Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 1 Registered provider: Guidance 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

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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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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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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 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: 26 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Good 08/02/2023 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive relationships with staff. Staff know children well and treat them with dignity and respect. Staff spoken to during the inspection spoke fondly and with pride about the children who live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children’s education. Although there have been some difficulties with attendance at school, all children sat their GCSE exams. They have either enrolled in college or are actively seeking employment and working with the local youth skills hub to support their future plans. Alongside their formal education, staff are working with children to help them gain independence skills and knowledge to help prepare them for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Time with family and friends is supported in line with agreed plans. This supports children to build and maintain relationships that are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and encouraged to spend time with staff doing activities they enjoy, such as playing pool, going out for meals and clothes shopping. However, staff also respect that, due to their ages, they often prefer to spend time in the community or online with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. They are supported to attend routine health appointments and to access specialist help when needed, such as sexual health, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and counselling and psychotherapy services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete regular individual support sessions with children. These are often reactive following incidents or events. They are also held to support children to prepare for their futures and for upcoming events. However, there is limited follow-up to these sessions to ensure that there is ongoing support and guidance for children in order to encourage healthy lifestyles and to understand the risks associated with substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, they have moved in a planned way to semi- independent living. Staff work with the children, their placing authority, and their new placements to make the move as comfortable as possible, considering the child’s individual circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is clean and tidy. However, there are some areas of wear and tear which need addressing. There are limited photos and pictures throughout, which restricts the sense of homeliness in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 4

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

When children have raised complaints or concerns, these have been taken seriously, and suitable action has been taken. Leaders and managers have ensured that children’s welfare is a prioritised. They have notified relevant professionals and acted in line with safeguarding procedures. Children have been notified of the outcome of their complaints, and, where necessary, mediation work has taken place.

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

Children’s plans and support documents are detailed and regularly reviewed. They provide clear guidance and strategies for staff to enable them to deliver consistent care to children. Staff understand these plans and put them into practice.

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

Due to the positive relationships between staff and children, incidents rarely require physical intervention. On one occasion when it was necessary to hold a child to prevent injury to others and to keep them safe, it was reasonable and proportionate. Staff and the child were encouraged to reflect on the incident after the event. The manager had oversight of the report and evaluated the effectiveness of the measure used.

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

When there are incidents of behaviour or difficult situations for children, staff work with them to help them make the right decisions and to help them learn from any incidents when things do not go to plan. Managers have oversight of staff practice, and staff are supported to reflect on significant events and identify any lessons learned.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff take suitable action to search for them and support them to return home as quickly as possible. Children are supported to have a return home interview, and staff show professional curiosity to identify where they have been and who with. Staff work with relevant professionals, such as the police and the missing-from-home team to support children when they are away from the home.

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

Children’s achievements are rewarded and celebrated. When consequences are imposed, they are reasonable and proportionate in relation to the incident. However, not all imposed consequences are recorded, and therefore their fairness and effectiveness cannot be evaluated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced manager in place, who is supported by a deputy manager. They share an ambitious vision for what children can achieve. Leaders and managers know children well. The manager has successfully created a culture in which staff place the needs of children at the heart of their practice and aspire to improve the lives of the children who live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems for the monitoring and oversight of the home. They use these systems effectively in order to highlight positive practice and to address any shortfalls and drive improvements. However, the quality of care review has not been sent Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 5 to Ofsted, and this limits the opportunity for external scrutiny of the home. Staff enjoy working at the home and feel valued and supported. There is a positive ethos in the home and staff have clear roles and responsibilities and have a shared sense of ownership and accountability; they work well as a team and managers lead by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent workforce, whose members are suitably trained to meet children’s individual needs. This means that children are supported by staff they know and can build positive relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. These team meetings are an opportunity for staff to come together and share information and updates about the children and the home. In addition to this, staff take part in regular supervision sessions, and these are used to support staff well-being and to reflect on staff practice. However, these are not always recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff receive regular, practice-related supervision, and that these supervision sessions are recorded. 10 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 10 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 7 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1) (a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the use of consequences is suitably recorded and their effectiveness evaluated.

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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. 10 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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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)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any damage and/or wear and tear is quickly addressed. 10 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 9

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2558681 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Wyrefields, Poulton Industrial Estate, Poulton-le-Fylde FY6 8JX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lorraine Anderson

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 11 regulates 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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