Children's Home run by 3S Adolescent Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 1 Registered provider: 3S Adolescent Care

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024. She is experienced and has an appropriate management qualification.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

n/a n/a n/a Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 3

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improvement to be good

This was the first inspection of the home since its registration in July 2024.

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improvement to be good

Children’s needs, risks and known vulnerabilities are assessed as part of them moving into the home. However, known risks are not always well considered. One child is not currently living in the home due to his challenging behaviours and an increase in the risks associated to him. There is one child currently living in the home and his overall experiences and progress have been compromised because staff have not been able to manage his high-risk behaviours, including regularly going missing from care overnight.

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improvement to be good

The child has a range of educational and employment-based placements available to meet his individual needs. However, his attendance is poor. Consequently, the child is not making measurable progress towards achieving his educational potential.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health and well-being needs are met well. The child attends routine and specialist health appointments. This ensures that they receive suitable support and intervention to meet their physical and emotional health needs.

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improvement to be good

Appropriate arrangements are in place for the safe administration and management of medicines to promote the safety and well-being of children.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the importance of family relationships and go to considerable lengths to ensure that these are promoted and improved. Staff demonstrate a detailed understanding of the child and his family relationships. They work proactively with parents and social workers to ensure that family time is safe and a positive experience.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete key-work sessions to help review the child’s needs and areas of risk. These sessions give the child the opportunity to reflect on his behaviour and the chance to discuss any worries.

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improvement to be good

Despite the child having enhanced supervision, he still repeatedly goes missing from care overnight and his whereabouts are often unknown. Consequently, the risks he is exposed to when away from the home are not always known. The manager ensures that staff comply with locally agreed protocols and liaise with the police to locate the child and encourage his safe return. Staff keep detailed records of actions taken and of the appropriate individuals contacted. The child has access to an independent person to speak to on his return home so that any learning can be shared.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of physical intervention are fully recorded, with evidence of management Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 4 oversight and monitoring. Staff are clear that physical intervention is very much a last resort and tend to use the positive relationships built with the child to defuse difficult situations. All staff receive initial and refresher training in physical intervention techniques.

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improvement to be good

The child lives in a physically safe environment. There are measures in place to ensure that the home is free from hazards. Regular fire drills are carried out to ensure that the child knows what they need to do in the event of a fire.

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improvement to be good

Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the child by preventing unsuitable adults from working at the home.

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

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the home. The manager places the child at the centre of their practice and is keen for the child to achieve and make progress.

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

Staff retention and recruitment are ongoing areas for development, and as a result, there has been a number of new staff in the home. The manager and core team members have worked hard to ensure that there has been no negative impact on the child because of these changes. Not all staff working in the home have the level of experience required to meet the needs of the children in the home, and some do not hold a recognisable qualification in children’s residential care. Staff members are working towards achieving a recognised qualification in children’s residential care.

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

The manager has created a supportive environment. Staff receive regular supervision. This supports the staff with their work in caring for the child, and with their own professional development. Staff commented that they find supervision supportive, and it gives them opportunities to discuss care practice and personal development.

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

Staff undertake a wide range of relevant training that supports their practice and enables them to understand and meet the needs of the child. Staff are up to date with training. Communication between team members is good. Handovers are child focused and detailed and provide each staff member with clear guidance for the work that they are to undertake with children.

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

Team meetings provide an additional forum for staff to review their practice and the needs of the child living at the home.

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

Effective working relationships exist with other professionals, such as the police, teachers and social workers. Effective communication ensures that information is shared quickly, which helps to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 5

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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 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children in the home being engaged in education, training or employment. 12 March 2025

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to making sure that all steps are taken to reduce the risk of children going missing from the home. 12 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 6 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 12 March 2025

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 12 March 2025

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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: 2791475 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 9b Turner Business Centre, Greengate, Middleton M24 1RU

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2791475 8 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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