for children who moved out of the home, risks increased, and plans were not effective in addressing them. The previous manager and staff were unable to manage the risks associated with the children due to external factors and influence. Risks were known; however, strategies to reduce risk to the children were not effective. As a result, incidents increased both inside and outside of the home, resulting in the decision to discontinue the children’s placements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 4 Staff have called for police assistance when they have been unable to manage a child’s behaviour. At times, the use of police has not been necessary, and staff should have been capable of managing the issues. Staff do not always de-escalate situations effectively. The recording of such incidents includes language that is punitive in how staff respond to children. This does not help children to manage their emotions and has led to

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improvement to be good

an increase in aggression and property damage.

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improvement to be good

There is an inconsistent approach to the management of allegations against staff. Although allegations are investigated and referred to the relevant agencies, the language the staff have used when explaining their version of events raises concern. Furthermore, leaders or managers often overlook such comments.

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improvement to be good

When risks are identified in the local area, the manager and staff respond promptly to ensure children’s safety. They work with other agencies to assess the suitability of the home’s location and ensure that the risks to children can be managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The previous registered manager left the organisation in March 2025. Since then, a new manager has overseen the home, and they have applied to register with Ofsted. There was a thorough handover between the two managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are gaps in leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the home. Shortfalls in staff practice have not been challenged. Managers are unclear whether this has affected children’s care. Children’s plans are updated regularly, but they do not consistently include relevance to the child’s current needs, behaviours, and risks. There have not been any lessons learned or reflective practice in relation to children’s poor endings at the home. As a result, the provider has missed opportunities to consider the quality of the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Documentation requested was not always available during the inspection. The responsible individual is taking action to ensure that all documentation is now in an online format, which enables wider oversight in the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Evidence of appraisals for some staff was not available at the time of the inspection. Therefore, the manager could not show that staff receive appraisals in line with regulation. This could affect the manager’s oversight of staff development and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say they are supported in their roles. They benefit from regular team meetings. Training is provided to staff from external professionals to improve the quality of the care they offer children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from other professionals is positive about the quality of the care staff provide for children. There is strong partnership working with external professionals involved in the children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 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 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children’s plans contain effective and relevant strategies for staff to follow to reduce and mitigate risks for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 3 December 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

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Requirement Due date

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— 3 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 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

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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(v)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that staff are able to support each child’s needs without the use of police intervention, unless necessary and proportionate. Additionally, staff must help each child understand their behaviour and what is acceptable or not. Furthermore, staff responses to children must be appropriate and respectful.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 3 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 7 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that they continuously review the care provided to children. In addition, when reviewing the quality of care, they must improve practice when children have had negative experiences.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that they challenge the placing authorities when decisions are made that are not in children’s best interests. 3 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 3 December 2025

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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: SC441410 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Bradshaw

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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC441410 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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