Children's Home run by Polar Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 1 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Registered provider: Polar Childcare 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 was registered with Ofsted in August 2024. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties, mental disorders, or who are drug and alcohol dependent.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. The inspectors spoke with both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2025

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 2 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 3 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experiences, progress and safety are adversely affected by ineffective care planning and serious shortfalls in staff safeguarding practices. The leadership and management of the home are poor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not understand all the children’s individual needs. They do not have access to some of the children’s relevant plans. This includes relevant local authority documents, care plans and personal education plans (PEPs).

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child was previously engaging in one-to-one tutoring. However, they have now disengaged from this and they do not participate in any formal education, employment or training. The other child does not attend education and refuses to return. Staff do not have effective strategies in place to ensure that the children regularly participate in educational activities or are supported to develop their independence skills in line with their age. This does not support the children to reach their full educational potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One professional spoken to said: ‘The home tutor has informed me they were receiving negativity and hostility when they were coming to the home. It is the local authority view that things have taken a dramatic downward turn since the new interim manager came in.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are registered with local healthcare providers and are encouraged to attend routine appointments. The impact of children’s earlier life experiences and ongoing emotional well-being support is assessed by the in-house clinical team, who help the staff to work therapeutically with the children on an individual basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child told inspectors that they want to move out of the home as they were no longer happy. However, the following day, they changed their mind and said they were OK living in the home but still wished to move. The child told the inspector that they did not like the interim manager and felt at times that staff were too strict and patronising. The child said that they do not like living with the other child in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff do not ensure that the home environment is a nice place for children to live. Some parts of the home are in poor condition. For example, one child’s bathroom is dirty. Children do not have all items that they need. For example, the child’s wardrobe is broken. This does not ensure that the home and garden are safe or that the environment is a homely place for children to live.

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

At this inspection, staff did not know that the inspectors were able to gain entry to the home. The door was open and there was no doorbell in use. On another occasion, staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 4 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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

did not know that a child who does not live in the home spent the night in a child’s bedroom. This potentially puts children, staff and visitors at risk of harm.

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

Leaders and managers do not consider all children’s needs and vulnerabilities before they move into the home. The previous manager did not robustly assess the risk posed by an older child to a younger child. Leaders and managers did not consider how the staff team could meet one child’s needs alongside a child who was living in the home. Staff do not have the knowledge and skills to manage these risks, and this led to children suffering significant harm.

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

Children’s risk management plans are not robust or up to date. They do not consider adequate strategies for staff to follow to reduce and minimise the risk posed to the children. This means staff do not have accurate information to manage safeguarding incidents. Staff spoken to during the inspection did not know what action they would take to safeguard children from suicidal ideation, substance misuse and sexual assault. The children continue to be at risk of ongoing harm due to staff not having the required skills or knowledge to respond effectively to safeguarding incidents to keep them safe.

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

The children frequently go missing from home, both together and alone. This has led to serious incidents occurring. This includes community damage, antisocial behaviour, underage sexual activity, possession of inappropriate materials, arson, tattoos, and substance misuse. Despite staff efforts to follow procedures, such as reporting to the police, searching for children, and on occasions discussing risks with the children, these interventions do not reduce the risks effectively.

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

When children go missing from home, they are not provided with the opportunity to speak to somebody independent of staff working at the home. This does not provide the children and staff with opportunities to identify triggers and review strategies to mitigate this risk. As a result, children remain at significant risk of harm.

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

A child made allegations in respect of some staff members’ relationships with each other. Leaders and managers did not recognise the seriousness of this and did not report the allegations in line with safeguarding and organisational procedures. This means potential safeguarding issues are not addressed.

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

There are significant shortfalls in safer recruitment practices. Suitability checks are not robust. The interim manager and responsible individual are working in the home without relevant police checks. References are not always obtained from previous employers or sufficient consideration given when staff have been dismissed in previous roles or if they have criminal convictions. Gaps in employment history are not explored and overseas checks are not always obtained. This means children are cared for by staff who may not be suitable and safe to do so.

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

Serious incidents are not consistently notified to Ofsted and the placing authority in a timely manner, or notified at all. This means that the regulator and placing authority do not have sufficient oversight and scrutiny of the management of safeguarding incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 5 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left the home. An interim manager is in post and has applied to register with Ofsted. A new responsible individual is in post.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management arrangements are poor. Management oversight of the care provided for children is ineffective. Leaders and managers do not have oversight of all incidents that have occurred. Therefore, leaders and managers cannot address any shortfalls in staff practice to improve the quality of care staff provide for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not maintain the home in accordance with the aims outlined in the home’s statement of purpose, policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records to show leaders and managers review processes, monitoring and auditing information were not available for the inspectors to review. This does not demonstrate that leaders and managers have identified shortfalls in practice. As a result, poor and inconsistent staff practice continues to go unaddressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The review report on the quality of care over the past six months has not been submitted to Ofsted and is considerably late. The previous review does not include clear, measurable targets and does not incorporate feedback from the child, professionals, family members or staff. This impacts on the leadership of the home as it does not support leaders and managers in their efforts to strengthen and develop the care that staff provide for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The external monitoring of the home is conducted by an independent person contracted through a consultancy agency. The responsible individual also works for the same consultancy agency as an independent person herself. This means there is no impartial or external scrutiny of the care and safety provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

One requirement raised at the last inspection has not been met and has been restated. One recommendation raised at the last inspection has not been met and has been raised as a requirement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 6 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 7 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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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; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(h)) 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 8 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d) (8))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service checks and overseas employment checks are conducted and remain current prior to employment. Satisfactory references must be obtained and gaps in employment history must be explained and explored. If a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verification and assessment of the Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 9 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

reason the employment or position ended must take place, supported by a clear rationale about the person’s suitability for the role.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 10 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all managers and staff understand and follow safeguarding and allegation management policies. 14 December 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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to— 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 11 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e)) 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person (“the independent person”) to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person—

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Requirement Due date

a person who has, or has had, a connection with—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person; 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 12 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

which the registered provider considers to give rise to doubts about that person’s impartiality (for the purposes of producing the independent person’s report – see regulation 44).

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must declare any actual or potential conflict of interest (whether of the type mentioned in paragraph (3) or otherwise) to the registered provider without delay and, if reasonably practicable, before conducting a visit to the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest in relation to the independent person before or during the independent person visiting the home (see regulation 44), the registered provider must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements to cancel the visit without delay; and

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Requirement Due date

appoint a different independent person to visit the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 43 (1) (3)(g)(i) (6) (7)(a)(b))

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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; 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 13 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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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 to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s PEPs are accessible to the staff to support children with their targets and provide opportunities for informal learning and the development of independence skills when the child is out of education.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is decorated and maintained to a good standard and that any broken items in the bathroom and children’s bedrooms are repaired or replaced, the backyard is clean and tidy and the walls in the utility room are decorated. 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 14 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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: 2801032 15 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Polar Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Halls House Farm, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool FY3 0DP

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Inspectors

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Karen Andrews, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2801032 16 SENSITIVE-RECIPIENTS ONLY

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Inspectors

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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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