Children's Home run by Prospera Group Ltd in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 1 Registered provider: Prospera Group Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in November 2024 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was undertaken in response to concerns about the safety and welfare of children and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Leadership and management arrangements are ineffective.

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff lack the skills, knowledge and support from managers to meet the needs of children safely.

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Findings from the inspection

 Risk assessments are not routinely reviewed or revised in response to significant incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour involving police intervention. These include a serious incident where children were seen with a weapon in the community. Significant incidents in the home include one child barricading a peer in a room in the home, and children spending a night in a child’s bedroom without permission or staff awareness. These incidents demonstrate that managers and staff are unable to minimise risks or de-escalate situations effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments are not routinely reviewed or revised in response to significant incidents. Managers and staff have failed to consider and implement effective strategies to reduce risk.

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Findings from the inspection

The leadership and management of the home lacks consistency. The registered manager’s presence is unclear, leading to uncertainty among staff regarding the availability of guidance and support. Records evidence challenges in accessing timely direction when incidents are taking place.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not receive regular, reflective supervision from suitably trained managers. There is minimal evidence of reflective practice or ongoing learning within the team.

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Findings from the inspection

Rotas do not accurately reflect the staff working in the home. They do not include the presence of the registered manager or deputy manager. This results in a lack of clarity about which staff are responsible for the care of children. Records do not demonstrate that the manager has day-to-day oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Having considered the serious shortfalls found at the full inspection, Ofsted has issued a restriction notice to the provider of the children’s home. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/04/2025 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons 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

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

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

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments accurately detail current risks and are updated to reflect any changes. Risk assessments must set out the specific actions for staff to take to mitigate or respond to risks. 23 November Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 5 Training bespoke to children’s needs and risks must be undertaken by the manager and staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that they are aware of any risks associated with children’s peer groups.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that they have measures in place to check all areas of the home, including children’s bedrooms, so that other children are not in the home without staff being aware.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that rotas include all staff working in the home at all times.

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Requirement Due date

In the event that a door alarm is required in line with a child’s risk assessment, the registered person must ensure that the alarm is in full working order.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are systems in place for consistent, effective leadership and management in the home. Ensure that there is management presence in the home and rotas accurately reflect the time that the manager spends in the home. 23 November Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 6 The registered person must ensure that there are effective on-call arrangements for staff at all times.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are systems in place for management oversight to effectively review practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all those supervising staff have had the relevant training.

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Requirement Due date

Staff should receive regular, reflective supervision that supports their practice.

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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;

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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; 29 December Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 7 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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that managers and staff advocate for children to receive education.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children have clear structure and routine. Children must have opportunities to learn and activities must be in place to help them prepare for returning to education or employment.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 29 December Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 8 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that assessments of children's suitability to live together are carefully considered alongside the staff’s skills, experience and ability to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home's records (except for a child's case records, unless the child and the child's placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children's bedrooms are routinely inspected by the independent person.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 29 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 29 December

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Langholme, Longsight Road, Langho, Blackburn BB6 8AD

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Inspectors

Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2794450 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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