Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 1 SC411046 Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider and offers care for up to four disabled children.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024. This manager also manages another setting.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in September 2025. Compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 6 (the quality and purpose of care standard), regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the responsible individual and the registered manager have demonstrated a renewed focus on the quality of care experienced by children and the effectiveness of leadership and management in driving the required improvements. There is a clear understanding of the shortfalls identified at the last inspection, and leaders and managers are working to address these.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented a range of practice improvements to support children’s communication. These provide the children, who are both Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 2 nonverbal, with increased opportunities to communicate with staff. Staff have received training to increase their understanding of children’s communication needs.

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This monitoring visit

Children are beginning to benefit from an improved focus on, and understanding of, their communication needs. Due to children being cared for by an inexperienced and inconsistent staff team, there needs to be a continued focus on the quality of practice to ensure that it is embedded across the whole staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Both children now have detailed, personalised care plans that include clear information about their communication needs. Staff and children now have access to resources to promote communication. These have started to be used in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented purposeful regular one-to-one time with staff and children. These sessions link with the child’s agreed care plan and contribute to them making progress in line with their goals. The quality of these records and the evaluation and reflection from staff about the impact of this work are variable. The registered manager is aware that more work needs to be done to improve the quality of practice in this area.

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This monitoring visit

For a child who is at risk of self-injurious behaviours, there are increased safeguards in place through a revised written protocol to guide staff practice. Staff have received this information during team meetings and individual supervision sessions.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, no significant incidents have necessitated the revision of risk management plans. The registered manager now has good oversight of the risk assessments and plans to ensure that they continue to reflect children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have demonstrated a renewed focus on ensuring that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. These have been discussed in team meetings and one-to-one supervision sessions. Changes to staffing and use of non- core staff mean that this needs to be continually communicated across several different staff to ensure that this understanding is embedded across the full staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Children continue to experience a lack of consistency in staffing due to the ongoing reliance on agency staff and staff working across all three of the provider’s homes.

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This monitoring visit

Infrequent supervision sessions and the inability of all staff to attend team meetings mean that some staff have few regular formal opportunities to receive support and guidance. However, the registered manager is now working at weekends to give herself more opportunities to observe and guide staff practice with children.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, a case review took place where it was agreed that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices issued under regulations Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 3 6, 12 and 13. A requirement remains in place in relation to regulation 13. This is no longer subject to a compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2025 Full Inadequate 04/03/2025 Full Good 20/03/2024 Full Good 23/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 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 with the given timescales.

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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’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 10 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 6 The registered person must ensure that children receive consistent care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff, including agency staff, receive regular supervision sessions that allow them to reflect on their practice. Records of supervision sessions should be made and retained. The registered person must ensure that all staff have individual appraisals once a year.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have individual annual appraisals of their performance.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 10 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(c)(d)) 10 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 7 The registered person must ensure that all children’s files contain, as a minimum, those documents listed in Schedule 3 and all other relevant documents.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the staff roster records the full names of all staff, including agency staff, working at the home. 10 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must follow the local authority process to escalate their requests when they do not have the current plans for the child. Specifically, the education, health and care plans, review meeting minutes and local authority health assessments.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 10 January 2026

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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. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is sent to Ofsted when changes in staffing occur.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 10 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with play equipment in the home and garden that meets their sensory needs. Children should be consulted and involved in choosing this equipment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shona Wands Alderson

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC411046 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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