Children's home run by Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 1 Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

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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 managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The inspector spoke to the child as part of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Inspection date: 27 November 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 27 November 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children, and the leadership and management of the home, at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been considerable change in this home since the last inspection. A new manager has been appointed. However, she is not experienced in residential care. The previous responsible individual has left the organisation, and a new responsible individual has been appointed but has not undergone an assessment of suitability by Ofsted due to the recentness of the appointment. Additionally, there has been a change in the whole staff team and difficulty in recruiting skilled and experienced staff. Despite being fully aware of these challenges, leaders made the decision to allow a child with significant needs and vulnerabilities to move in.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all staff have the skills and confidence to keep the child safe. The manager has ensured that online training has been provided regarding preventing and responding to self-harm and ligaturing. However, not all staff are trained or confident in how to remove a ligature if necessary. This leaves the child at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not acted swiftly to ensure that the child is fully safeguarded in the home. The lock on the child’s bedroom door had been tampered with to prevent staff from being able to gain access without the child unlocking the door from the inside. This was rectified during the inspection. However, staff had not been able to enter the bedroom in an emergency for several days. This places the child at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not ensured that staff are provided with clear guidance and strategies to support the child. Staff have not always followed procedures outlined in the child’s plans. On one occasion, the child was not reported missing from home in a timely manner. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of the need to follow stringent protocols to keep the child safe. Furthermore, the manager had not identified this shortfall in staff practice or addressed it.

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Findings from the inspection

At the time of the child moving in, leaders were aware that they could not fulfil the level of staffing required. There is a high use of agency staff and staff from other homes. A lack of consistency in the staff team has not allowed the child to form positive and trusting relationships.

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Findings from the inspection

Effective boundaries are not enforced in the home. Smoking and vaping have, at times, been encouraged by the staff team and are used as a strategy to calm the child.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and the responsible individual do not have sufficient oversight of the care provided or awareness of the extent of the shortfalls identified at this inspection. However, immediate actions were put in place to ensure the child’s Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 4 safety. They are now developing a plan with the placing authority to address the concerns identified and improve the quality of care at the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 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, 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 14 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 7 In particular, leaders must ensure that all staff can remove ligatures confidently and competently.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure that staff are able to access the child’s bedroom when necessary to support the child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance on how best to work with the child.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must understand and follow strategies in place to safeguard children. Any shortfalls in practice must be addressed.

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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

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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; 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)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 14 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 8 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is a robust staff team working in the home who have the skills and experience to manage children’s significant and complex needs.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they have oversight of all incidents. They must evaluate all incidents fully, and the quality of care provided to the child must be monitored. Shortfalls in staff practice must be addressed in a timely manner.

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that when accepting new children into the home there is a robust staff and management team that can meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that children are supported to understand the plans and arrangements made for them and that their wishes and feelings are taken into account.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 14 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 9 understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff do not encourage smoking or vaping in any way. Furthermore, staff must take steps to educate the child on the dangers of smoking or vaping.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Leaders and managers should ensure that robust evaluation of missing-from- home incidents is completed to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.31)  Leaders and managers should ensure that supervision sessions allow staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. This recommendation was not reviewed and has been restated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2). Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Rose Hill, Southport PR9 0SN

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Inspector

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 11 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 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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