Children's Home run by Still Adventures Ltd in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 1 Registered provider: Still Adventures Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This multi-build setting is owned and operated by a private provider. The setting operates across 3 homes, providing care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager and responsible individual have been absent from their roles since July 2026. This inspection was supported by the company directors.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in one of the homes.

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This monitoring visit

This setting was inspected on 30 June, 1 and 2 July 2026 and was judged ‘inadequate’. As a result, a notice restricting accommodation was served, and compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and Regulation 25 (fire protection).

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This monitoring visit

An inspector returned on 15 July 2026 to gather additional evidence as further concerns had been raised. Serious and widespread failures were identified. As a result, Ofsted issued a suspension notice on 16 July 2026, and 3 compliance notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor adherence to the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, one child moved out of one home. This child remained in the home illegally for a period of 6 days. However, one child remains in one of the homes, and the provider continues to operate illegally. There are no established plans in place to support the child to move to a suitable alternative provision, and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 2 the provider has failed to escalate and advocate for this move to take place in a timely manner in line with the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

The setting does not provide a nurturing or homely environment for the child. Leaders and managers report that repairs and redecorations are planned but have not yet taken place. The child’s bedroom requires attention, including addressing a heavily stained carpet, ripped wallpaper and marks on the walls. Furthermore, the child has not been provided with a suitable window covering, which was previously identified as a shortfall during a visit that was carried out to gather additional evidence. Leaders and managers have failed to address this shortfall in a timely manner. As a result, the child is not supported to maintain their privacy and dignity.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in leadership and management. The registered manager and responsible individual are absent from their positions. In the interim, oversight of the child’s care is being provided by the company directors. However, the directors have not yet submitted their applications to Ofsted. Furthermore, there are significant gaps in the safer recruitment checks carried out for senior leaders who have operational oversight of the service and access to sensitive information.

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This monitoring visit

Staff report feeling unsupported and highlight a lack of communication from leaders and managers. They also report not having contact details for the senior leadership team. As a result, staff do not have a clear line of direction should they need senior support, including in the event of an incident or emergency.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are unclear about who they should report concerns to. One of the directors informed the inspectors they are taking on the role as the responsible individual and plans to submit their application to Ofsted. Staff were not aware of the current leadership and management arrangements in place.

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This monitoring visit

The suspension notice remains in place. The compliance notices and remaining statutory requirements were not reviewed at this visit and will be evaluated at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; 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)(b)) 9 August 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 5 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

*If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 6 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 7 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(v)(vii)(c)(i)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording and safe administration of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that— 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 8 medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child;

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Requirement Due date

a correct record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medication is administered to children as directed in the home’s policies.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away without permission, the responsible local authority provides the opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. The home should ensure that there are no delays in requesting that the local authority meets with the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should have a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 1. The plan should include accurate information regarding the roles and experience of staff currently working in the home and any further training required for their development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose contains

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Recommendations

details of staff’s experience and qualifications, including any staff commissioned to provide education or healthcare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, schedule 1.19)

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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: 2787363 9

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Debreece Nicholls

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Inspectors

Eleanor Quanbrough, Social Care Inspector Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2787363 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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