Children's Home run by A-Triangle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in May 2021 and is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/04/2024 Full Good 04/07/2023 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The overall experiences and progress of children are compromised 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

Leaders and managers failed to ensure that two children moved into the home in an appropriately planned manner. Ineffective care planning and poor leadership and management of the home negatively impacted the children’s experiences and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Not all children’s educational needs are met. Children do not have a good daily routine that enables them to achieve their full educational potential. This has hindered children's learning and development, leading to missed opportunities for achievement and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children are in good health, and staff actively encourage and support their attendance at health appointments. However, staff have not fully supported children around incidents of substance misuse and smoking. This does not promote children’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The communal areas of the home have been decorated. One child’s bedroom is personalised; however, it does not have adequate storage for all their clothes. Another child’s bedroom has areas of damage, is untidy, and their clothes remain in a suitcase. This does not ensure that the children have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls, children enjoy spending time engaging in different activities, including riding bikes, fishing, go-karting, going to the gym, and playing on games consoles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are encouraged to spend time with their family and friends. This allows them to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. One family member said, ‘For over a year now, we have had visits every month.’

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

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that children are adequately protected. Risk management plans are not updated following all significant incidents. This does not ensure that staff have all relevant information around children’s risk-taking behaviours.

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

During the inspection, one child raised several allegations about the poor professional conduct of a leader at the home. These concerns have been referred to the local authority designated officer and placing social worker in line with safeguarding procedures. Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 4 Leaders and managers have not ensured that all relevant day-to-day documentation has been maintained for one child. This does not ensure that staff have all relevant information to support and safeguard the children appropriately.

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

Managers and staff have access to training so they can meet children’s individual needs. Training includes topics such as missing from care, child exploitation, substance misuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder awareness. However, despite training, managers and staff do not consistently follow the procedures in place to protect children.

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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 in line with the missing-from-home procedures.

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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 at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An experienced and qualified manager is in post. The manager has not ensured that children’s records are kept up to date. Leaders and managers have not managed the home in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the home’s statement of purpose and have not consistently maintained children’s safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are gaps in the monitoring and review systems used by leaders and managers. This does not help them keep children safe and continually improve the quality of care provided at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Serious incidents have not always been reported to Ofsted in a timely manner. This means that the regulator does not have sufficient oversight and scrutiny of the management of significant incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive regular supervision, and they attend staff meetings. However, not all appraisals are carried out by the manager. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to provide feedback on staff performance and celebrate success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent person carries out regular visits to the home. However, reports do not highlight the safeguarding matters identified at this inspection and do not support the service in making improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the serious shortfalls identified at this inspection in relation to leadership and management of the home, staff said that they can access support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 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 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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s risk management plans are up to date, allowing staff to access all relevant information following significant incidents to reduce risk to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that leaders and managers have effective oversight of significant incidents and day-to-day experiences of children living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the manager has effective oversight and management of staff practice and development. This specifically relates to annual appraisals. 22 August 2025

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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. 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 6 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

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

The registered person must ensure that there are clear and up- to-date daily records for all children to ensure that they are protected from harm.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are admitted to the home in line with the statement of purpose and that their overall experiences are not compromised. 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 7 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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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 their relevant plans. 12 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 8 children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being, particularly around smoking and substance misuse.

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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

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s bedrooms are well maintained and free of hazards. 12 September 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; 29 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 9 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

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Requirement Due date

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, Ofsted is notified without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 29 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives, and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 10 children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person carries out a rigorous and impartial assessment.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person regularly consults the children, family members and staff to obtain their feedback on the quality of care provided at the home.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2641790 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Hardhorn Road, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 3LJ

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Inspector

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2641790 12 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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