Children's Home run by Tranquil Children’s Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2792352 1 Registered provider: Tranquil Children’s Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 15 April 2024. The inspector returned on 16 May 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 2

p.1

improvement to be good

Since the home registered with Ofsted, one child has moved out of this home, and one child has been welcomed into the home and has started to settle in.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living at the home have been mixed. One child became withdrawn and spent large amounts of time in their bedroom. Staff were not able to build a lasting, positive relationship with the child or have a positive impact on their behaviours. The provider served notice on this child’s placement as staff were not able to meet the child’s needs. The child moved from the home in an unplanned way.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager does not fully assess whether the staff team has the suitable experience and skills to meet a child’s complex needs before the child’s admission to the home. In addition, children have been admitted quickly, and this compromises the manager’s ability to gather sufficient information about the child’s needs. This could risk future disruption for the child.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child who currently lives at the home is starting to form positive relationships with staff. Staff plan interesting activities for the child to engage in. The child enjoys spending time with staff going on walks, cooking and playing pool.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff have encouraged the child to adopt a good daily routine. However, their week lacks structure. The child does receive formal education, but they are on a reduced timetable. The manager is working with the local authority to identify a more suitable provision. However, the child’s care plan lacks detail about how staff should support them to learn informally. This is a missed opportunity to help the child to learn and support a reintegration to full-time schooling.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager seeks advice and support from healthcare professionals to ensure that each child’s health needs are met. However, care plans lack guidance for staff about the actions they should take to help the child stay healthy and well. For example, there is limited guidance to help staff identify when a child requires help with their mental health.

p.2

improvement to be good

The home is spacious and comfortable. The child has personalised their bedroom to reflect their interests and tastes. However, repairs to the home and its furnishings are not always completed in a timely way. In addition, the back garden is a bland, featureless space that is rarely used. A recommendation is made to address this and to involve the child with the planned improvements. Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Risk management plans are in place. However, they do not reflect all the risks known to the child. For example, there is no risk management plan pertaining to a vulnerable child’s unsupervised access to a mobile phone. In addition, risk management plans have not always been reviewed following concerning incidents. These shortfalls mean that staff are not informed of all risks and how to manage and reduce them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff deal with challenging situations in a calm way. However, children’s plans do not sufficiently detail the strategies staff should use to defuse incidents and manage each child’s behaviours safely. This does not support a consistent and effective approach. There have been incidents that have required support from the police to maintain the safety of everyone.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff talk to the child following incidents in the home to try to understand what has happened and how the child is feeling. They also complete planned direct work with the child. However, this does not always focus on areas of known risks to the child, for example helping each child to manage their mental health and well-being and how to stay safe in the community.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff follow clear procedures when a child is missing from the home. Staff are persistent in their efforts to locate the child. They maintain contact with the child whenever possible and are proactive in encouraging them to return home. When a child returns from being missing from the home, the staff make sure that the child can speak to an independent person. This provides information that may help in protecting them from going missing from home again.

p.3

improvement to be good

Safe and effective recruitment practices ensure that the child is safe. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote safety by preventing unsuitable adults from working in the home.

p.3

good

The manager has not made the best use of available information about each child’s needs to inform her decision about whether to admit them to the home. She has not matched the child’s needs with the skill set of her staff team. This has had an impact on one child’s experience of living at the home.

p.3

good

The manager’s oversight of recording and reporting is not sufficiently robust. She has not identified shortfalls in children’s care plans and risk management plans. In addition, she has not always ensured that staff appropriately record issues of concern. For example, staff were called to pick a child up from school due to some concerning behaviours the child was displaying. The records of this incident lacked key details, and the manager did not update the child’s risk assessment. This means Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 4 that some information is not fully shared with all staff to enable them to respond to the child’s needs appropriately.

p.3

good

Staff receive regular supervision. Managers use supervision to support staff to reflect on their practice. Team meetings are used to share information about the child’s changing needs and agree shared approaches.

p.4

good

The manager collaborates with placing authorities, and professionals confirm that they have good working relationships with the home.

p.4

good

Staff benefit from an induction programme and regular training opportunities. However, they have not received training that would support their understanding of issues that might affect a child, such as attachment and trauma.

p.4

good

There has been a high turnover of staff since the home registered with Ofsted. There is not a full staff team in place, but there is sufficient staff to meet the needs of the child. The manager is taking steps to recruit additional staff. No agency staff have been used to cover gaps in the rota. The manager and the responsible individual have covered shifts at the home to provide the child with continuity of care. Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, all known risks to children must be assessed. Risk management plans must be updated following significant incidents.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that meaningful direct work takes place with children to help them understand how to keep themselves safe from identified risks. 4 July 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)) 4 July 2025 Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 6 Specifically, ensure that the skills, experience and qualifications of the staff team are considered when making decisions about admitting a child to the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they have sufficient information about the child to inform their decision about whether the child’s needs can be met at the home.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

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

p.6

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)(c)(f)(h)) 4 July 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)) 4 July 2025 Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that repairs to the home and its furnishings are made in a timely way. In addition, the home and its garden should be a homely, welcoming and well-equipped space for the child to enjoy and use. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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 for report children’s home: 2792352 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tranquil Children’s Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Andrew Seed Accountants, 54 Wood Street, Lytham St. Annes FY8 1QG

p.8

Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection for report children’s home: 2792352 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9