Children's Home run by Pinnacle Care NW Ltd in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 1 Registered provider: Pinnacle Care NW Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company and provides care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties and/or has learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and was spoken to by the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2024. The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2026 Full Good 27/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 3

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Summary of findings

Changes in the home’s leadership and management have reduced the effectiveness of oversight. These changes, along with inconsistencies in care, have affected the child. Despite these challenges, the child has made progress in recent months with the support of a staff team, whose members know them well. Staff have high aspirations for the child and advocate effectively on their behalf.

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Summary of findings

However, inconsistencies in staff practice have, at times, placed the child at risk of harm. The child has developed strong relationships with some staff members and feels able to share concerns about risk-taking behaviours. Managers have taken some action to review and addressed some shortfalls. However, they have not fully considered others. As a result, opportunities for staff learning and development have been inconsistent.

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improvement to be good

The child has faced recent challenges that have affected their wellbeing. Despite these difficulties, they have continued to make progress. The child’s social worker praised the staff team and attributed the child’s resilience to the supportive relationships they have developed with some staff.

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improvement to be good

There is uncertainty about plans for the child’s next steps as they reach adulthood. Meetings with professionals are taking place and the manager is advocating on the child’s behalf. Appropriate assessments have been completed to determine their needs.

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improvement to be good

The child maintains a healthy lifestyle, enjoying activities such as swimming and eating fruit. Staff provide individualised support to meet the child’s specific mental health needs.

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improvement to be good

Following a change in prescription, staff noticed a medication administration error. This incident highlighted weaknesses in management oversight and communication. After the incident, managers identified actions to reduce the risk of recurrence, and have begun implementing these measures.

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improvement to be good

Despite challenges with education, the child has been able to complete exams at home. College staff talked positively of the support given by the manager to encourage the child’s engagement. The manager has challenged educational professionals about the need for a firm plan for the child’s education when they return in September.

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improvement to be good

The child can complete independence tasks. However, staff said this is not consistently encouraged by all staff in the team. This leads to inconsistencies in care. There is no clear plan for how the child will spend their summer break, despite this being an Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 4 opportunity to progress with promoting the child’s independence and socialisation before they move to semi-independence.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to pursue their interests and to spend quality time with their family.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is tired and requires updating. There is limited storage in the kitchen, meaning that a tumble drier, which the child should be able to use freely, is locked in a cupboard.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and care plans are not up to date and contain conflicting information. The lack of clarity means that the strategies for staff to follow are not robust. This has put pressure on the manager to support staff to make decisions dynamically. Plans do not demonstrate how risks have reduced for the child or show any improvements that have been made.

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improvement to be good

Staff said that there are inconsistencies in the vigilance of members of the team in managing risks. This impacts on staff confidence about the ability of the team to keep the child safe from harm and leads to confusion for the child. Despite this, the child understands how to keep themselves safe and will share with staff when they feel unsafe.

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improvement to be good

The provider has recognised shortfalls following incidents and has responded by completing analyses to identify actions that address the concerns. The provider works well with other professionals, including social workers and the local authority designated officer. However, the provider did not fully investigate an allegation made by the child regarding a physical intervention. Although the staff member involved left the home due to concerns about poor recording practices, the child did not receive a clear resolution to their allegation.

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improvement to be good

In addition, a serious incident notification submitted to Ofsted did not fully reflect the concerns relating to the child. The provider’s own records demonstrate how staff error contributed to further risk-taking behaviours, which may have been avoidable. The manager did not support the staff team to fully consider the impact of these events or identify opportunities for reflection and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been challenges in the team because of staff absence and vacancies. Staff have taken on additional shifts to ensure that agency cover would not be used. However, this placed undue pressure on staff, who were already responsible for managing complex risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 5 Staff spoke positively about the manager and the support they received. However, managers did not consistently listen to or support all staff appropriately. For example, during supervision, when one staff member raised concerns about inconsistent practice, managers did not act on this information. As a result, the staff member felt pressured to address these issues themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s oversight of the home requires improvement. Weaknesses in the monitoring of care, staff practice and incidents have resulted in issues not being addressed thoroughly or promptly. Consequently, the manager has missed opportunities to support the team and promote learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Records of team meetings lack sufficient detail. Although managers raised concerns with the team about communication and documentation, meeting records do not demonstrate meaningful discussion, reflection or staff engagement on these issues. Where records refer to specific topics, they do not provide enough information to explain discussions, decisions or outcomes. As a result, actions required to drive improvement are unclear or absent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has not consistently notified Ofsted of serious incidents involving the child within the required timescales. Therefore, the previous requirement is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 31 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. 31 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 31 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 8 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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. 31 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 9 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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 incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all serious incidents are notified to Ofsted in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is remade. 31 August 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is well maintained and the design enables children to develop independence skills through access to all laundry facilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.25)  The registered person should ensure that plans are in place for children to engage in activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) during holidays. Staff should support children to take part in activities which support their socialisation and preparation for independence. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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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: 2798687 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pinnacle Care NW Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair Accounting Co Ltd, 300 St. Mary’s Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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