Children's home run by Independent Living Services (North West) Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 1 SC431192

p.1

Registered provider: Independent Living Services (North West) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

p.1

Information about this children's home

There were 3 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. All 3 children spoke with the inspector to share their experiences of living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good 08/10/2024 Full Inadequate 03/07/2024 Full Inadequate 26/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points because of the care and support that they receive from staff. Since moving into the home, children have been able to trust staff and build positive, stable relationships. Professionals speak highly of the home and staff's understanding of the children's needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access education, although their engagement with education varies. When children do not attend school, staff ensure that there are education plans in place. One child is now attending tuition regularly and progressing well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although some children remain reluctant to attend health appointments, staff continue to encourage healthy routines and support both physical and emotional wellbeing. This is achieved by staff rescheduling missed appointments, consulting with nurses to explore alternative ways to meet health needs and by carrying out direct work that focuses on the importance of health care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly consulted and feel comfortable sharing their wishes and feelings. Their views influence daily life at the home. Children also know how to make a complaint, if this is necessary.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete independence work with children, supporting them to stay safe, manage personal care, look after their environment and take part in daily routines.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children maintain important relationships with family and friends. When challenges arise, safety plans support safe and positive contact and relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they feel safe, cared for, understood and valued. Where some children aspire to independent living, all children expressed a desire to continue living in the home until this is achieved.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop a sense of belonging and stability. They enjoy a range of positive experiences, supported by tools such as a vision board that helps them share and achieve their goals.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child's individual needs and associated risks. Children say that they feel safe and cared for by staff who show genuine concern for their wellbeing.

p.3

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

Risk assessments are up to date and clearly outline each child's risks and vulnerabilities and the actions staff must take to manage these. Strategies are in place to reduce harm, Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 4 and there is evidence that risks are either reducing or being managed well in line with children's individual circumstances.

p.3

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

There have been several missing-from-home incidents. Managers monitoring identified that staff were not always reporting the child missing to the police in line with plans. The manager took prompt action to address this with staff, which has resulted in staff taking timely action to report children missing in subsequent missing-from-home incidents.

p.4

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

Staff respond proactively to incidents. They work with children through planned and reactive key-work sessions, sometimes involving external agencies. This helps children understand risk and develop safer behaviours.

p.4

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

Children are supported to take appropriate risks based on their level of understanding. This is reflected in their safety plans, activities and independence work.

p.4

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

Children receive praise and encouragement from a staff team that uses therapeutic approaches in its care of children. This helps children to identify and learn alternative strategies for managing their emotions and reducing their risk-taking behaviour, with staff providing them with consistent support and guidance.

p.4

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

There have been 3 complaints in total. One was from a child about an external agency and 2 related to staff. Each complaint is investigated promptly and fairly, using a multi-agency approach to make sure children remain supported and protected throughout. Outcomes are shared with the relevant agencies, and in every case the children involved were consulted and satisfied with the conclusions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager encourages staff to be ambitious in their professional development and in the quality of care provided to children. Staff report that the manager leads by example and has brought significant positive change to the home, improving the standard of care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows each child well and has a good understanding of their individual needs and risks. Children's progress is understood, monitored and celebrated. This creates an environment where achievements are recognised and children feel valued and proud of what they achieve.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children's needs are central to care planning. Their views and progress are reflected in risk assessments, safety plans and staff discussions, including team meetings. This contributes to a nurturing, family-focused environment for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and have access to relevant training. Supervision is used flexibly to provide additional support when required and focuses on reflection, development and career progression. This helps staff to respond effectively to children's needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 5 The manager and staff maintain strong relationships with other agencies. They advocate for children and challenge when external responses do not meet children's needs. The staff team is stable and has remained consistent since the manager's registration. Staff speak positively about the manager's leadership, support and experience.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Through regular oversight and auditing, the manager has a clear understanding of the quality of care provided to children. Any shortfalls are promptly addressed through supervision, team meetings or training.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The reports completed by the independent person are not routinely submitted to Ofsted. The manager expressed concern about this during the inspection. A requirement has been raised in relation to this shortfall.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children's files are well maintained, up to date and contain all relevant information. The manager reviews these regularly to ensure that children's progress is monitored and that children remain central to the home's ethos and practice, in line with the statement of purpose. Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 27 February 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff consistently follow all identified risk management plans, including the required reporting times and actions to take when a child goes missing (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or being away without permission, the responsible local authority must offer them an independent return home interview. The home should use any information from this interview to help assess risks and to plan arrangements that protect the child (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30).

p.6

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: SC431192 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Independent Living Services (North West) Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4 Ena Works, Volunteer Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA10 2AY

p.7

Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 8 regulates and inspects 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8