Children's Home run by St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in St Helens

Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 1 SC035971 Registered provider: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 operated by a local authority. It provides an overnight short-break service for up to 4 children who may have physical disabilities and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were accessing the service and inspectors spent time with them.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 27 January 2026

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/01/2026 Full Outstanding 12/03/2025 Full Outstanding 20/02/2024 Full Outstanding 14/03/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 3

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Summary of findings

This home provides short-break care and support for 36 children. Children receive a well- planned introduction to the home and are welcomed sensitively, at a pace that meets their individual needs. Children enjoy their stays and benefit from positive experiences and fun activities with staff. Parents describe the positive impact that the service has on family life.

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Summary of findings

The shortfalls identified during this inspection have been acknowledged and are being taken seriously by leaders and managers. Inspectors are aware of a serious incident involving a child since the last inspection. While the incident may not be directly related to the home or the care provided, inspectors considered, where appropriate, the actions taken by leaders and managers in response, alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection, to inform judgements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences and enjoy fun activities with staff during their stays. Disability is not seen as a barrier to children attending and engaging in a variety of community activities including holidays, rollercoasters, visits to the zoo and days out on the beach. Staff provide families with memorabilia such as photos and videos of their time at the home. As a result, children are experiencing positive childhood memories that may not have been possible without the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a well-planned introduction into the home and are welcomed sensitively, at their own pace. Children and parents are provided with opportunities to visit the home and meet staff before overnight stays. This helps children and parents to become familiar with staff and begin to build trusting relationships. The manager provides flexibility where possible and ensures that children's stays, alongside one another are well considered, taking account of their needs and interests. This helps children to develop friendships with peers and enjoy their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Children receive personalised, nurturing care and support from staff who know them well. Children's communication needs are understood by staff who use a variety of methods including Picture Exchange Communication Systems, social stories and digital communication methods to help children understand their care. This approach helps children to make choices about their daily care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in a variety of areas, including independent life skills, sleeping patterns and personal care. Parents are regularly involved in reviewing and contributing to their child's short-stay plan, supporting continuity of care. Staff hold 'coffee mornings' for parents to attend, share their knowledge and learn from one Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 4 another. Parents describe the quality of care by staff as 'brilliant' and as having a positive impact on family life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a variety of toys and play equipment available for children during their stay. Bedrooms are designed to meet children's specific needs with staff preparing each child's bedroom to their preferences before they arrive. There are photos of the children enjoying activities and having fun with staff throughout the home. There is ongoing maintenance repairs required throughout the home that the manager has effectively reported to leaders and requested action be taken to address.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children's complex health needs are well understood by staff. Comprehensive, condition- specific health plans, risk assessments and emergency procedures guide staff practice. Consent arrangements are in place and plans are regularly reviewed alongside parents, health professionals and pharmacy services. Medication administration, monitoring and specialist health interventions are carried out safely and in accordance with professional guidance.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children receive supervision and support tailored to their assessed needs and vulnerabilities. Keeping children safe is a priority for staff while supporting them to take appropriate risks as part of developing their independence. Staff use social stories to help children understand important life topics and develop appropriate life skills. Children's progress and achievements are acknowledged and celebrated by staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children's emotional and communication needs are understood by staff. This supports staff to quickly identify and effectively respond to signs of distress. Staff are attuned to individual cues and behaviours for children who are non-verbal and non-mobile. During periods of heightened emotion, staff respond sensitively, using a variety of effective strategies to help children. Practice is supported by detailed safety plans, giving staff clear guidance on actions they should take to support children. However, the manager needs to ensure that timely updates are completed to ensure that strategies remain current and effective.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Incidents involving physical intervention are rare. However, when they do occur, the level of scrutiny by the manager is variable. Following incidents of holding children, staff are not consistently provided with opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify lessons learned. Additionally, opportunities for children to speak about being held are not consistently provided. This limits children's ability to make a complaint should they wish to.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are not able to access all areas of the home due to the use of internal locked doors. While these restrictions may have a clear safeguarding rationale, the manager has not sufficiently risk assessed the need for these restrictions. Consequently, it is not clear that the restrictions have been considered in relation to each child's individual needs, that less restrictive alternatives have been explored, or that they are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain appropriate and in children's best interests. Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 5 Effective recruitment procedures, including comprehensive vetting of potential applicants, supports the careful selection and recruitment of staff. Monitoring of visitors to the home further supports the protection of children from potential harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced manager and deputy manager leading the home. They are child-centred, work together well and demonstrate commitment to providing high-quality care and support to children and families. Staff mirror these aspirations, promoting a dedicated team ethos. Staff are knowledgeable, reflective and committed to meeting children's varying needs. Staff describe a supportive culture where they feel confident seeking advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective multi-agency working ensures that information is shared appropriately with family members and professionals. Communication is described as 'excellent' by professionals, and family members report being kept well informed about their child's time at the home. Family members are actively involved in developing and reviewing their child's short-break plan, helping to promote continuity of care. This collaborative approach supports consistency in meeting children's holistic needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a range of training to maintain the skills and knowledge required to meet children's needs. Leaders and managers have taken effective action in response to five staff members' first aid qualifications lapsing by arranging staffing rotas to ensure that sufficient first aid trained staff are on duty each day. This has reduced the immediate risk and helped to safeguard children's welfare. In addition to training, staff undertake a recognised qualification to support them in their role. However, one staff member has not completed this within the required timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive annual appraisals of their performance that provide clear actions and expectations, helping them understand their responsibilities and areas for development. Challenges associated with meeting children's complex needs are discussed openly and practice is often underpinned by research and relevant health guidance. However, the appraisal process relies on the views of the appraiser and appraisee, omitting the views of key people such as families, peers and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the quality of supervision has improved and now provides staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice. However, there are inconsistencies in the frequency, with some staff experiencing gaps of approximately four months between sessions. Additionally, while staff supporting from other homes receive management support, these discussions are not consistently recorded. This is a missed opportunity to capture staff's practice and performance related discussions and the support provided and also limits overall accountability and oversight. Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children's home's premises;

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Requirement Due date

and any limitation placed on a child's privacy or access to any area of the home's premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when restrictions are used there is a clear identified risk and these are kept under review. 26 September 2026

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered provider ensuring that all staff are supervised regularly, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children in their care. 26 September 2026

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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 name of the child; 26 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 7 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

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Requirement Due date

authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records of physical intervention provide a clear description of the hold used and demonstrate effective management oversight.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that records of physical intervention are reviewed and that any shortfalls in practice are identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conversations with children following the use of physical intervention include exploration of the child's views and experience of the intervention. Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 8 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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that effective systems are in place for the keeping and updating of children's records. 26 September 2026

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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 after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. 26 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 9 (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff that work in the home in a care role have obtained their relevant qualification by the relevant date.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home's care. ('Guide to The Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC035971 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Children & Young Peoples Services, Atlas House, 2 Corporation Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA9 1LD

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Paula Swindlehurst

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Jennifer Quest, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: SC035971 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 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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