Children's Home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in October 2022, and the manager registered in January 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Good 18/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work hard to build excellent relationships with children. These relationships provide the foundation for children to flourish. Children say that the manager and staff care about them. Staff provide children with emotional warmth and nurturing care. Children say that that the manager and staff team are part of their family. As a result of these extremely positive relationships, children feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are committed to the children they care for. This continues when children move out of the home, as children choose to maintain relationships with staff when they leave the home. For example, staff have supported one child who no longer lives at the home to maintain their friendships by including them in activities. Staff continue to invite the child to visit them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who move out of the home experience carefully planned moves. Staff celebrate children’s time living in the home, which helps children to experience positive endings and to settle into their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff speak to children to ascertain their views regarding the care that they receive. Staff ensure that children understand how their views have been considered and responded to. Staff support children to contribute to care-planning meetings. This ensures that children’s views inform the decisions that are made about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child attends education and is making good academic progress. The other child is not in education. However, they have only recently moved into the home. Staff are working hard to identify an education provision that meets their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are ambitious for children and create an environment in which education is valued. As a result, children have a positive attitude towards learning. Barriers to children achieving their potential are quickly identified and resolved. Staff support children to develop their independence skills in line with their abilities, which gives children life skills for the future. A headteacher said, ‘[Name of child] would not be in education if it were not for the staff at the home, they have gone above and beyond for the child, I don’t have enough good words to say about them other than excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health improves because of the care provided by staff. Staff work closely with health professionals to ensure that children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to learn to manage their own health needs. The organisation’s therapist works closely with the manager to develop and review the care staff provide for children. As a result, staff know what to do to meet children’s emotional health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to pursue their interests and provide them with a wide range of experiences. Staff celebrate children’s achievements. This builds children’s confidence and social awareness. Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 4 Staff help children to maintain contact with people who are important to them. This enables children to maintain important relationships for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent communication between staff and parents provides children with effective all- round care. Staff support parents to understand the evolving needs of their children. One parent said the staff have been so amazing helping me build my relationship back with their child. This has been effective and, as a result, the child has the support of their parent, siblings and wider family members.

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

Children’s risks have significantly reduced because of the excellent care that staff provide for them. Staff safeguarding practices are effective. Staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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

Children’s plans include their known needs, risks and vulnerabilities and provide staff with clear steps to take to keep children safe. Staff provide children with consistent responses, which helps children to feel safe.

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

Staff practice is proactive, as they anticipate risk well. This helps prevent risks in relation to children. For example, staff use strategies to educate children. This helps children understand risk.

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

The manager evaluates all incidents and identifies learning to avoid these in the future. This ensures that children receive care that is responsive to their individual needs.

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

Staff rarely hold children, and only as a last resort when it is needed to keep children safe. Children who have been held by staff are supported to share their views about this. This supports safe practice in this area.

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

When children go missing from the home, they experience well-coordinated responses from staff. As a result, staff find and return children home safely. When children return home, they are given the opportunity to speak to an independent person. This has led to a reduction in incidents of children going missing from the home.

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

Staff provide children with clear routines and boundaries and consistent care. This creates stability for children and helps them to learn what is expected of them. Staff use rewards and incentives to encourage children to make positive choices and enable them to take responsibility for their own behaviours.

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

Staff help children to understand risks and to develop strategies to manage difficult feelings safely. This teaches children life skills for their future. One social worker described a child as ‘a totally different child’ because of the success of the work staff have done to help them recognise their own emotions and manage difficult situations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 5 Children benefit from living in a welcoming home environment. Staff maintain the home to a high standard and ensure that it is a safe environment for children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A visible and dedicated manager leads this home. A deputy manager supports the manager. Children have trusting and respectful relationships with staff. One child said, ‘[Name of manager] is good, this is the best place I’ve lived, staff are really nice.’ The manager leads the staff team by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a detailed understanding of the care that staff provide for children and the impact that this has on their progress and experiences. Monitoring and quality assurance processes are effective. The manager takes decisive action to resolve any shortfalls in staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads a culture of learning and development. Staff access a range of training opportunities to ensure that they have the skills to meet the evolving needs of children. One staff member has not completed their required learning within the advised timescale. However, this has not impacted on children’s progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff access regular supervision and team meetings, which provides them with opportunities to learn and develop. Research, theory and practice tools are used to improve staff practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is committed to developing staff practices to improve the experiences of children. Staff receive open and honest feedback about the care they provide for children. This helps them to understand what is expected of them and provides them with the skills to meet the changing needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work well together. They have a shared purpose and commitment to the children in their care. Staff morale is exceptionally high. Staff enjoy working in this home and feel supported by the manager. The manager recognises the importance of staff needing to feel valued, trusted and listened to. She ensures that their good practice is recognised. One staff member said, ‘[Name of manager] makes me feel appreciated, and supported to lead as the mental health champion, to research good practice and share this with the team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has formed positive working relationships with other professionals. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive. The manager appropriately challenges professionals when they do not meet children’s needs. This ensures that any delays in children’s needs being met are resolved quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in Regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in Regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: 2694539 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Victoria Road East, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5HT

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Inspector

Deborah Turner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2694539 8 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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