Children's Home run by Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 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 registered with Ofsted in April 2024 and is operated by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024. The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual. Ofsted is considering the proposed responsible individual’s suitability.

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Information about this children’s home

The child spoke to the inspectors during the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2024

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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: 2739589 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, the child had lived at the home for 16 months. Staff have supported the child during various challenges and difficulties, which has provided them with stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is now ready to move to live independently. Staff have worked in accordance with the child’s plan to prepare them for the next stage in their life. Despite some reluctance from the child, staff have persevered and continued to provide guidance through in-depth and structured conversations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is valued in the home. The child is not currently in any formal education, yet staff use creative ways to try and engage them. Staff continue to encourage the child to explore different educational and work-based options. Managers and staff work closely with other agencies to attempt to overcome any barriers to learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and support the child’s health needs. The child can be reluctant to engage with health professionals. When this happens, staff persevere and continue to encourage the child to attend medical appointments. Specialist referrals have been made when necessary, such as to substance misuse and sexual health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family and friends in a safe way. This ensures that the child is able to maintain social relationships with those people who are important to them. The child is able to take part in a range of leisure activities if they wish. The child has recently got a pet and staff have been helping them to care for it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and well maintained and is a safe environment for the child. The child’s bedroom is highly personalised, and they have been able to decorate it how they wish.

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

Staff are knowledgeable about the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. When the child spends time in the community, regular welfare checks are carried out by staff. This ensures that the child is kept safe.

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

Staff take a therapeutic approach and support the child to understand their emotions. This has had a positive impact and there has been a reduction in incidents in the home. When incidents do occur, staff support the child in line with their training and management guidance.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used. When this has happened, it has been proportionate and necessary and recorded well. The manager has ensured that staff and the child have been spoken to. This allows for reflection and improves learning from incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 4 Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know how to escalate concerns, including to external safeguarding partners. However, on one occasion when an allegation was made against a member of staff, the correct procedures were not followed by the manager. The manager investigated this, however, they did not inform the relevant safeguarding and regulatory bodies. New members of staff have been recruited safely to ensure that only suitable individuals work with children.

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

Medication is managed safely. The manager has good oversight of records of medication administered. When there are discrepancies, these are fully investigated and addressed with staff.

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

The manager is experienced in residential childcare and is working towards the relevant qualification. She has responsibility for another home in the organisation. She uses a number of tools and resources to monitor the care given to the child. However, visits from the independent person have mostly been announced, and this does not always ensure the correct level of scrutiny.

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

There have been a number of changes in the staff team and wider organisation. At times, this has led to procedures not being followed correctly. One allegation was fully reported and investigated. However, the regulator was not informed in a timely manner, which prevented full oversight or scrutiny of the provider’s decision-making.

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

The manager has been supporting other homes in the company and this has led to an increased workload for her. Supervision sessions are not always held in a timely manner. This means that staff are not always able to reflect on the challenges and difficulties of their role.

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

Staff are able to access a wide range of training. The manager ensures that staff have the skills to meet the needs of the child, including any new needs that may emerge. Team meetings are held regularly and are used to embed learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that relevant safeguarding and regulatory bodies are informed after all allegations. 29 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 January 2026

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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. 5 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with regular supervision sessions.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. This includes ensuring that the independent person makes both announced and unannounced visits to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2739589 7

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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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Inspectors

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Sonja Vega, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739589 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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