Children's Home run by Toto Children’s Homes Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 1 Registered provider: Toto Children’s Homes 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 operated by a private provider. It provides care for one child with learning disabilities. There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector observed the child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved into the home prior to the home being registered. A strong and consistent staff team alongside the support and direction of an experienced manager ensures that the child makes good progress and has an improved quality of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a bungalow that benefits from having an enclosed garden. The home is minimal in terms of decoration, due to the child’s needs and preference. However, the support and encouragement from the staff have resulted in the child now accepting some decoration of the home. The child’s bedroom is painted in their favourite colours, and they have chosen items to furnish their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends school full time. Issues can arise in school that impact on the child’s mood at school and at home. However, the manager works closely with school staff to share information and helpful strategies to reduce this. This enables school staff to address issues as they arise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met well. Staff seek medical advice following any accidents or injuries when appropriate. The manager arranges and funds referrals to specialist services that they feel would be of benefit to the child. There is a commitment to ‘getting it right’ and recognising when professional support is required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s relationship with their family, and as a result, time with them is positive and has increased. The child has a wide support network, including family and professionals. The manager ensures that the communication between them all is open and transparent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage the child to have new experiences. These include using public transport and going to a theme park. The child is now more relaxed in busier environments, which opens further opportunities for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed their life skills with the support of the staff. These skills will remain with the child as they move into adulthood and on from the home. However, there is still progress to be made in this area, as the staff sometimes struggle to engage the child in tasks that will further promote their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to make choices for themselves by promoting and supporting their communication. As a result, the child has control over aspects of their care, including favoured staff support, what to wear, activities and food choices. The staff ascertain the child’s views, wishes and feelings and act on these accordingly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 3

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

The child is supported by a stable team of staff, some of whom have worked with the child for several years. Therefore, the child has good relationships with the staff, and this has resulted in a decrease in incidents in terms of both frequency and severity.

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

There are occasions when the use of restraint is required to keep the child and others safe. Staff always use the least restrictive option, and the child is spoken to following the use of physical intervention.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child, and they are guided by robust plans that are regularly reviewed. Staff are able to quickly identify triggers or early warning signs that the child is upset, and they can effectively de-escalate incidents.

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture at the home. The manager ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills required to keep the child safe. This means that any concerns are quickly identified, and the appropriate action is taken.

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

Staff support the child to develop important personal care skills. These skills provide the child with privacy and dignity and reduce the need for constant staff support.

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

Recruitment processes are thorough, and staff practice is continually monitored to ensure that they are able to meet the child’s needs. This ensures that the child remains at the centre of practice and that their progress is not hindered. The child’s social worker said, ‘It’s all about what works for [name of child].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced, skilled and committed manager. They are supported by an equally competent deputy, who has recently applied to register with Ofsted alongside the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by the managers and her deputy, who help them to develop through regular supervision sessions and training. The manager is a good role model and encourages reflective practice so that, as a team, they continually learn and make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear development plan in place that is regularly monitored for progress. The independent person visits monthly, and this helps leaders and managers to improve the quality of care provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are child focused. They provide staff with the opportunity to discuss any concerns and reflect together. Clear agendas and action plans identify who is accountable and help to maintain focus. Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 4 The manager has oversight over every aspect of the home and knows the child and staff well. The manager’s evaluation of incidents is detailed and reflective. However, the manager does not always identify the language used in some reports that may not be helpful when describing the child’s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from the family and professionals is positive with regard to the management of the home. The social worker shared that their experience of working with the home had been faultless since the manager and her deputy have taken over. Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staff enable children to develop independence skills within the supportive environment of the home, including through encouraging independent use of kitchen and laundry areas when appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.25)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2819334 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Toto Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cavalry Group, Lancashire House, The Sidings, Whalley, Clitheroe BB7 9SE

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2819334 7 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 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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