Children's Home run by Barracare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 1 Registered provider: Barracare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children. The children may have complex emotional and social needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 11 March 2025. Inspectors returned on 21 March 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 19 October 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experience and progress have been adversely affected by poor and unsafe safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not consistently consider children’s individual needs and the impact of children living together. Children told inspectors that they have suffered racism and bullying from other children. At times, children have harmed each other, and it is not clear what action managers took to ensure that children were safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children know how to make a complaint. However, children say that staff do not listen to them. On some occasions, staff do not accept children’s complaints, and they minimise their concerns. This has a negative impact on children, who describe not feeling valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not cared for by a consistent staff team. The staff team has changed completely in the last six months. Some of the new staff working at the home have not been employed in this role before and find it challenging to work with this group of children who have very complex needs. One child said, ‘I don’t really know staff.’ This impacts on children’s sense of stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children attend education that meets their individual needs. Staff try to promote children’s attendance at education. However, progress is variable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is not maintained to an acceptable standard of cleanliness. Children’s bedrooms are unclean. Children do not have all the items they need. For example, one child does not have curtains or a blind. This does not ensure that the child has privacy. Intense cleaning and redecoration are necessary so that children can live in a homely and welcoming family environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff provide a variety of activities for children outside of school hours, including trips out, the gym, trampolining, cinema trips and other recreational activities in the community. This promotes children’s social skills and areas of interest.

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

Managers and staff do not have the experience and skills to provide safe care to children. Children’s risk assessments are variable in quality. One child’s risk assessment does not include specific strategies for staff to follow in practice to reduce known risks for children.

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

Staff do not always take timely or sufficient action to keep children safe. On one occasion, a child was injured in the community because staff did not follow the child when he left the home. Managers are slow to take action to address risks in the home Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 4 environment, for example by ensuring measures are taken to reduce the risk of children climbing on the roof.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been a high number of physical interventions. Records demonstrate that some physical interventions are necessary to keep children and staff safe. However, on other occasions, records demonstrate that physical intervention is disproportionate. On one occasion a child was harmed.

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

Managers and staff do not provide the necessary help and support to manage children’s behaviour and feelings safely. Staff do not have the experience, knowledge and skills to de-escalate incidents when children are in crisis. Staff’s approach to behaviour management is punitive. For example, staff prevent children from using the internet and use financial reparation as a punishment.

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

The manager does not ensure that all safeguarding incidents are shared with Ofsted. This means that Ofsted cannot monitor the home effectively to ensure that children are safe.

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

Leaders and managers follow safe recruitment processes. This helps to ensure that suitable adults are employed to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff are not working in line with their aims and objectives as identified in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not sufficiently reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided. Management oversight is poor. This has resulted in insufficient reviews of incidents and reflections on the quality of care provided for children. There is no evidence of learning from practice. This has impacted on children’s experiences of living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight, review and evaluation of risk management are poor. Several shortfalls were identified during the inspection, and these had not been previously identified by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager accepted the shortfalls identified at the inspection. She is working on improving staff practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, several staff have left the organisation. Some staff have left due to concerns about their care and safeguarding practices. Children know why some staff have left. This does not ensure that children are protected from adult issues. This does not help children to feel secure and well cared for. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 5 New members of staff have joined the organisation. Some staff are inexperienced. Staff induction is not sufficient to ensure new staff have the necessary support and guidance to help them keep children safe and provide care that meets their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive regular supervision. This does not help them in their roles. This is also a missed opportunity for leaders and managers to identify any weaknesses in staff caring practices to improve the care they provide and keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some professionals and parents provided positive feedback about the manager. One parent said that the manager communicates well about their child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the leaders and managers ensuring that the home is clean and that children’s bedrooms are personalised. 11 May 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account 11 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 7 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(v)(vi))

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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—

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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;

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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)(a)(f)(h)) 11 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 2 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 8 In particular, ensure that children are restrained in strict accordance with the regulation and the company’s policies.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and 2 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 9 that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are supported and guided to get along with each other and know that bullying is unacceptable.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 2 June 2025

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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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision and that the supervision has a focus on the children and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on their work. 2 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 10

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that children when children wish to complain their complaints are taken seriously and responded in line with the homes statement of purpose (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: 2647022 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Limes, Barkerhouse Road, Nelson BB9 9NL

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Mathew Morris-Jones, Social Care Inspector Sarah Billett, Social Care Inspector Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2647022 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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