Children's Home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Cumberland

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 1 North Lakes Children’s Service Limited

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was first registered in March 2022. A manager was recently appointed and an application for registration is expected.

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Information about this children’s home

There have been no children living in the home since July 2023.

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This monitoring visit

The visit took place to monitor the three-month condition that was put in place in January 2025. This stated that the provider must inform Ofsted of their intention to admit children into the home at least three months before they admit children into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider informed Ofsted in June 2025 of their intention to admit children into the home.

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This monitoring visit

There is a manager in post. However, they have not submitted their application to register with Ofsted. Two staff have been recruited. The provider is currently recruiting more staff. Therefore, the home is currently not sufficiently staffed to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

There are outstanding environmental matters to be addressed before children can move into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not taken sufficient action to lift the three-month condition. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2023 Full Good 17/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 3

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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 that—

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Requirement Due date

staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s plans provide staff with sufficient actions to take to minimise risk for children. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children.

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Requirement Due date

This specially relates to the blanket approach used to bedroom door alarms for children. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date;

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s records being accurate and language in children’s records being child centred. 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 4 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

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

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

This specifically relates to a registered manager being in place, and use of effective monitoring and evaluation systems. 31 August 2023

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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

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

This specifically relates to supporting children to understand how their views have been taken into account and to giving children reasons for any decisions made about their care. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire; 24 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 5 make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there is further consultation with the fire and rescue authority due to the time that the home has been closed and the proposed changes to the home’s environment. The provider’s own annual fire risk assessment should be reviewed in response to this.

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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

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(e)) 24 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). 24 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 6 When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must demonstrate that information has been sought from relevant people as part of the review and how that information has been considered.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that the use of external agency staff is positive. The registered person should ensure that any external agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications, and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Service Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 4AD

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672877 8 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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