Children's Home run by Begin to Blossom Ltd in Oldham

Inspection report children's home: 2823987 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Begin to Blossom 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. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home..

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Information about this children’s home

The registered managers post has been vacant since September 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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2823987 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

Three children have moved into the home following its registration in June 2025. However, one of the children had to leave prematurely because staff could not meet their needs safely. The child did not have a positive experience of leaving.

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children spoke to the inspector. One child had recently moved in, and they benefited from a well- planned and positive move. A child said, ‘The staff came to visit me, so there were familiar faces when I moved in. It’s nice compared to other places I have lived in before.’

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improvement to be good

Both children have care plans provided by their placing authorities. However, their plans have not been updated to reflect the current care planning arrangements to secure permanence and stability for children. A social worker said, ‘I think their transition was fantastic. It was really positive. They made [the child’s name] feel so welcome.’

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their families. This ensures that they maintain their close relationships with their loved ones. Staff provide children with positive activities at home and in the community. Children enjoy cooking, eating out, theme parks and going on nature walks with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children benefit from a comfortable, spacious and homely living environment. Children’s bedrooms are nicely furnished and decorated and are welcoming and personalised.

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improvement to be good

Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to promote a safe environment for children. However, a staff sleep room has suffered from a recent water leak which has caused minor damage to the ceiling.

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improvement to be good

One child was attending privately funded home tutoring previously. However, at the time of this inspection, none of the children were attending any form of formal education. One child is waiting for a start date to attend a local school, and the other child has plans being formalised for home tutoring.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the children’s good health and ensure that they have access to the services that they need to be healthy. Therapists are employed to support the staff and the children using a specific therapeutic model of care. However, not all staff are currently trained in this therapeutic model as described in the statement of purpose. Inspection report children's home: 2823987 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

Allegations of abuse are handled professionally, and significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to protect children from harm. However, not all staff demonstrated that they have the skills to help de-escalate incidents effectively and professionally. Poor handling of previous incidents created instability and had a negative impact on children living in the home. Consequently, training on Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE) has been planned for the staff who have not yet received this training.

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improvement to be good

Staff are now developing a better understanding of the children’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. Staff follow and implement risk management plans to reduce known risks to children to protect them from harm. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to promote the children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

One child who had previously presented staff with significant challenges is now more settled and is developing good relationships with the staff. The frequency of missing- from-home episodes has reduced and there are far less incidents occurring. A child said, ‘I like the staff. I have done loads of activities…It’s eventful and funny.’

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improvement to be good

On occasions when children have gone missing from the home, staff actively follow them and support and encourage their safe return.

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

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since September 2025 when the previous registered manager left the home. This resulted in the deputy manager being promoted to the role of acting manager and applying for registration with Ofsted. A senior worker has also been promoted to the role of the deputy manager.

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

The home’s statement of purpose has been updated to reflect staff changes that have occurred, including the new leadership and management arrangements. There are sufficient numbers of qualified and experienced staff employed to meet the needs of the children living in the home.

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

A stable staff team is employed and there is no use of any agency workers. This ensures that children benefit from continuity of care which allows them to sustain their relationships with the same members of familiar staff. Appropriate action is taken to address any staff practice that is not in line with the expected standards of good childcare.

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

The acting manager is a visible and valued member of the staff team. They are supportive of the children and are accessible to the staff team. A staff member said, ‘Since they became the manager, the home has been running much more smoothly. She makes good decisions for both the children and the team.’ Inspection report children's home: 2823987 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

The acting manager ensures that staff receive regular team meetings and benefit from good quality training to help them meet the children’s needs. Staff benefit from practice- related supervision sessions and monthly consultations with the home’s therapists to review the children’s experiences. Staff said, ‘I find the clinical supervisions and reflective practice sessions very helpful. They have supported me in developing new strategies to help the children.’

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

An independent person visits the home on a regular basis to review the quality and standard of the children’s care. This helps staff, leaders and managers to have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the care provided for children. This allows them to rectify any shortfalls to secure improvement. Inspection report children's home: 2823987 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

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 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person must ensure that each child has an updated care plan from the placing authority which outlines their current care planning arrangements. 3 November 2025

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 3 November 2025 Inspection report children's home: 2823987 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect; and

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background.(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to all staff being skilled and trained in the therapeutic model as described in the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must also ensure that staff maintain high standards of conduct and professionalism at all times.

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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—

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(viii)) 3 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 3 November 2025 Inspection report children's home: 2823987 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the staff sleep room ceiling is repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 children's home: 2823987 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Begin to Blossom Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hilton Jones Ltd, Hollinwood Business Centre, Albert Street, Oldham OL8 3QL

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2823987 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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