Children's Home run by Milestones Care Homes Ltd in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 1 Registered provider: Milestones Care Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 14 March 2024.

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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 inadequate

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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: 2483789 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Good 12/07/2023 Full Good 13/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 3

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improvement to be good

Children experience positive transitions into the home. The manager gathers information from professionals and previous carers, assesses risks, and supports children to move at a pace that suits them. When children move on, they are fully involved in planning, including property searches, while staff promote independence through support such as driving lessons. Staff also assist with the move and help children decorate their new homes.

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improvement to be good

Children form strong relationships with staff. They are relaxed and confident in the presence of both the manager and staff members, and they can discuss personal matters openly. One child said, ‘I feel like I’ve been here ages; I love the staff.’

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to discuss any concerns, receive practical guidance, and contribute to decisions about their care. Children share their experience for staff and peers to recognise and celebrate progress, and when children face challenges, even small achievements are acknowledged. This approach builds children’s confidence and reinforces their sense of stability.

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improvement to be good

Children attend routine health appointments and complete their annual health reviews. When children are reluctant to engage with services, staff work closely with health professionals to understand barriers, rearrange appointments, and encourage participation. If appointments are refused or services are withdrawn, staff respond promptly by registering children with alternative practices and arranging home visits. This ensures that children’s health needs remain a clear priority.

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improvement to be good

Children make varied progress in education. One child attends daily and enjoys learning, while another has disengaged. Staff use incentives to encourage re-engagement and work closely with professionals to understand the child’s needs and identify effective support. This coordinated approach has led the school to follow professional recommendations, provide additional tutoring, recognise the child’s emotional needs, and apply for an education, health and care plan.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time with their families, in accordance with their agreed plans and personal wishes. Staff organise travel and collaborate with siblings’ placements to facilitate visits to the home. This helps sustain important family connections and removes practical barriers to contact, enabling children to feel more in control of their family relationships.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 4 Plans to keep children safe do not fully address the risks they face. One child has become increasingly withdrawn and spends most of their time alone in their bedroom. They have unrestricted internet access through the home’s system and mobile data purchased with pocket money. Technology checks are inconsistent and not routinely recorded, leaving the child at increased risk of exploitation without effective safeguards.

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improvement to be good

Child protection policies are not effective to keep children safe. There are family relationships among members of staff in key positions within the home. Two staff members are directly related to a senior leader who is the responsible individual. There are no specific procedures for staff to follow if a child makes an allegation or complaint involving these individuals. These related staff also work together regularly, and no measures have been put in place to reduce or manage this risk.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to understand their emotions and manage their behaviour safely. When conflict occurs, staff respond quickly and speak with each child individually to help them reflect on their feelings and consider others’ perspectives. This supports children to build relationships, recognise their emotions, and develop more positive responses during difficult moments.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint, and staff revisit this information with them regularly. When complaints are made, they are responded to appropriately, helping children feel listened to and reassured that their concerns are taken seriously. One child reported a positive outcome to their complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not receive regular supervision or have their performance appraised annually. The manager has raised concerns with their supervisor about issues in the home and the challenges of their role, these discussions have not been recorded, nor has any meaningful progress been made in response. The last supervision the manager has on file is from 2024.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systems used to monitor the quality of care are ineffective. Weekly health and safety checks are signed off with no concerns, despite issues such as communal fire doors not closing and firefighting equipment being placed incorrectly. Important recommendations from independent visitor reports have remained unaddressed for significant periods. Although the manager has attempted to progress these actions, they have not received the necessary authorisation from senior leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not consistently submitting independent visitor reports to Ofsted, and on one occasion the visit did not take place at all. This reduces both the manager’s and Ofsted’s oversight, limiting their ability to identify and respond to potential concerns about children’s safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Mandatory training is significantly out of date. While some staff completed physical intervention training in the past, this is no longer current, and new staff have not Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 5 received any training at all. Although this issue has been highlighted repeatedly by the independent visitor, it has remained unresolved. The manager has attempted to address the shortfall, but progress has been hindered by the lack of response from senior leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

New employees are not being thoroughly checked or vetted. Criminal record checks rely on outdated documents that have not been reviewed through the update service. One applicant’s employment history was not explored to understand their reasons for leaving roles involving children and vulnerable adults. Poor safer recruitment practice is a long- standing concern that continues to compromise children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager appropriately challenges external services when they do not fulfil their responsibilities. As a result, children’s plans have now been received, assessments are progressing, and the correct educational support is in place. The manager has also advocated effectively on behalf of a child to ensure their concerns were heard. This led to the child securing an adult provision that meets their needs, along with additional support as they transition into adulthood. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(b)(e)) 23 April 2026

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and 23 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 23 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (4)(b)(c)) 23 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 23 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 8 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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: 2483789 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Milestones Care Homes Limited

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Inspectors

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Mark Green, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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