Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 1 SC040785 Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide 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, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 and 22 April 2026. The inspectors identified serious concerns about safeguarding practices in the home and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act. Compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider in meeting the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Progress has been made since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. This was because staff were unable to support and manage the child’s risks and behaviours during periods of challenge.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents when staff call the police to help manage children’s behaviour have reduced since the last inspection. When other safeguarding incidents occur, staff manage them well and follow the appropriate procedures. The child’s plans have Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 2 been reviewed and now provide clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow. Staff have been consistent in their approach to managing incidents at the home. This has helped the child to regulate their emotions and behaviour more positively, which has led to fewer incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have ensured that they have followed safeguarding procedures when children have made allegations against staff. Additional training has been completed by the manager and senior staff at the home to ensure that they have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities when responding to allegations.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have worked hard to improve the monitoring and review systems. There are new auditing tools in place and new processes to ensure that there is effective management oversight of incidents. However, these are not fully embedded, so their impact on staff practice is not yet evident.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided additional training for staff to develop their knowledge and skills in meeting the children’s needs. Staff have also completed quizzes to assess their knowledge of how to care for children. However, leaders and managers have not reviewed staff practice and performance. They also did not identify that staff had completed self-evaluation forms together, with identical responses. This limits leaders’ and managers’ ability to effectively monitor and evaluate individual staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 11 June 2025, following the monitoring visit. It was the decision of the case review that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice under Regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the last inspection were outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Inadequate 08/07/2025 Full Good 13/08/2024 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 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 with 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers take effective action to identify and address shortfalls in staff practice. 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 5 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are admitted to the home only if staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet their individual needs.

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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.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 6 that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to support children to understand and manage their feelings and behaviour positively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, all staff must treat children with genuine warmth and respect and build positive relationships with them.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff support the child to engage in learning and development and promote opportunities for informal learning. 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 7 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all records include the relevant and up to date information.

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that Ofsted is informed of serious incidents and in a timely way. 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Cowley Hill Lane, St. Helens WA10 2AB

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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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