Children's home run by Guidance Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 1 Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to two children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Good 28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive relationships with staff. Staff know the children well and treat them with dignity and respect. Staff speak fondly and with pride about the children they care for. Children say that they enjoy living at the home and feel respected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to gain life skills to develop their independence and prepare them for adulthood in line with their age and abilities. Positive behaviours are encouraged, and achievements are suitably rewarded and celebrated to support and encourage children to develop good character.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a wide range of activities and hobbies in line with their interests, and they are encouraged to try new things. Staff focus on encouraging children to spend less time on screens and devices and more time taking part in activities such as playing football and boxing. This helps children to maintain their physical health while also having fun.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their family and friends in line with their agreed plans. Staff work hard to maintain positive relationships with children’s family and friends to ensure that children can spend time with and maintain relationships with those who are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly. When there are challenges for children attending, the manager and staff work with children, their placing authority and the virtual school to support them to access alternative provisions. When there are difficulties in obtaining children’s up-to-date education, health and care plans, the manager suitably challenges this with the relevant professionals to ensure that children’s educational needs can be met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming and has recently been decorated throughout. Photos of the children and their artwork are displayed throughout the home. This supports children to feel a sense of belonging. Children have their own personal space with all the necessary furnishings they need. However, clear plans are not in place for children to work alongside staff to ensure that their bedrooms are clean and tidy.

p.3

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

Children feel safe and cared for and that their views and wishes are valued. Children say that if they have any worries or concerns, they can speak to staff, and they will listen.

p.3

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

When children raise complaints or concerns about staff, these are acted on swiftly, and the relevant professionals, such as the local authority designated officer and social workers, are notified. Children’s welfare is a priority throughout investigations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 4 Children’s plans are detailed documents that are updated regularly. They give clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow to ensure that children receive consistent care.

p.3

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

It is rare that physical intervention is needed. On the one occasion that it was necessary to hold a child, it was to keep the child safe. The method of hold used was reasonable and proportionate and the least restrictive method possible. After the event, the child and staff member were both given the opportunity to reflect on the incident. However, the physical intervention record does not include management oversight, which limits the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the measure and identify any lessons learned.

p.4

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

Children’s health needs are met. Children are encouraged to attend routine health appointments, such as the dentist and optician. When specialist health intervention is needed, such as emergency treatment or child and adolescent mental health services, staff support children to access these services.

p.4

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

When children are moving to the home, assessments are completed before they move in. These factor in all relevant and necessary information about the child and the staff’s ability to meet their needs. Staff support children to move into the home as sensitively as possible, taking into consideration their individual circumstances.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced registered manager in post. She has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve for the children and for the development of the staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent team of staff who are child focused. This means that children are supported by staff who know them well. Staff enjoy working at the home and say that they feel valued and supported.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a positive ethos in the home, and staff spoken to said that the manager is always available for support and guidance. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and have a shared sense of ownership and accountability; they work well as a team, and the manager leads by example.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place for the monitoring and oversight of the home. She uses these systems effectively to highlight positive practice and to address any shortfalls and drive improvements. However, the quality of care review report would benefit from including specific and measurable actions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a wide range of training to help them meet children’s needs. Staff supervision sessions are practice related and are also used as a supportive tool for staff. However, supervision is not always completed regularly as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 5 Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended; staff understand their value. They are used as an opportunity for staff to come together and share information about children and operational matters in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they evaluate the effectiveness of the measure used. 7 November 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that supervision sessions take place in line with the frequency set out in the statement of purpose. 7 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. Staff should ensure there are effective systems in place to ensure that children's bedrooms are clean and tidy; doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from internal monitoring, including the quality-of-care review. Specific and measurable actions should support continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55,

p.7

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: 2685998 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lorraine Anderson

p.8

Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2685998 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9