Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 1 Registered provider: Hopscotch Care 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 two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2024

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 11/10/2022 Full Good 28/06/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The overall experiences and progress of children are affected by shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. Children have not received care that fully promotes their welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s individual needs are considered before they move into the home. However, staff have not effectively managed children’s relationships when they live together. This has resulted in incidents between children. One social worker said, ‘Not all information was shared by the provider when the compatibility was considered.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child’s identity is not consistently promoted. Leaders, managers and staff have misgendered one child during conversations and in documentation. This approach fails to promote the child’s identity and to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Not all children’s educational needs are met. One child does not have a good daily routine that enables them to achieve their full educational potential. As a result, the child’s learning and development has been hindered, resulting in missed opportunities for achievement and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the safeguarding concerns, children are supported to spend time with their family and friends. This provides children with a support network to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. One family member said, ‘I am seeing [Name of child] more than I was before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children have been involved in changes in the decor in the home and the outside garden, including growing vegetables and herbs. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and include photos and their personal possessions.

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

Children are not adequately safeguarded due to significant failures by the leadership, management, and staff. Not all safeguarding concerns have been escalated appropriately, and staff have not consistently followed agreed strategies when monitoring and supervising children. This reflects a lack of understanding for staff in regard to their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm.

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

Leaders and managers do not demonstrate a strong or proactive approach to risk management and harm reduction. Furthermore, they have failed to act in accordance with safeguarding policies and procedures when addressing allegations. This includes a failure to inform relevant professionals, which undermines transparency and limits the ability of external agencies to have appropriate oversight of incidents occurring within the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 4 Staff do not show professional curiosity to safeguarding children around online risks and vulnerabilities. Strategies identified to reduce the risk for one child around online safety have not been implemented. As a result, the child is able to use their devices freely, which poses a significant risk to them.

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

Managers and staff have spoken to children about their risk-taking behaviours and how to keep themselves safe. However, this has not always been effective. Children are not always able to identify potential risks to themselves and the risks they pose to others.

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

Children do not have positive relationships with all the staff. One child told the inspectors that they had called the police for advice around their privacy. This demonstrates that children do not always feel they can talk to staff.

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

There have been incidents of children going missing from the home. When children go missing, staff are quick to respond. Partnership work with the police is effective and staff. actively ensure that the children return home as soon as possible.

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

Safer recruitment processes are followed, which means that staff are recruited safely. Recruitment checks ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An experienced and qualified manager is in post. The language used by staff is not always child friendly and in line with the home’s therapeutic model. The management oversight of incidents and records is not sufficiently robust and lacks effective evaluation, resulting in limited learning from practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professional feedback is mixed. Professionals have raised concerns in relation to delays in information being shared and staff’s inability to manage the combined risks between children safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not received training specific to the needs of the children in their care. This includes a gap in training to enable staff to support children around identity and transgender awareness. However, staff have received training in substance misuse, sexualised behaviours, and bereavement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has completed a six-monthly quality of care review. This includes the wishes and feelings of children. However, the report does not consider feedback from local authorities, parents and staff working with the children. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to fully evaluate the care provided to children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the serious shortfalls identified at this inspection in relation to the leadership and management of the home, staff said that they feel supported. Staff receive regular supervision and attend staff meetings and development days. Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have a good understanding of risk management plans and have strategies in place to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand and implement identified strategies to support children and reduce the risk of harm when using online devices.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff know what their roles and responsibilities are in keeping children safe and protecting them from harm.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that systems are in place for concerns to be escalated appropriately. 27 July 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 27 July 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 6 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;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place, so that leaders and managers have effective oversight of staff practice and the impact on children’s safety and experiences.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to support children’s identity needs and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 7 help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are supported to express their views, wishes and feelings.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s privacy is respected.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies, or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 8 The registered person must ensure that there are effective professional relationships between the staff and placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they escalate any concerns with the child’s placing authority and ensure that appropriate action is taken and/or referrals are made to services without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)) 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 9 The registered person must ensure that staff help children to engage in education, training, or employment as part of a daily structured routine and in accordance with children’s relevant plans.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual, and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that positive relationships between children and staff are promoted. 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 10 The registered person must ensure that staff communicate to children in a way that the children understand in accordance with their age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full consideration is given to the needs and risks to children before they move into the home. 8 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 11 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when a serious incident occurs, a notification is made to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities, and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in regulation 45 specifically relating to the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. 8 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the terminology staff use is caring and compassionate. Phrases that contribute to further discrimination should be challenged and an evaluation of ‘language that cares’ should be considered. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 21, paragraph 4.3)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 12 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: 2617303 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Lancaster Road, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9LD

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Inspectors

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Vicky Wainwright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2617303 14 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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