Children's Home run by Still Adventures Ltd in Sefton

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

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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 home.

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This monitoring visit

The home was inspected on 30 June, 1 and 2 July 2026 and was judged inadequate. As a result, a restriction of 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, following further concerns being raised. Serious and widespread failures were identified during this visit. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice of suspension on 16 July 2026, and 3 compliance notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was completed on 23 July 2026 to monitor adherence with the suspension notice. The child was still living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

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

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This monitoring visit

One child continued to live in the home despite the provider remaining subject to suspension and is therefore operating illegally. The provider maintains regular communication with the placing authority. However, the provider has not taken Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2787363 2 sufficient action to escalate the need for the child to move in order to comply with the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

The child's bedroom continues to fall short of the standard expectation. Leaders have developed plans to address the identified shortfalls and have sought the child's views about how they would like their bedroom decorated. Contractors were in the home during the inspection to complete this work on the child's bedroom. However, this was completed. Therefore, the child's bedroom remains in poor condition.

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This monitoring visit

When concerns arise regarding staff conduct that may impact on the safety and welfare of the child, leaders take prompt and appropriate action. They make timely referrals to the local authority designated officer, ensuring that concerns are managed through multi-agency safeguarding processes.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed additional training in physical intervention to strengthen their responses to the child's individual needs. Staff report that this training has increased their confidence and understanding, enabling them to respond more effectively and use approaches tailored to the child's needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff report that they are supported by the current leadership team. Staff can identify managers they can approach for advice and guidance and have a clear understanding of the on-call arrangements. This ensures that management support is available whenever required.

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This monitoring visit

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)(iv)(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 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2787363 5 promotes their welfare

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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 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

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 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2787363 7 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—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child. 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2787363 8 a 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

A responsible individual must have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide 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 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 statement of purpose must contain details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or

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Recommendations

health care. (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

Registered provider: Still Adventures Limited

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Registered provider address:

Responsible individual: Debreece Nicholls

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Inspectors

Chloe Harvey, Social Care Inspector Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2787363 10 regulates 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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