Children's Home run by Care 4 Every Child Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children’s home registered for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

This is the homes first inspection after it registered in October 2025. The manager registered at this visit. He is suitably experienced and working towards the necessary qualification.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspectors spoke to both children.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 2

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Summary of findings

The manager has a strong passion for the job and demonstrates commitment to the children. The children present as happy and report being able to do many activities. The children have shown progress in health and education.

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Summary of findings

There is evidence of clear recording of incidents, updating risk assessments and recording outcomes. Outcomes are shared across the team as learning opportunities and captured in team meetings and staff supervisions. Professionals say they are kept informed about incidents, and they speak positively about regular communication updates from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and happy in the home. They benefit from warm, trusting and secure relationships with staff, who know them well and understand their individual needs. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the children and show genuine passion for improving their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals, including social workers and education staff, speak positively about the quality of care provided. They report that children make sustained and meaningful progress while living in the home. Children’s progress is evident regardless of the length of their placement. They make improvements across key areas of their development, including their health, education, and social relationships. This progress enhances their overall well-being and supports better long-term outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are understood and promoted. Staff encourage children to attend health appointments as required. Children are provided with nutritious meals and staff consistently promote healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Children’s care plans identify their individual needs. However, some plans lack sufficient detail about how staff will support children to meet their targets. Staff ensure that children’s cultural needs are met but this good work is not captured in their care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in their education, including when they have been out of school for long periods. They enjoy attending school and benefit from the social interaction with peers. Although staff have identified the need for additional support to help one child establish a consistent morning routine, this work has not begun. This is to ensure that school non-attendance does not become a regular pattern. Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 3 Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff have developed positive relationships with children’s family members and communicate with them regularly. This has helped children to maintain important relationships with parents, siblings and friends, strengthening their sense of identity and providing them with greater emotional stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with different opportunities to share their views, with regular house meetings and detailed and purposeful key work sessions. Children enjoy spending time with staff, both inside and outside of the home. Children’s interests are nurtured, and they are encouraged to try new things.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and homely. Children’s bedrooms are well furnished but require some personalisation according to their individual tastes. One child’s bedroom requires new window coverings to ensure that they have full privacy in their bedroom.

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

Staff understand the risks for each child and respond in line with their individual support plans. Risk management plans are updated regularly and include all known risks. Staff understand these risks well. They support children to help them to manage their emotions.

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

There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing. When children do go missing from home, staff take appropriate action to keep children safe. They search the local area and liaise with the police when required to try to locate children.

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

Incidents are managed well and recorded. Physical restraint has been used, but only as a last resort and in a proportionate way. Records include a clear description of what happened, debriefs with staff and children and follow up key-work sessions.

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

Children have trusted adults that they can talk to and share concerns with and because of this, there have been no complaints from children.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are in place. This ensures that children are cared for by adults who have been checked and verified as safe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is the home’s first inspection since it opened in October 2025. The manager is motivated, child centred and caring. He is fully involved in the children’s lives and is a strong advocate for them. The manager knows children well and this is reflected in the staff team’s approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Three staff members have left during the inspection period. The company have used experienced staff to cover these vacancies, reducing inconsistencies in care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 4 The manager is working hard to establish a stable team. He understands the benefits this has for children and the quality of care they are provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

For one child, the leaders and managers decision-making process about their move into the home has not been effectively recorded. Leaders and managers have failed to evidence that they have carefully considered the risks of children already living in the home and the impact that these may have on a new child moving in. In addition, strategies to mitigate any risks have not been identified within the child’s impact risk assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced strong monitoring and audit tools to ensure that they have sufficient oversight of the home. However, some children require up to date local authority care plans and health reports on their files. There was no evidence that the manager had contacted the local authority to obtain these records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that communication in the home is good. Professionals say they are kept well informed about incidents and speak positively about the regular updates provided by the manager and staff team. Staff describe the manager, and senior managers in the organisation, as approachable and empathetic. They support staff with personal issues that may affect their work, and rota changes have been made to support staff and promote their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most training is up to date and supports staff to meet the needs of children. When staff need additional training to carry out their daily duties, the manager arranged this quickly to ensure that staff have the skills they need to support the children. Staff are suitably qualified and are working towards the required qualifications where needed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 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, 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 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

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that clear recording of decision making when moving children into the home. 18 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children's home is a nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Specifically, window coverings should ensure children have full privacy in their bedrooms. Staff should also ensure that the garden is free from hazards such as large broken branches. Children’s bedrooms to be personalised. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', Page 15, paragraph 3.9.)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that for children who have experienced severe trauma, have mental health difficulties or have been excluded or out of education for significant periods, it may be necessary to address and work through their past experiences and present needs before they can positively participate in learning Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 6 activities and formal education. Staff in children's homes will play a key role in supporting these children. Specifically, work is required by staff to support one of the children to overcome the barriers and routines, to ensure that school non-attendance does not become a regular pattern. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', Page 26, paragraph 5.3.)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that under regulations 35-39 all children's case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date whilst they remain in the home. Specifically, the manager should ensure that children's records such as up to date annual health assessments and placing authority care plans are on their files. They should evidence any requests and escalation for these records from the placing authority. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', Page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2846185 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Allen Mills Howard & Co, Library Chambers, 48 Union Street, Hyde SK14 1ND

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Angela Hodgkinson

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Inspectors

Sam Baird, Social Care Inspector (Lead) Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2846185 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 who are 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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