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

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 three children with social and emotional needs. One child is currently being cared for in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has been in post since the home opened 24 July 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 requires improvement to be 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: 28 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to build and maintain positive relationships with children. Visits are undertaken to children before they move into the home, and they are welcomed warmly. Staff have maintained their relationships with a child who is temporarily living elsewhere. Children have a positive view of staff and their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully considers the needs of children who are moving into the home. They complete detailed assessments of how the child’s needs will be met and shares them with the child, staff, placing authorities and court. Staff are clear on the expectations of them and children are smoothly transitioned into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have individual plans that meet their needs. Staff share the plans with children and gain their views. Children invest in their plans because they know them and how they will assist them to achieve their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child in the home does not have a suitable school place. However, the managers and leaders ensured that tutoring was put into place prior to the child moving in and provided relevant educational activity in the initial days. Staff have positive links with schools in the area and are proactive in exploring options for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Staff consider the interests of individual children and amend the home in line with these. For example, a former quiet space has been changed into a music room. Children are offered the opportunity to personalise their bedrooms as soon as they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff work hard to ensure that professional networks around children are communicative and responsive. Managers recognise and address any shortfalls. This led to improved communication within the professional network for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build and maintain positive relationships with children’s families. Staff travel considerable distances to meet families and involve them in their child’s plans.

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

Staff understand the risks to children and how to manage them. Risk assessments are clear and current. They contain strategies for staff to follow to minimise and mitigate risk. Risk assessments are updated with any learning from prior incidents or concerns.

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

The child is supported to learn about their own risks. Staff engage the child in online learning about being missing, exploitation and drug and alcohol misuse. The child is being provided with the knowledge to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 4 There have been no complaints or allegations within the inspection period. The child knows how to complain if they wish to.

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

Staff do not often use formal consequences. Restorative methods are sometimes considered first; however, consequences are generally financial. When consequences are used, the manager discusses them with the child to ensure they agree they are fair.

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

Staff do not hold children to keep them safe. They are trained to hold children safely in the event this is necessary. Staff understand when and how they should restrain children.

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

One child was frequently missing from the home. Managers and staff were unable to reduce the missing episodes and meet the child’s needs. Therefore, the manager made the decision that it was in the child’s best interests to move out of the home. The manager worked with the placing authority to ensure that the child would have a suitable home to go to. Staff responses to missing episodes were prompt and thorough.

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

Serious incidents within the home are rare. However, on one occasion staff practice shortfalls led to an incident in which the child could have been seriously injured. The managers and leaders recognised and immediately responded to the practice shortfalls. Relevant professionals were informed, and the response was appropriate and thorough.

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

The manager is registered at another home within the organisation and splits their time equally between the homes. The manager is supported by another manager and deputy managers. There have been several changes to the leadership team under the registered manager. This has led to inconsistency for children and staff. The supporting manager currently in post is not intended to remain at the home. Therefore, there will be further inconsistency in the future.

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

There has also been changes in senior leadership. An interim responsible individual is supporting the registered manager. They are regularly present in the home and have made effort to introduce themselves to the child who lives there. However, they are not intended to be permanent.

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

The manager has seconded staff from other homes in the organisation to ensure that the staff team have the required experience and skills. Staff have now been recruited to the home and seconded staff will return to their primary settings. The manager does not use agency staff and there are currently no vacancies at the home.

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

Not all staff have been safely recruited. A reference received by the organisation indicated potential concern and was not acted upon promptly. When the registered manager became aware of the information, they immediately took steps to explore the concern and ensure the safety of children. Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 5 Staff are provided with training to meet the needs of the children they care for. They complete the training promptly. The manager delivered comprehensive child-specific training to the staff team in preparation for a child moving into the setting. Staff are qualified or within timescale to do so. Staff are appropriately trained to meet the requirements of their roles.

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

Staff have regular supervision. Those who deliver supervision have the skills and experience to do so. Supervisions are reflective and used as a tool for practice and service development. However, staff have experienced frequent changes in their supervisors because of the staff changes.

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

The managers hold regular team meetings. They are detailed, child focused and ensure that all staff have shared understanding of expectations in the home.

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

Managers and leaders recognise and address practice shortfalls. Managers ensure that they address concerns fairly, swiftly and in line with their polices. Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 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 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

Specifically, that staff should follow the policies and plans in place to ensure the safety of children in the home. 18 June 2025

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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

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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 home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)) 13 August 2025

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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

Specifically, that concerns highlighted in the recruitment process are responded to quickly and risk-assessed where necessary. 18 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 7

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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 8

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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

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home:2791475 9 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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