Children's home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC480161 1 SC457254 Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Service Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates : 15 and 16 October 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Good 27/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/01/2023 Full Good 30/09/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress regardless of the length of time they have lived at the home. They have developed trusting relationships with the core group of staff, who are nurturing in their approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves in and out of the home are planned. Children can meet staff and the other children before they move into the home. However, for one child their experience of living at the home was short-lived before the manager gave notice and the child had to leave. This could impact on children’s experiences living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experience of education is positive, leading to good levels of attendance and achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. They work with the children to help them address issues from their past as well as exploring their emotions and behaviour. Care plans detail the work carried out through key-work sessions, using age-appropriate resources to help children understand their feelings to manage them in a positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in a range of activities and enjoyable experiences. Making new and positive memories about living in the home is seen as important by staff. Staff capture the children’s new memories in photos that are shared with the children and which are seen throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to maintain relationships with family and friends that are important to them, where appropriate.

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

Children say they feel safe living in the home and can name individual staff whom they will go to if they need help.

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

Behaviour is well managed. Strategies in children’s care plans and risk assessments guide staff on how to minimise risk. Rewards and incentives are used to promote positive behaviour effectively.

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

Physical interventions are needed at times to manage situations when children are in crisis. These have reduced in number over time as staff help children to manage their emotions. Records are comprehensive and show that each incident includes holds for the shortest time possible. Following each occasion that holds are used, work takes place with both children and staff to maintain effective relationships and inform learning for all involved. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 4 Episodes of children going missing from the home are rare. Staff are clear about what they need to do should a child go missing, including looking for children before reporting them as missing. Staff practice is supported by clear protocols.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced. She is supported by a core group of committed staff. The registered manager has high aspirations for the children and staff. She promotes a culture of mutual respect. The registered manager is visible to both children and staff. She leads by example. Both the manager and core staff work hard along with regular bank staff to ensure that children have consistency in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear monitoring systems and is aware of all aspects of the care of the children and the practice of staff. She is supportive to staff when needed but will also challenge staff effectively to ensure that children receive the best care possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive practice-related supervision and attend team meetings. Minutes of both include detailed discussions about children. However, due to the shortages in staffing, supervisions have not taken place as regularly as stated in the home’s policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training matrix shows a range of courses on offer in addition to the mandatory training. However, a review of the record shows that there are gaps in the delivery of courses that relate to the specialised needs of the children currently living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well with other professionals, who praised the staff and the effectiveness of their practice. One professional said staff were ‘marvellous’ and described the atmosphere in the home as ‘natural’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 5

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1) (2)(a)) 30 November

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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;

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, have training in the individual needs of the children, including managing sexually problematic/harmful behaviour and ADHD. 30 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive supervision in line with policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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 for children’s home: SC457254 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

Sue Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457254 8 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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