Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 1 Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this children’s home. The home can provide care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager post is vacant. The provider is currently recruiting to this post.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2025 Full Inadequate 13/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved on from the home since the last inspection. When children leave the home, staff ensure that they have positive endings, by celebrating their successes. When children are apprehensive about moving onwards, staff provide support and represent the child’s views to the placing local authority.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak positively and fondly about each child and ensure that children take an active role in making decisions about things that affect their lives. One child’s social worker said, ‘[Name of child] is doing amazing. The staff are putting their needs first. I have no concerns at all.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff effectively support each child’s physical and emotional health. Staff encourage children to attend routine appointments. When therapeutic support is needed, there is effective communication between the home and the therapy provider to help the child feel reassured and supported during appointments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work closely with education professionals to ensure that each child receives education in line with their specific education plans. This could include tutoring taking place in the home. Staff support each child to consider their future options, and one child has recently been accepted for a college place. The child is looking forward to starting. When there have been delays in decision-making about a child’s education and this has impacted on their overall success, staff have ensured that independent advocates represent the child’s views.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote a range of activities based on children’s individual interests. These have included rugby, attending gym sessions, going on walks and days out with staff. One child has recently taken up photography and has been provided with a camera so that they can take photos of their interests, such as animals and woodland scenery.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with each child discussing a range of topics that have significance in their lives, such as preparing for independence, emotional well-being, preparing for medical appointments, online safety, maintaining healthy relationships and healthy eating. These discussions help children learn positive behaviours and routines that will prepare them for adulthood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is supported by the staff team. They are flexible in making arrangements to help each child to maintain relationships that are important to them, and to ensure that they remain safe during family time.

p.3

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 4 Individual risk assessments address each child’s known vulnerabilities and set out what action staff should take in the event of a serious incident. The manager regularly reviews risk assessments to ensure that safety is continually being considered. Management oversight of serious incidents is evaluative and enables the staff team to have confidence in managing serious incidents.

p.4

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

When a child is missing from home, staff know how to respond and take the necessary action to report the missing incident promptly and seek to locate the child. Other serious incidents, such as self-harm, are handled swiftly and with sensitivity and care. Staff take time to talk to the child to understand their thoughts and feelings and consider when additional support may be required.

p.4

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

Staff have meaningful conversations with each child about risks they may be exposed to. This helps develop the child’s understanding and awareness of risks. This includes keeping safe online, promoting safe behaviour in the community and encouraging them to express their emotions in a healthy way.

p.4

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

Positive behaviour is promoted. There has been one incident of physical intervention, which was proportionate based on the risks the child was presenting with at the time. The child was given the opportunity to discuss the incident afterwards and to express their wishes and feelings. Room searches are carried out when necessary. These are done sensitively and appropriately recorded, including the reasons for the search and the child’s view.

p.4

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

Staff have put in place supportive plans and reasonable adjustments for one child to take part in routine fire drills in a safe way that does not cause them distress. The child talked about what support they need and how they use it during such drills. This ensures the child’s safety is being actively considered and promoted.

p.4

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

The previous manager left the home in April 2025. Since then, the operations manager and the deputy manager, together with a manager from another home, have continued to have oversight to ensure that staff are providing continuity of care to children.

p.4

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

Staff are benefiting from leaders and managers being more present and available in the home and say that they have confidence in managers, who provide clear guidance and support. One member of staff said, talking about the positive changes being made in the home, that there was ‘a big difference and a clear vision’.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers have begun to implement monitoring systems in the home which include critical analysis of serious incidents and identify themes and patterns of behaviour. However, inconsistencies in recording and key information about children’s care has not always been shared in handovers or discussed at team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 5 Leaders and managers encourage staff participation, and staff feedback is regularly obtained on a range of matters affecting the home. This assists managers to identify what improvements are required and enables staff to feel included and valued and encourages a positive team work ethic.

p.4

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

There is a stable workforce, with little reliance on bank staff, which means that the child is supported by staff who know them well. However, one rota failed to show the hours worked by one member of staff who had been on duty.

p.5

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

Staff said that they receive regular supervision and can speak to managers informally if they need advice or support. Supervision documents have generally improved, however, some documents lack critical reflection and do not consistently detail staff members’ views of serious incidents that have taken place. Staff signatures were missing from other documents and therefore it is difficult to determine if staff have agreed the actions discussed.

p.5

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

Leaders and managers have developed positive working relationships with external professionals, parents and family members. The manager understands the importance of effective partnership working and how this contributes to children’s positive experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

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)(e)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff are providing continuity of care to children and that recording is consistent and reflects the work being carried out. 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 7 Additionally, that staff communicate effectively with one another and share key information. This specifically relates to information shared at handovers and in team meetings.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure there is a record of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. 19 July 2025

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. In particular, ensure that all supervision documents are agreed and signed by the member of staff the document relates to. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

p.7

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: 2737745 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2737745 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9