PIC Specialist SaILS Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 1 PIC Specialist SaILS Limited Registered provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service registered on 25 March 2024 and is operated by a private provider in the North West region. The service can accommodate up to 6 individuals in single-occupancy accommodation.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 3 looked-after children aged 16 or 17 were being accommodated.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since the provider registered on 25 March 2024. The registered service manager is currently absent from work. The deputy manager is performing the role of service manager on an interim basis.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 22 June 2026, and the inspector was on site on 24 and 25 June 2026.

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Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements. The next inspection will be within approximately 18 months. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 2

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Summary of findings

Most children are supported to stay safe and make progress. However, some placements end prematurely because the service cannot meet children’s needs.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not always share important safeguarding information with Ofsted and other organisations.

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Summary of findings

Children have good relationships with staff. Staff help most children to develop the skills needed to prepare for adult life.

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Summary of findings

Staff are positive about the leadership and management of the organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children make progress and have a range of positive experiences. However, some placements end prematurely because the service is unable to meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers do not always challenge the placing local authority when they have concerns about the plans for children. This means that some children remain in the service when it has become clear that their needs cannot be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff provide high levels of support for some children, which is inconsistent with supported accommodation. For example, staff checked on the welfare of one child every daytime hour. The child has now moved out of the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children say that they feel happy in their homes. Their bedrooms are individualised to their taste. Children have access to Wi-Fi throughout their homes, which helps them feel connected to others. When children move into their homes, this is done in a sensitive and carefully planned way. Staff encourage children to visit the home before moving in. One child said, ‘They helped me feel welcome.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children

When children reach adulthood, they remain in the accommodation service until they are fully prepared for independent living and have found suitable accommodation. Staff work with children’s local authorities to help them to move on in a carefully planned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children make good progress in preparation for adulthood. Staff teach children practical skills in planned support sessions and through ongoing discussions. This means that most children develop life skills and increased confidence in being able to live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff encourage and help children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff understand how these relationships support children’s journey into adulthood and promote their emotional wellbeing. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 3 Staff support children to register with dentists, doctors and other primary healthcare services. They collaborate with specialist services when children need additional help, for example with their mental health. Children access help quickly when they need it most.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to engage in education and training, or to seek employment in an area that interests them. They work closely with other agencies to achieve this. Staff make every effort to promote the importance of education, training and employment, and they help children to overcome barriers to participation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff are ambitious for children and enthusiastic about the support they provide. Children say that they know how to make a complaint if they have any problems with their support or the accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s social workers and other agencies are positive about the quality of communication with the service, the quality of the support provided and the progress that children make. One social worker said, ‘Communication and updates are good from the home. They are flexible around meetings and visits.’

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How well children are helped and protected

Children live in safe, secure and comfortable accommodation. They say that they feel protected and settled where they live. The location enables children to participate in the local community and to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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How well children are helped and protected

The service is staffed throughout both day and night. Children know that they can access support outside normal office hours, if needed. Children have a trusted adult they can speak to when they have worries or concerns.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff create safety plans when children move into the accommodation. However, the plans do not clearly identify the children’s current vulnerabilities and risk management strategies. One plan is more than 50 pages long and contains hyperlinks that do not work effectively. Therefore, staff find it difficult to access important safeguarding information easily. Risk assessments often contain generic information.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not always support children to take age-appropriate risks as part of their journey towards independence. For example, staff give all children their weekly allowances in cash. One child received their weekly allowance in 4 instalments. Staff store one child’s medication, and there are no clear plans for the child to have increased autonomy over this. These practices hinder children’s learning and development.

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How well children are helped and protected

Direct-work sessions are used to help children understand risk and develop effective strategies to keep themselves safe. For example, staff helped one child to better understand how to stay safe online. The child subsequently amended their social media settings to prevent unknown people from contacting them. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 4 When children go missing from home, there is a well-coordinated response to reduce the risk of harm. This includes notifying the police and the child’s placing authority. When children return, staff check on their wellbeing and discuss why they went missing. Children are offered return interviews by an independent service. As a result, children feel cared for and welcomed back to their home.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff receive a wide range of training that enables them to effectively support children and keep them safe. This includes how to support children in crisis, manage challenging behaviours and de-escalate potentially volatile situations. One member of staff said that the training had helped them to better understand how to support children who misuse ketamine.

