Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 1 SC040785

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Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were no children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate during the full inspection on 21 and 22 April 2026. Inspectors identified serious concerns about safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, 2 compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act. These notices were issued under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 9 June 2026, and the compliance notice for Regulation 12 was found to be met. Sufficient action was not taken to meet the compliance notice for regulation 13. A further compliance notice under this regulation was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to address the compliance notice for Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

One child has moved out of the home since the last full inspection. Leaders and managers chose not to move children into the home until changes were made to support service improvement. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 2 Since the last inspection, leaders and managers ensured that staff have received the necessary training to meet children’s needs. There has been a focus on training that helps staff implement child-focused, restorative approaches that are trauma- informed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have worked hard to improve monitoring and review systems since the last inspection. New auditing tools are in place, and supervision is monitored by the responsible individual. This has enhanced strategic awareness of staff performance, which is tracked through the service development plan.

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This monitoring visit

To ensure improvements are sustained, individual performance reviews have been completed with each member of staff. These are monitored monthly separate to staff supervision meetings. This ensures that staff skills and expertise are individually assessed and align with the work force development plan.

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This monitoring visit

Managers ensure that team meetings are held regularly to reinforce learning from training, incidents, and thematic research. Staff complete quizzes, review case studies, and reflect on feedback from the independent person. This helps staff understand the importance of their contributions to service delivery.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 13 August 2026, following the monitoring visit. The case review concluded that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice under Regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements from the last inspection were outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Inadequate 08/07/2025 Full Good 13/08/2024 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 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 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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are admitted to the home only if staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet their individual needs. 9 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 5 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to support children to understand and manage their feelings and behaviour positively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that staff treat children with genuine warmth and respect and build positive relationships with them.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 6 understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the staff support the child to engage in learning and development and promote opportunities for informal learning.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all records include the relevant and up to date information. 9 October 2026

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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 other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that Ofsted is informed of serious incidents and in a timely way. 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 7

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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: SC040785 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Cowley Hill Lane, St. Helens WA10 2AB

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Inspector

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040785 9 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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