Children's Home run by Outbound Care in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 1 Registered provider: Outbound Care 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 and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care for up to one child with social and emotional needs, and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

One child is currently being cared for in this home. The inspector spoke with the child as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since the 15 August 2024. An acting manager was appointed 9 December 2024, and they have submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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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: 12 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 15/06/2022 Full Outstanding 14/12/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has lived in the home for a long time. They have positive relationships with most of the staff. The managers and leaders have implemented a plan to safely rebuild the relationship between the child and one staff member. The child feels safe and settled in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, tidy and a homely environment. However, there are areas of the home that require redecoration and maintenance. The managers and leaders recognise this, and work has begun on the refurbishment of the home. The child’s bedroom is personalised to their unique tastes and is full of personal belongings. Photos of the child are displayed around the home, including communal areas. The child feels comfortable in their home and has all the items that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure the child has positive experiences and the opportunity to explore their interests. The child engages in work experience with animals and has a pet cat in the home. Staff have taken the child abroad on holiday. The child enjoys their activities and is making happy memories of their childhood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and external agencies were not effective in achieving good outcomes for the child in the initial stages of the inspection period. However, these relationships have now improved. The child has made progress as a result of professionals working together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a suitable school place. Staff ensure that the child attends school regularly, and they support the child in the school environment. The child has made accelerated progress since the start of the academic year, including an increased timetable and reduced supervision needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have not consistently encouraged the child to have a healthy lifestyle. However, more recently they have provided structured support in relation to healthy eating and an active lifestyle. Staff have been creative in supporting the child to make other improvements to their health, such as ceasing to vape and gaining their immunisations. The child’s health is improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with the child’s family and others that are important to them. The child brings friends to the home. Staff facilitate the child’s arrangements to see friends and family even when these are over long distances. The child’s identity and important relationships are maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly seek the child’s views. An independent listener visits the home monthly. The responsible individual attends the home frequently to speak with the child and resolve any concerns. The child feels listened to and valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 4

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

Staff understand the risks to the child and how to manage them. Risk assessments contain the relevant information for staff. They are clear, updated regularly, and contain strategies for the staff to follow. Staff teach the child about risk to themselves and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff rarely implement formal consequences. When they are implemented, most consequences are proportionate to the behaviour and fair. However, one consequence was punitive. A previous manager recognised this and implemented work with the staff team about consequences, but did not retract the consequence. Staff do not use restorative consequences, and there are missed opportunities to teach the child about the impact their behaviour has on themselves and others.

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

The child knows how to complain. When the child complains about the home, managers and leaders respond appropriately to resolve their concerns. When the child complains about other agencies, staff advocate for them and ensure that their issues are addressed. Managers and leaders ensure that the outcome of any complaint is communicated to the child and that they are satisfied with the response.

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

Allegations are rare. On the occasion the child made an allegation, managers and leaders took immediate steps to ensure the safety of the child while investigations were undertaken. The investigation was prompt and thorough. The managers and leaders ensured that any learning from the allegation was shared and implemented with staff.

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

The child rarely goes missing from their home. Staff understand the child’s individual missing-from-home plan and follow it. Staff search for the child and contact family and associates to ensure the child is located quickly. Staff have travelled long distances to ensure the child is returned to the home promptly and safely. Managers and staff work hard to understand the reasons for missing episodes and adapt plans to reduce future risk.

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

Staff rarely use physical intervention. Staff are trained to hold the child safely if this is necessary. On one occasion, a hold was avoidable and the responsible individual’s oversight did not recognise this. On another occasion, staff physically intervened because of imminent risk to the child’s safety, but it was not recorded as such. This meant that managers and leaders did not review the incident as a hold and the child was not asked their views on it.

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

Staff only carry out room searches where there is a safeguarding reason to do so. The child is informed prior to the search and is present during it. Staff complete searches sensitively and with consideration for the child’s dignity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has had inconsistent management arrangements over the inspection period. This has led to instability for the child and staff, as they have had to adapt to changing Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 5 expectations and work practices. However, recently a new permanent manager has been appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked in the home for a significant period and knows the child, staff and setting well. The child identifies the manager as someone they trust and an advocate for their best interests. The manager is supported by a committed deputy manager. The child has positive relationships with the managers and seeks them out to share details of their day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been several changes to the staff team over the inspection period. Managers and leaders provide new staff with a thorough induction and robust support. Staff feel prepared for their role and are recruited safely. Agency staff are not used in the home. Managers and leaders make every effort to ensure that the child is cared for by consistent, permanent staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a comprehensive training programme. Managers and leaders ensure that staff training covers the specific needs of the child they care for, such as training related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Staff are supported to provide good quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are enrolled on their qualifications promptly. They complete the qualifications in a timely way. The organisation promotes staff development through enrolling staff on further qualifications. Staff are prepared for more senior roles before they move into them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders provide staff with regular supervision. Those who deliver supervision have undertaken training to do so. Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. The managers ensure their expectations are communicated clearly to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions and team meetings do not always provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice. This has been recognised by the manager, and they have developed a system that records the strengths and development needs of staff so these can be discussed. This system is in its infancy and has not yet impacted practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff appraisals are completed annually. The appraisals review staff performance and include the views of the child the staff work with. However, they do not contain the views of professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The most recent review of the quality of care in the home was not undertaken or provided to Ofsted in a timely way. This means there was a delay in reviewing the priorities in the home and creating an action plan to address any shortfalls. An opportunity to drive service improvement was missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have prompt oversight of any incidents. They work hard to understand the reasons for incidents, and they identify learning to reduce incidents in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 6 However, the language used in one record was negative and unlikely to be helpful to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 7

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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 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 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff use their training and skills to ensure that children are not held unnecessarily. 9 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; 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 9 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 8 they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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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;

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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

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 9 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. Many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 9 that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. Specifically, that the required improvements to the home should be made promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the

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Recommendations

manager, receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure recorded information on individual children is done in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact and opinion. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2523036 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 11 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 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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