Children's Home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 1 SC062013 Registered provider: After Care (NW) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider and offers care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager is yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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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: SC062013 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/04/2025 Full Good 29/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/04/2023 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 3

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Summary of findings

Generally, children are making progress while living at the home and are being supported to engage with and attend school. Children enjoy spending time with staff and are encouraged to engage in activities that they enjoy. Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the leadership, management and staff working at the home. This has impacted on the stability and consistency of care provided to children. Staff are not always clear about their roles and responsibilities, and they do not follow children’s plans consistently. Leaders and managers are aware of the shortfalls and are taking steps to address them.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. The child had a well- planned transition to return home to live with their parents. This positive experience was celebrated with the child and included going on a short holiday with staff before leaving the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children in making progress with their education by providing guidance and encouragement. Children attend school regularly, complete exams and have plans in place to attend high school or further education. However, some education documents have not been received, and others are not up to date. This limits the manager’s and staff’s understanding of the child’s educational needs and how they can support their learning. There is no evidence of this being challenged by the manager or staff with education professionals.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child currently living at the home to develop their independence skills in preparation for adult life. When there are complexities in relation to the child’s legal status, the staff ensure that the child has a good understanding of why specific restrictions are in place to keep them safe. As a result, this has helped reduce the restrictions and enable the child to act more independently, which is real progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to attend health appointments. A therapist is commissioned to support children with their emotional wellbeing. The child currently living at the home engages with this support. However, information about the child’s behaviour is not always shared with the therapist in a timely way, which means that they do not have a full understanding of the child’s needs. This can delay appropriate support and intervention for the child.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with opportunities to engage in different activities, including swimming and music. One child enjoyed going away for the weekend with their key worker, and staff supported them to attend their prom. Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 4 Neither the manager nor staff attended a meeting to review the child’s care plan with the placing local authority. Although they completed a report for the meeting, they did not challenge the local authority when advised that staff did not need to attend, despite staff being responsible for the child’s day-to-day care. They also did not obtain the minutes from the meeting or provide evidence that they followed this up. As a result, managers and staff were unaware of what other agencies had said about the child or what recommendations had been made. This meant that they did not have a full picture of the child’s circumstances and the support or actions identified by other professionals.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is well maintained. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their interests. Staff ensure they capture children’s memories and achievements at the home with photos and provide these as memorabilia when they leave.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not include clear strategies for staff to follow. Documents contradict each other with conflicting information. For example, different hours are recorded for when a child is allowed out in the community without staff, and it is unclear what items a child is allowed to have. In addition, there have been incidents when staff have not responded or acted in accordance with the children’s plans. As a result, strategies are not consistently effective in supporting children and reducing the risks they experience.

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improvement to be good

Some incidents have been well managed by staff; however, practice is inconsistent. When there are concerns about children’s emotional wellbeing, there have been delays in staff seeking medical attention when a child has self-harmed. Staff do not always complete room searches when there are concerns about items in a child’s bedroom or following incidents as detailed in their plans. This means that potential risks may not be identified or addressed promptly.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children being missing from home have reduced. When children visit areas of concern, staff act swiftly by searching these areas and encouraging them to return home safely. Staff spend time with children educating them about the risks associated with visiting unsafe places and going missing from home. This response helps children to feel valued and cared for and helps reduce missing-from-home episodes.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of physical intervention have also reduced. However, recordings of physical intervention require strengthening as they do not sufficiently detail the efforts of staff to avoid the use of restraint, nor do they include detail of how the child was restrained. Leaders and managers are now taking prompt and appropriate action to address ineffective staff de-escalation strategies. This includes ensuring that the appropriate agencies are notified, including the social worker and the local authority designated officer. Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 5 Consequences are rarely used. When they are used, staff ensure that they are appropriate and proportionate, helping children understand their behaviour and feelings. Consequences are used as a short-term measure, and staff provide children with the support they need to learn from their experiences and make better choices.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the leadership, management and staff team working at the home. There is a new manager in post. However, he is yet to apply to register with Ofsted. Leaders and managers are committed to improving the quality of care provided to the children and achieving better outcomes.

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

Senior leaders take prompt and effective action when there are conduct issues with staff members. The operations manager demonstrated they are committed to ensuring that children are only cared for by professional and appropriate people.

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

Senior leaders have introduced new monitoring systems to improve management oversight at the home. However, these changes are not fully embedded, as shortfalls in practice have not always been identified and addressed. For example, information has not been shared consistently with relevant professionals in a timely way, there have been delays in recording of incidents and medical attention was not sought for a child following a significant incident.

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

Staff speak positively about working at the home. They are committed to caring for the children and want what is best for them. Staff said that the recent changes in leadership and management are positive.

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

The quality of care review does not meet statutory requirements. The report does not consider the children’s views or evaluate the quality of care that they receive effectively.

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

Staff rotas are not consistently updated to reflect who is working in the home and the hours they are undertaking. This reduces clarity about staffing arrangements and oversight of who is caring for the children at any given time. Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 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

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; and

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that there are clear strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe and that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in doing so. 17 September 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— 17 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 7 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

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’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; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are suitably trained and have the appropriate skills to support the children they are working with. In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that there is effective management oversight that considers the quality of care children receive.

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that any record of physical restraint includes a description of the type of restraint and strategies used to try and de-escalate the need to restrain children in the first instance. 17 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 8 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.

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that they have appropriate documents to support children’s care planning and decision-making and include their views. 17 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)(d)) 17 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; and

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 17 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 9 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders must ensure that staff rotas contain all relevant information as listed in Schedule 4. 17 September 2026

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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: SC062013 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care (NW) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC062013 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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