Children's Home run by Northridge Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2834145 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a small private provider. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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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: 2834145 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and in keeping with a family home. The children have helped to personalise their bedrooms right from the start, with pictures and lights. Additionally, there are photos of the children taking part in a variety of activities displayed throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move into the home in a well planned and sensitive way. One professional commented on the excellent transitions for children. The manager produces a robust and detailed assessment on the suitability of each child moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a committed and dedicated team that provides them with stability. During the inspection, the inspector observed nurturing relationships between the staff and children. A key strength of the home is the trusting relationships that staff have built with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly encouraged by staff to express their wishes and feelings. This is done through daily conversations and weekly meetings. Additionally, staff actively encourage the children to take part in their reviews and meetings. The children are supported well by staff to pursue a range of hobbies and interests. Activities such as attending the gym, jujitsu, boxing and going to the cinema provide the children with good experiences. These memories are captured in each child’s ‘My Journey’ book.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children to spend time with their family. They support family visits and enable children to spend quality time with the people who are important to them. One parent spoke about how their child had made great progress in their communication and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. When there are concerns about the potential use of substances, vaping and non-attendance at health appointments, these are discussed with the children to help them understand the importance of staying healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is promoted. When there are difficulties, the manager and staff work with placing authorities to address these issues, and advocate for the children. Staff make good use of daily educational planners, which supplement each child’s daily education programme as they access the gym, museums and local supermarkets. Children are helped and supported to learn new skills to equip them for later life and independence, such as hygiene, washing and budgeting.

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

Safeguarding practices at the home are good. Staff understand the importance of reducing risks and demonstrate a sound safeguarding knowledge. Risk assessments are Inspection report for children’s home: 2834145 3 clear and identify all known risks, and are regularly reviewed and updated to provide staff with effective strategies to manage behaviours and risks.

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

Staff know what action to take when a child goes missing from the home or if there is a child protection issue. When one incident occurred, the manager ensured that appropriate action was taken and completed a lessons learned exercise with staff.

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

Children are supported to keep themselves safe online, and staff make good use of resources to help support children’s understanding of the risks. Room searches are carried out when necessary, and these are completed sensitively and recorded appropriately.

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

Fire safety is prioritised and regular drills and checks take place. Staff and managers ensure that each child takes part in a fire drill when they move into the home so that they understand the action they need to take in the event of a fire.

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

Children say that they feel safe and can identify trusted adults whom they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager who is passionate about his role. Staff benefit from strong leadership and are complimentary of the support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they work well together and enjoy working at the home. The manager continually sets high expectations for the staff to deliver good-quality care for the children living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training and development of staff are key strengths of the home. The manager is focused on ensuring that staff can meet the specific needs of the children in their care. The in-house specialist supports each child and has recently completed awareness sessions with staff to increase their knowledge around grief and loss.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings take place and are actively encouraged by the manager. The manager strives to upskill the staff by tasking them with delivering presentations at team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager often seeks out feedback from professionals, and the feedback is positive. They say that there is excellent communication and that the children have settled in well. One professional said, ‘The home has a homely feel and staff advocate well for the children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Electronic recording systems are robust. The manager has introduced new care- planning documents that are child centred. Children understand their plans and can contribute their views, wishes and feelings to their plans. One professional said, ‘The staff got [name of child] involved in their plan from the start.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2834145 4 Staff receive regular supervision and benefit from reflective practice to support their learning and development. The induction of new staff is robust and thorough, ensuring that they receive training focused on the care and individualised support needs of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes effective use of external monitoring systems that support the development and growth of the home. In addition, robust internal systems, including a detailed workforce development plan and quality improvement tool, enable him to maintain good oversight and to drive continuous improvements in children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2834145 5

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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: 2834145 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston, Lancashire PR1 3HP

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Inspector

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2834145 7 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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