Children's Home run by Beacon Care Group Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 1 Registered provider: Beacon Care Group Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection since registration in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

No children were living at 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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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home opened, one child moved in as a solo placement. The child’s move into the home was planned and considered all available information. The child met the manager and deputy manager before moving into the home and was offered the opportunity to visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child no longer lives in the home. Staff ensured that the child’s belongings were packed and transported following the child’s emergency move to their new home. The manager and staff offered the child the opportunity to say their goodbyes in a meaningful way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child was encouraged to build relationships and interact with staff. Staff supported the child to cook and explore new recipes and foods. Staff learned to cook authentic dishes from the child’s home country before the child arrived, and they researched how to access the correct types of ingredients and halal food. The social worker for the child felt this was the best placement for them and encouraged the child to stay. They felt the staff could not have provided any more care and opportunity for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to reconnect with their family. They encouraged phone and video calls, and staff facilitated the parent to visit the home and understand the care they provided. The staff overcame language and cultural barriers to ensure that the parent felt included in their child’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff remained persistent in their attempts to fully engage the child in education. The manager liaised with virtual schools and the social worker as the child wanted to only attend a mainstream school. Online tutoring was provided, which the child refused, and the home advocated for a tutor to come to the home, which proved more successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encouraged the child to attend routine health appointments and take care of their personal hygiene. They made referrals to specialist services, such as speech and language, and advocated for the child’s nurse to support their views of the child’s needs to engage the correct assessments for the child.

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

Staff took the time to listen to the child to help them understand the child’s emotions. However, there were inconsistent approaches from staff around behaviour management and boundaries for the child, which led to some incidents escalating.

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

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home. Staff are aware of how to escalate concerns about a child’s welfare should the need arise. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 3 manager takes all complaints seriously and ensures that they are appropriately investigated and addressed.

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

Staff record all incidents by completing the relevant documentation. However, not all documentation included the appropriate information. This is a missed opportunity for the manager and staff to reflect on incidents and identify ways to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future.

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

Positive recognition and praise outweighed negative consequences. However, the manager’s review of the effectiveness of consequences is not recorded. This limits opportunities to identify any lessons learned and changes required.

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

Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. The child’s individual risk assessment is reviewed and updated. However, regular checks of the child’s online access and access gained through using the home’s mobile phone are not completed. This fails to reduce potential risk.

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

Staff are provided with regular training and development opportunities. Training includes topics such as self-harm, safeguarding, substance misuse and safe handling of medication. This ensures that staff have the skills to support children’s needs.

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good

The home is managed by a caring and considerate manager who advocates for the child. The manager has completed a leadership and management qualification. The manager speaks about the child with positiveness and enthusiasm.

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good

The manager’s oversight of some areas of staff’s practice is inconsistent. This includes ensuring daily records for the children and key-work and individual sessions. This inconsistency means that the manager is not able to identify and address shortfalls in practice.

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good

Staff attend regular team meetings, which provide ways for the staff to reflect on and develop their practice when supporting the child. However, actions from team meetings are not always implemented, causing frustration for staff and a lack of accountability.

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good

Staff receive regular supervisions in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Feedback from professionals or the child is not considered during staff supervisions, which would provide a more comprehensive view of staff performance.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the home. However, this could be improved by more rigorous and impartial reports from the independent person, including external feedback. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 4

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the staff team works cohesively and provides continuity of care and that the use of monitoring and reviewing of systems is consistent to improve the quality of care provided. 31 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 5 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that access to the internet and other devices is secure and monitored and that risk assessments are reviewed and acted on to safeguard children. 31 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 31 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the child’s records recognise the need behind the behaviour and do not blame the child.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, they should ensure the safe use of mobile devices. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment. The registered person must ensure that the independent person consults regularly with a range of stakeholders as part of their assessment of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair.

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Recommendations

In particular, they should ensure that the effectiveness of consequences is recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: 2817904 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackwell Business Centre, 1 Blackwell Lane, Darlington DL3 8QF

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Inspector

Deborah Turner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2817904 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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