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How well children are helped and protected

A consistent staff team provides the service. This helps children to develop positive relationships with staff. Leaders and managers understand how to recruit staff who work safely with children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not ensure that all children’s information is kept secure. Sensitive information, including children’s plans and records, can easily be seen by people who pass the internal staff office.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers accept children who, at the point of referral, are not ready to live in supported accommodation. This means that some placements are not in accordance with the provider’s statement of purpose for supported accommodation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not always take effective steps to ensure that children are supported when it becomes apparent that the service is unable to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children’s individual plans do not always reflect their known needs. For example, some documents lack information about children’s experiences before they move into their accommodation. This means that children’s plans do not always provide staff with the information they need to provide effective support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers use a range of methods to monitor the quality of the service. However, quality assurance processes are not fully effective, as they do not identify weaknesses in children’s plans, for example. Furthermore, leaders and managers do not complete a quality of support review at least once every 6 months. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on areas of identified strengths and weaknesses and the experiences of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not consistently inform Ofsted when serious events occur. For instance, they did not inform Ofsted when a child alleged that they had been the victim of a sexual assault. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain oversight and ensure that responses to serious incidents protect and support children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 5 Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive regular structured supervision, which focuses on the children and their practice. Staff are positive about the supervision that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers ensure that regular leadership and team meetings take place. Staff are positive about team meetings and the opportunity to discuss the children collectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders, managers and staff are ambitious for children. They have a warm and caring approach and speak in a positive way about children. They treat children with dignity and respect. One social worker said, ‘They keep in touch with the children after they move on. They care about them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has failed to ensure that Ofsted has been made aware of all the directors who are involved in the management of the service. This has prevented Ofsted from ensuring that all directors are appropriate to perform the role. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(f)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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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 plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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Requirement Due date

keep the child’s support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child’s needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe; 9 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 7 engage and work with the accommodating authority if the registered person has concerns or if the child’s support needs to be changed, including where that change may mean that the child requires more intensive support. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a supported accommodation undertaking if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a supported accommodation undertaking with another individual or other individuals, otherwise than in a partnership, if that individual and each other individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a supported accommodation undertaking if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the nominated individual, who is involved in the carrying on of the supported accommodation undertaking by that organisation, satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6), and

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Requirement Due date

the organisation has notified the CIECSS of the name and address of the nominated individual.

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Requirement Due date

the individual or partner is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual or partner has the capacity, appropriate experience and skills to carry on a supported accommodation undertaking having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the number of premises used as supported accommodation by the undertaking concerned;

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Requirement Due date

the number of children accommodated in the premises used as supported accommodation by the undertaking concerned;

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Requirement Due date

the geographical scope of the premises used as supported accommodation by the undertaking concerned;

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the undertaking concerned;

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation provided by the undertaking concerned; 9 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 8 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual or partner in respect of each of the matters in paragraphs 1 and 3 to 6 of Schedule 1 and, where applicable, paragraph 2;

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Requirement Due date

the individual or partner is mentally and physically fit to carry on the supported accommodation undertaking;

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Requirement Due date

the individual or partner is financially fit to carry on the supported accommodation undertaking.

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character, and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of the matters in paragraphs 1 and 3 to 6 of Schedule 1 and, where applicable, paragraph 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph 5(e), an individual is not financially fit to carry on a supported accommodation undertaking—

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Requirement Due date

if the individual has been made bankrupt and has not been discharged from the bankruptcy and the bankruptcy order has not been annulled or rescinded,

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Requirement Due date

if sequestration of the individual’s estate has been awarded and the sequestration order has not been annulled or rescinded,

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Requirement Due date

a moratorium period under a debt relief order (within the meaning of section 251A of the Insolvency Act 1986(1)) applies in relation to the individual, or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual has made a composition or arrangement with the individual’s creditors and the individual has not been discharged in respect of the composition or arrangement.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, "director" includes any individual who performs the functions of, or functions equivalent or similar to the functions of, a director, by whatever name called. (Regulation 11 (1) (2) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(c)(d) (e) (6)(a)(b) (8)(a)(b)(c)(d) (9))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if— 9 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 9 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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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 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review ("a quality of support review") at least once every six months, which must take into account—

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Requirement Due date

the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons;

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Requirement Due date

any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met. 9 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 10 After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed, and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s personal information and records are stored securely. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 58)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 11

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 16 Hereford Close, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan WN4 9JF

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: markfletcher@picchildrensservices.co.uk

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Inspector

Steve James, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: PIC Specialist SaILS Limited 12 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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