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

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 1 SC441410 Registered provider: Inspire Children's Services Limited

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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 2 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. Both children were spoken to as part of this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Information about this children's home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, 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. Inspectors have 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 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: SC441410 2

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home, and one child has moved in. For the child who moved out, their move was planned and in line with their wishes and feelings. Staff supported the child to visit new placements and have a choice in a planned move to semi-independence.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager speaks to children before they leave the home to listen to their experiences of living in the home and what has gone well and what could be improved.

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Findings from the inspection

The child who recently moved into the home is the sibling of the child already living there. Staff had an established relationship with the child prior to the move, which contributed to a positive experience for both siblings. The transition was planned, and the child was given the opportunity to visit beforehand, helping to ease the move. However, the transition risk assessment did not include all known behaviours, limiting the effectiveness of planning and the clarity of guidance available to staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Children speak positively about living in the home and have strong relationships with the staff team and the manager. Staff promote children’s engagement in the community and provide fun activities. Children attend scouts and youth clubs, as well as activities, such as swimming.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff provide individualised care to children. Children's care plans are thorough and highly personalised. All children access formal education. When there are gaps in children’s attendance, staff ensure that children are provided structured alternative learning. However, staff are not always proactive in providing consistent support for children developing independence skills and the recording of this work is of variable quality.

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Findings from the inspection

Safeguarding incidents for children living in the home are rare. There have been no incidents of children going missing from home, no police call-outs, and no use of physical intervention. Staff are aware of the plans in place to keep children safe, and when incidents do occur, they are quickly resolved.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff work directly with children to help them understand and reduce potential risks. However, the risk assessments in place to support staff in safeguarding children use vague language and do not include all strategies required to keep children safe, which reduces their effectiveness as a guiding tool.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a registered manager in post and a stable staff team. Safer recruitment checks have been followed, and new staff speak positively of their induction into the home. Staff have regular supervision and say that they feel supported. Appraisals for staff take place annually. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 3 The manager and staff team know the children well. They use regular team meetings as an opportunity for group reflection on children’s experiences and their support needs.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has effective tools in place to monitor and review the day-to-day care of the children. This includes oversight of all incidents. However, not all consequences implemented to support positive behaviour for children have been recorded. This limits accountability of practice and the ability to monitor and review the effectiveness of the measures implemented.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2024 Full Good 28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 4

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are proactive in seeking medical attention for children. And that children’s risk assessments include all known risks and the strategies identified to support staff in safeguarding children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 12 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 12 May 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 5 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that consequences implemented for children are recorded and the effectiveness of the measure monitored and reviewed.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are consistent and proactive in providing support in developing independence skills for children moving on from the home ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 17, paragraph 3.27). Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 6

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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: Inspire Childrens Services, Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Bradshaw

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Inspector

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441410 7 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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