Children's Home run by Northridge Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group 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 owned and managed by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Good 24/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home have been variable. Some children have achieved periods of stability, while others have faced disruption that has resulted in unplanned endings. Since the last inspection, four children have moved on from the home. Staff have not been able to meet some children’s needs consistently. In these instances, moves away from the home have been unplanned and not in line with children’s care plans.

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improvement to be good

Education is not consistently promoted in the home. Some children have been supported by staff to engage in learning effectively and make progress. However, others have not had suitable access to education or training. For these children, there has been a lack of clear routines or structured daily activities to promote their learning and development.

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improvement to be good

Children’s general health needs are met by staff. However, there has been limited access to specialist support for one child regarding their substance misuse. In addition, staff have not responded in a timely manner to remove potential storage areas for substances in the child’s room when concerns were identified.

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improvement to be good

When children arrive at the home they are welcomed sensitively, with staff taking time to ensure that their initial experiences are positive. Children develop good relationships with staff, who get to know them.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to engage in a range of activities that promote their individual interests. The child living in the home said that ‘staff were fun,’ and that they are supported to attend boxing and other activities that they have not previously experienced.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the value of children maintaining contact with family and friends. When children are living a significant distance from their family, staff support regular communication when this is positive for children.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, risk assessments do not consider the experience and ability of staff to support children’s individual risks in an affective manner. As a result, staff do not always respond consistently to children’s complex emotional and behavioural needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not been consistent in following children’s individual support plans. On one occasion, staff did not fully consider the strategies recommended to de-escalate a Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 4 situation and physically restrained a child. The use of restraint was not proportionate or employed as a last resort.

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improvement to be good

When there have been incidents of children going missing from the home, staff do not always follow procedures effectively. While the registered manager has identified this as a shortfall and a learning need for the staff team, this learning has yet to be put into practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not consistent in seeking timely medical support or completing checks on welfare when children have presented as under the influence of alcohol or substances. On one occasion, when staff smelt alcohol on a child they did not immediately challenge this and allowed the child to access the community during free time.

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improvement to be good

Staff conduct direct work with children regularly to educate them about risks and help them to make informed choices. Staff continue to make efforts to carry out work with children when they have disengaged.

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improvement to be good

On some occasions, staff have shown professional curiosity to support children’s safety. Staff have liaised with external agencies, including the police, to share information where concerns have been identified for children when out in the community.

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

Management oversight of the home is variable in quality, with some shortfalls not identified in a timely manner. The home has experienced several changes in management since the last inspection. The home is led by a manager who is newly registered.

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

Prior to the current manager being in post, one child made an allegation about a member of staff that was not acted upon or further investigated. On another occasion, managers’ evaluation was contradictory regarding a physical intervention, which led to ineffective reflection on staff practice.

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

Reports and records completed by staff vary in quality. Some recordings lack sufficient detail about actions taken by staff in response to incidents. As a result, this limits the registered manager’s ability to review how effectively staff have responded to concerns.

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

Leaders and managers have accepted the shortfalls identified and have recently implemented a development plan to support the staff and registered manager to improve practice within the home.

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

There have been recent positive developments in staff supervision and team meetings regarding the focus of reflecting on practice and seeking to address shortfalls. The registered manager has identified training for staff which is relevant to the child’s individual needs.

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

Staff say that they enjoy working in the home and feel supported by the new registered manager. Staff have reflected on the changes within the management team since the Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 5 last inspection, and how this has impacted the oversight of the home. Staff feel that the new manager has improved staff morale and that she provides positive guidance for the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 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

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any complaints made by a child are investigated effectively and appropriately recorded. 16 October 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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 16 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 7 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff consistently follow strategies in children’s individual risk management plans to manage and reduce risk.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents are evaluated effectively, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented in children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff. The registered person must also ensure that there are clear systems in place in the home to support and develop management oversight. 16 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 16 October 2025

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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. 16 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 8 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

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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s education plans are continually promoted to ensure that their engagement is effective and appropriate education is consistent.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2699790 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston PR1 3HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Joanne Kitchener

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2699790 10 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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Inspectors

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