Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 1 Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited.

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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 by a private provider. It offers care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post. She is going to submit her application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. All children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: yes

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good

On 6 March 2025, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit of the home due to an increase in notifications about serious incidents in the home.

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good

Following this visit, a decision was made to issue the provider with a restriction of accommodation notice. This notice was issued because Ofsted found concerns about the staff’s ability to safeguard the children. Ofsted believed that, should any new children be Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 2 admitted to the home, this would place the existing children and any new children at risk of harm. Furthermore, two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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good

A further monitoring visit was undertaken on 20 March 2025 to monitor the provider’s adherence to the restriction notice in place and monitor their progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices. During this visit, it was found that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the steps in the compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2024 Full Good 31/07/2023 Full Good 11/10/2022 Full Good 02/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, five children have moved out of the home to placements more suitable for their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some staff are new to the home. Their relationships with the children are built gradually by spending time with them and getting to know them at their pace. Children have established relationships with the staff who have been at the home for a longer period. All staff provide effective support to the children through their times of difficulty, while providing consistent guidance and boundaries to ensure that children feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with a range of health services to promote their physical and emotional well-being. They attend their routine health appointments with good support and encouragement from staff. The arrangements for the controlled storage and administration of children’s medication are safe and effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children are currently attending school. However, the staff are doing all they can to support the children back into education, and they are working with relevant professionals to find solutions to the challenges. There are clear routines and structures in place for children during the day. Staff encourage children to complete schoolwork and engage with tutors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain and develop suitable and positive relationships with their families. Staff provide children with emotional and practical support to help them to remain in touch with their families and not become isolated from the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff undertake regular key-work sessions with children, and there are further opportunities for children to express their wishes and feelings at children’s meetings. As a result, children contribute to their daily care and the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage a good range of activities and crafts to promote children’s interests and talents. Outdoor activities such as horse riding, football and cycling are enjoyed by the children living at this home.

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

The home has had some challenges, but there has been reflection by managers and staff, and improvements have been made that are beginning to be embedded. Lessons have been learned from challenging incidents, which have informed the support and guidance given to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 5 Risks to the children are known and understood by staff caring for them. Risk assessments are clear and include all known vulnerabilities for the children. These set out actions staff should take to manage risks, and these are regularly reviewed to reflect the current needs of the children.

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

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to maintain children’s safety. These restraints are appropriate and undertaken by suitably trained staff. Oversight from the manager is good. In addition, she monitors the action taken with a view to identifying patterns and trends. Staff also share information quickly with children’s social workers and reflect on these incidents during team meetings.

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

When children are not where they are expected to be, staff take appropriate action to locate them and ensure that they return home. Children are provided with an opportunity to speak with an independent person following missing-from-home episodes. Information is shared appropriately and is used to manage and prevent episodes of going missing from home in the future.

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

Children are encouraged to talk about any worries they may have so that staff can act when necessary. Each child has a specific staff member who supports them. These staff members have informal chats with the children, as well as focused conversations about issues the children are dealing with. These sessions help children build trust as well as improve their knowledge and coping skills.

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

Children live in a home that is physically safe and secure. Regular environmental safety checks are undertaken, and staff and children regularly practise evacuating the home in an emergency.

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

Children are protected by effective recruitment and selection procedures. These procedures promote the safety of children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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

Since the last inspection, the previous manager has left, and a new manager has been appointed. The new manager intends to apply to Ofsted to be registered. The absence of a permanent manager has been a long-standing issue, and the home has been without a registered manager since September 2024.

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

The staff form a relatively new team with limited prior care experience. However, the manager and responsible individual lead the team well. They provide a detailed induction, role-modelling practice and providing support and guidance through supervision and team meetings with a focus on reflective practice. This is effective and enables staff to confidently care for the children and meet their needs.

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

Training and development of staff have a high priority to make sure all staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to support children effectively and promote positive Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 6 outcomes. However, only two of the staff hold a suitable qualification in children’s residential care. Despite this, there has been no negative impact on the children.

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

Supervision sessions are regular and of good quality. These help staff to generate ideas and to reflect on their practice. New staff are supported through an effective induction process. This ensures that children receive good-quality care from well-informed staff.

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

The manager’s monitoring of some children’s progress is not effective. Internal monitoring systems are not being utilised by the manager to demonstrate what progress children are making. This does not promote sufficient oversight of the effectiveness of children’s care.

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

The staff and manager have established good working relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in children’s care. Staff work closely with teachers, social workers and the police. This ensures that appropriate support is in place to support children’s progress and maximise their potential. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 7

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

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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)(c)(h)

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Requirement Due date

These particularly relate to the monitoring of children’s progress and ensuring that staff have the appropriate qualification. 8 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)) 8 Jul 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 8

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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: 1264537 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1264537 10 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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