Children's Home run by Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 1 Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care for one child who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spoke to the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024. The provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual. Ofsted are currently considering the proposed responsible individual’s suitability.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 24 February 2026

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/02/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Leadership and management arrangements are poor and ineffective. These shortfalls have had an adverse impact on children’s overall progress and experiences.

p.3

Summary of findings

There are gaps in care planning for children’s moves in and out of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The shortfalls in leadership and management have had an adverse impact on children’s overall progress and experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There is one child currently living in the home. This child has lived at the home for a short time. Staff are getting to know the child and understand their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child told the inspector that they like living at the home. The child was positive about their relationships with staff. The inspector observed positive interactions between the child and staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Another child recently moved out of the home. This child had a variable experience living in the home. Records demonstrate that the child wanted to move out of the home due to a breakdown in their relationships with staff. This led to the child moving out in an abrupt and unplanned way.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There are shortfalls in care planning. This is compounded by a poor relationship between the registered manager, staff and one child’s social worker. This led to a breakdown in communication. Therefore, the child did not receive the necessary care and support to help them move into adulthood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Another child’s move into the home was not effectively planned. The child moved in when the leadership and management arrangements were unstable and the registered manager was absent from work.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff spoken to demonstrate some understanding of the child’s needs. However, staff have not received the necessary knowledge and training to meet all the child’s needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff talk to children about things that are important to them. However, children’s plans and records do not demonstrate how staff are helping children to make progress in all areas of their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager does not review and evaluate staff caring practices to ensure that children make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 4 The home environment is clean, welcoming and maintained to a reasonable standard. Children have individualised and personal spaces that are decorated well, reflecting their personal interests. Staff meet children’s cultural needs.

p.3

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

Staff do not understand all children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. There are gaps in staff knowledge about specific risks. This could impact on children’s and staff’s safety.

p.4

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

Children’s risk assessments do not include updated information. The registered manager does not review risk assessments to ensure that strategies to reduce risks to children remain effective. It is not clear how staff are helping to reduce risks in relation to children.

p.4

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

Staff have not received relevant training to meet the child’s specific risks and vulnerabilities. Staff spoken to do not demonstrate a good understanding about significant risks in relation to the child.

p.4

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are not responded to appropriately. Risk management strategies used in the home have been ineffective in keeping one child safe. On one occasion, the police were called to manage an incident. This impacted on the child’s emotional wellbeing.

p.4

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

Since the last inspection, there have been no recorded complaints or allegations made by children. However, records demonstrate that one child could not talk to staff about any worries or concerns. This does not provide children with emotional safety.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment processes. This helps to ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The shortfalls in leadership and management have impacted on the overall judgement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been instability in the management arrangements. The registered manager is absent from work. These changes have impacted on the staff’s ability to provide consistent care for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a responsible individual in post. However, Ofsted has not assessed her suitability for the role. The responsible individual accepted the shortfalls identified and is taking action to improve the management arrangements.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are shortfalls in the registered manager’s monitoring and review systems. This impacts on the registered manager’s ability to make continuous improvements to the quality of care that staff provide for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 5 The home’s statement of purpose does not contain accurate information about the staff team. This impacts on Ofsted’s effective oversight of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff rosters do not include the names of the staff working in the home. This is a breach of regulation and is a safeguarding concern, as the registered manager does not know who is caring for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s plans and records do not include accurate and up-to-date information. This impacts on the registered manager’s oversight of staff’s caring and safeguarding practices. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that children are cared for safely or to identify any learning to improve staff practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff speak positively about their experiences of working in the home. Staff describe feeling reassured by the changes to the management arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff understand and implement each child’s risk assessment. 24 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 7 Additionally, risk assessment documents must be updated in a timely manner after changes in the child’s circumstances or when new risks emerge.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that she has full oversight of the home. Incidents in the home must be evaluated fully and any learning from these taken into consideration when making improvements to the care afforded to children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that they use a range of tools effectively to monitor care afforded to children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the safeguarding needs of children. 24 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.7

Requirement Due date

* The care planning standard is that children—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)) 24 July 2026

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.8

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 August 2026

p.8

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. 19 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 9 (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.9

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: 2739583 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Rose Hill, Southport PR9 0SN

p.10

Inspector

Chervone Collins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739583 11 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.10

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 . 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.11

Inspector

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

p.11

Inspector

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

p.11