Children's Home run by Pinnacle Care Provisions Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 1 Registered provider: Pinnacle Care Provisions 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

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. The child was at home and spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 14 and 15 May 2025. Inspectors returned on 10 June 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy’.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Further to the monitoring visit, which took place on 21 March 2025, an urgent condition was put into place that reduces the number of children for whom the home can provide accommodation and care, from three children to one child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full inadequate 29/11/2023 Full good 07/09/2022 Full requires improvement to be good 21/06/2022 Full inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, the child had been living in the home for a short period. The child says that they enjoy living in this home and they have had a positive experience of moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

The child experienced a planned move into the home. The manager visited the child in their previous home. This enabled the child to ask questions and share their views. Despite this, managers have not demonstrated rigour in assessing if staff can meet this child’s needs. As a result, staff were not sufficiently prepared to meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage a positive attitude to learning and actively engage the child in a range of educational activities. Before residing in this home, the child had not accessed education for a prolonged period. The manager collaborates with the social worker and education professionals to establish formal education arrangements quickly. However, the manager does not ensure that staff understand the child’s specific learning needs, or how they impact on the child’s care. As a result, staff present information to the child in a way that they do not understand. This does not help the child to make educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote good physical and emotional health for the child. Managers and staff are creative in promoting healthy lifestyle choices. For example, staff encourage the child to cook healthy meals and develop self-care routines. There is a focus on getting out in the community, whether this be going for a walk or going food shopping, with rewards built in to encourage this.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to spend time with people who are important to them. This helps the child to maintain important relationships and build on their support networks for the future.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to take part in a range of activities and pursue their own interests. This has reduced risks for the child, and encourages them to take age- appropriate risks in line with their age and understanding.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s confidence in managing risk is improving. Managers present staff with safeguarding scenarios and opportunities for reflection to ensure that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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improvement to be good

There have been two incidents when the child has gone missing from home. Each time, staff have done everything they can to find the child. Staff have also shared information with other professionals quickly. Staff have successfully brought the child home safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 4 Staff have meaningful discussions with the child about subjects that are important and relevant to them. This enables the child to develop skills to manage difficult feelings safely. However, managers and staff have not always explained to the child why some rules are in place. This does not help the child to understand decisions made about their care or what is expected of them.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow actions in the child’s plans. This has exposed the child to risk. For example, inspectors observed the child leave the premises of the home and then return. Managers and staff did not know this had happened. Managers responded swiftly to requests from the child’s local authority to ensure that staff were aware of the child’s whereabouts.

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improvement to be good

Staff have used physical intervention on one occasion. Staff were trying to prevent the child from leaving the home at night; this is not an appropriate reason to hold a child. Leaders and managers have taken effective action to address this poor practice and prevent it happening again.

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improvement to be good

Staff implement boundaries for the child to prevent unsafe behaviours from escalating. This promotes positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Managers have strengthened recruitment practice. As a result, this prevents unsuitable people from caring for children. When staff have specific health needs, managers assess their ability to keep the child safe and adjust working arrangements accordingly.

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improvement to be good

The home is well maintained, and routine health and safety checks are completed to ensure that the environment remains safe. Staff support the child to take pride in their home environment by encouraging them to decorate the home to their taste.

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

The provider has recruited a new manager and responsible individual. However, their suitability for these roles has not been assessed by Ofsted. Staff know the leadership and management arrangements in place.

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

Leaders and managers have strengthened systems to support communication. For example, weekly leadership meetings now take place. However, the leadership team do not have a shared understanding of management roles and responsibilities. This does not ensure that there are effective management arrangements in place.

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

The manager has introduced improved management monitoring systems. However, these systems are not yet effective. The manager has not successfully prevented serious shortfalls, such as staff failing to follow children’s plans. Managers currently make improvements to care arrangements reactively.

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

The manager is child centred and leads by example. The manager is visible in the home, and the child identified the manager as a person who they trust. Staff morale is high. Staff enjoy working in this home and feel supported by the manager. Staff share their Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 5 views with the manager and feel that these are taken seriously. This makes staff feel valued.

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

Staff attend regular supervisions and team meetings, which provide opportunities for learning and development. However, the home has not been staffed with the child’s needs in mind. On one occasion, the child was cared for by two male members of staff at night, which is inappropriate due to the child’s known risks. Following a serious incident that evening, changes were made to staffing arrangements.

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

Managers provide staff with a range of training and learning opportunities. Induction arrangements are in place for new staff. However, managers do not consistently identify when staff do not complete safeguarding training before they start working with children. This undermines the effectiveness of induction processes for new staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 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

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; 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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff take effective action to safeguard children in accordance with their individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and have the skills to act on signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must use information about children’s risks to try to proactively prevent incidents occurring. 12 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— 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 7 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that there are safe, consistent and effective management arrangements in place.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff have all the information they need to meet children’s individual care needs. This includes agency, bank or other temporary staff.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff have the experience and skills to meet the needs of each child. This includes acting when staff have not completed essential training.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is staffed to always meet the child’s needs.

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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: 2653112 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pinnacle Care Provisions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 399 Hollins Road, Oldham OL8 3BD

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Inspectors

Sally Griffiths, Lead Professional, Quality Assurance, Regulation and Social Care Practice

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Inspectors

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2653112 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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