Children's Home run by Thrive Residential Care Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 1 Registered provider: Thrive Residential Care 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 privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in June 2025. This inspection was brought forward due to the registered manager resigning prior to the home having its first inspection. An interim manager has been in post since September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home but did not speak to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 2

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improvement to be good

The staff at the home provide a welcoming and comfortable environment. The child benefits from a space that is homely and well maintained and has initially contributed to their initial sense of safety and belonging.

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improvement to be good

The child does not have any education provision, and the staff have not effectively been able to engage the child in any form of structured learning. The child is significantly out of routine and staff have not yet established a consistent plan to address this. This lack of educational input is a missed opportunity to promote progress and aspiration.

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improvement to be good

Staff have failed to take the lead in supporting the child to develop positive relationships and there is a noticeable lack of consistent rapport between staff and the child. Staff have tried to undertake key work through the bedroom door rather than face-to-face. This approach limits the effectiveness of key conversations and is not meaningful.

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improvement to be good

Staff have been unclear about their roles at times and on occasion have been reluctant to enter the child’s room to check on them. This has recently improved with the input of the incoming manager. However, it highlights a lack of confidence and preparedness in managing complex behaviours. Further training and support are needed to ensure staff feel equipped to meet the child’s needs safely and consistently.

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improvement to be good

The child’s diet lacks variety and nutritional balance. Efforts have been made to encourage the child to engage in shared activities and mealtimes. These interactions are documented well and reflect the team’s commitment to building relationships and promoting a sense of routine and belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff are confident in understanding the risk management plans that are in place for the child. They know how to respond appropriately to concerns.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of the child needing to be held, whereas prior to moving to the home, the child was held on a number of occasions. However, it was identified during the inspection that shortfalls in training for staff around the provider’s restraint procedures had led to staff not following up concerns, including undertaking a room search when there were concerns about the child using a vape, as staff did not feel confident in how to respond should the situation escalate. This does not ensure that staff have the relevant skills to respond to the child’s behaviour or that the child is safeguarded effectively. This is something that leaders and managers have taken action to address. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 3 The child has not gone missing from the home. This is a positive. However, it is unclear whether this is due to a lack of opportunity for free time rather than effective

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improvement to be good

safeguarding practice. The manager has not assessed how well staff would respond to such incidents, although staff were able to outline the steps they would take should this occur.

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improvement to be good

The child accesses the internet throughout the night, which has contributed to them being out of routine. Rather than addressing concerns around this and implementing strategies to limit the child’s internet use at night, staff have allowed continued access. This does not support the child to develop healthier routines.

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improvement to be good

Opportunities to share key information with the child’s placing authority social worker have been missed. Staff failed to share concerns regarding exploitation. This is something that leaders and managers have acknowledged and are taking action to address.

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improvement to be good

There is no clear rationale for the routine use of bedroom door alarms in the home. This limits the child’s privacy.

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

There have been changes in the leadership and management of the home since the home was registered. This new manager has brought renewed focus to the team and is starting to embed changes to develop consistency and practice in the home.

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

The manager is developing systems to support monitoring and improvement and is conducting audits to review key areas of practice. These processes are not yet fully embedded, and their effectiveness cannot be measured.

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

Staff feedback is positive and team members report feeling supported and valued. Staff have a shared commitment to improving outcomes for the child. Supervision sessions have evolved over time. Initial meetings were brief as there was no child living at the home, but more recent records show evidence of reflective and robust discussions that support staff development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 4

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are able to develop positive relationships with children that are helpful and purposeful. 15 December 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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; 15 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 5 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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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

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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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; and

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that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are prepared and ready to access education.

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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 15 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 6 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that information is shared with relevant professionals in a timely manner to enable them to make a decision on children’s care planning.

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The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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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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the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is clear rationale for the use of door alarms on children’s bedroom doors and that any agreement is clear about the need to have these activated. 15 December 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

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children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 15 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have the right advice relating to the dangers of electronic cigarettes and vapes, and that staff must take appropriate action to dispose of such items.

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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: 2835292 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thrive Residential Care LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Guardian House, Capricorn Park, Blakewater Road, Blackburn BB1 5QR

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2835292 9 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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