Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 1 SC464809 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

A private provider operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 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: none Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Five children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Children show progress in all areas of need from their starting points. Staff support children to learn from their experiences and to strengthen their confidence to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress educationally due to the help and support they receive from staff. The manager has challenged delays in the review of educational needs for children, seeing changes made to plans that directly support the progress of children socially and academically.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to participate in experiences and activities either individually or as a group. This promotes positive relationships and personal growth. Children have a choice in their experiences and speak positively of the time they spend with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said they trust staff and feel valued. They have special events each month, with children taking the lead, that enable face-to-face feedback sharing with the manager and deputy. This goes alongside open opportunities to express their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff collaborate effectively with family and professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children, with two children having a planned return to their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have independence plans that are regularly updated to track development and prepare them for adulthood. These plans incorporate local authority care plans to ensure that the needs of the child are focused and directly beneficial to their future needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to maintain relationships with family, friends and partners. This means children see those who are most important to them. Family time plans are regularly reviewed, ensuring they are in the best interests of children’s safety.

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

Children say they feel safe. Staff understand children’s needs and risks, and they respond effectively to safeguarding concerns. This has seen a reduction in incidents, and children are settled and do not go missing from the home.

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

Children receive consistent, structured support through key-worker sessions as well as targeted direct-work sessions covering a broad range of topics. This approach ensures that they develop a detailed understanding of the risks associated with their behaviour and experiences. Furthermore, revisiting specific support topics periodically would help their learning, enabling them to recognise potential risks and respond effectively.

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

Staff are trained in restraint, using it rarely and proportionately after de-escalation attempts. When staff have held a child, the manager ensures learning is implemented to Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 4 reduce future need. Children are spoken with to understand these events, resulting in a reduction in the use of restraint.

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

The application of boundaries to support healthy routines for children is inconsistent. This has an impact on tiredness, functioning and education for children and requires a more consistent application, specifically where the use of video games is concerned.

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

Staff provide a nurturing, relaxed and engaging atmosphere where interactions help ease stress and prevent incidents when children feel unsettled. This has seen a reduction in incidents in the home and positive relationships for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have confidence in the manager’s leadership, noting improvements across all aspects of the home since being appointed. This has helped the manager achieve a stable, fully staffed team, easing pressure on staff overall and creating consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive ongoing, structured supervision and guidance that encourage them to continually reflect on their practice in caring for children. This process includes the development of action plans to enhance their skills and further refine the quality of care they provide. As a result, the stability and confidence of staff have been strengthened, leading to a more effective and responsive approach in meeting the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Appraisals highlight strengths and development areas, with clear actions and expectations for staff and children. This contributes to staff’s learning needs and their responses to the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Personal development plans support staff, particularly where improvement is needed, and reflect an environment where learning is embedded into improving risk management and safeguarding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the needs of children and staff, demonstrating a good oversight of the home. This has led to the manager and deputy remaining in the home for longer periods to spend time with children and offer additional support to staff through their presence and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff have achieved the relevant qualification in expected timescales. The manager must ensure that all staff are suitably qualified. Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 5

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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

(a) understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

(b) 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 registered person must ensure that staff apply boundaries and routines for children to enable them to reach their full potential. This applies to the importance of sleep and the use of electronic devices. 27 June 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma");

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Requirement Due date

or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff that work in the home in a care role have obtained their relevant qualification by the relevant date. 29 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 6

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Recommendation

 In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff carry out regular, planned direct work with children that is relevant and meaningful to presenting individualised needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)

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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: SC464809 7

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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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Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC464809 8 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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