Children's Home run by The Rubix Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 1 Registered provider: The Rubix Care Group 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 owned and run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home, and the inspector spoke with them.

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Inspection date: 10 December 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 10 December 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2807447 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has positive relationships with staff who know them well and who provide consistent, supportive care. Staff speak about the child with care and affection. The child benefits from clear routines and structure and enjoys a range of activities with staff both inside and outside of the home. However, the child said that they would like staff to listen to them more, highlighting an area for improvement in how staff respond to the child’s views.

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Findings from the inspection

When barriers to the child attending education arise, the registered manager works with external agencies to identify solutions tailored to the child’s needs. Until recently, the child was attending education; however, following a significant incident in school, attendance has ceased. As an interim measure, the child completes educational work with staff, and the registered manager is arranging one-to-one tutoring while an appropriate alternative provision is sourced.

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Findings from the inspection

The child’s personal space reflects their individuality. However, maintenance issues remain across the home, which detracts from the overall environment. The registered manager has clear plans in place to address this shortfall.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff manage behavioural incidents effectively using de-escalation strategies that align with the child’s behaviour support plan. Staff use rewards and incentives to encourage positive behaviour. Staff talk to the child to help them understand appropriate behaviour. Consequences implemented are appropriate to the behaviour displayed. However, there is no evidence of scrutiny by the registered manager to evaluate the effectiveness of these consequences, which limits opportunities for learning and improvement.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been 6 occasions where the child has been physically held by staff. Oversight of these incidents by the registered manager is inconsistent, meaning it cannot be confirmed that the holds are safe, necessary and proportionate. This lack of scrutiny creates a risk that the child may be held by staff when it is not necessary to do so.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home. However, the registered manager has not reinforced procedures with staff to ensure that they are fully aware of their responsibilities should the child go missing from the home. This shortfall means that staff may not respond effectively in such circumstances. A previous requirement relating to this shortfall has therefore been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

Supervision is effective and of good quality. Staff discuss and reflect on their care of the child. Shortfalls in practice are raised in supervision and staff are given clear Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 3 guidance on the action required. This supports accountability and promotes better outcomes for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive a wide range of training to meet the child’s individual needs, and several staff are working towards achieving their qualification in residential childcare. However, one staff member has exceeded the regulatory timescale for completing their qualification. This shortfall means the home is not fully compliant with workforce requirements.

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Findings from the inspection

An independent person visits the home regularly. However, discussions with the child, their family members, staff and professionals are limited. This is a missed opportunity to independently gather the views of key people to support the development of the home and improve the quality of care provided to the child.

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Findings from the inspection

The child said that they do not know how to make a complaint. Discussions about how to make a complaint are recorded on the admission paperwork. However, complaint forms are not readily accessible in the home, so if the child wants to make a complaint confidentially, they are unable to do so.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager completes a review of the quality of care provided. However, feedback from the child and their family members is not included in the review. This is a missed opportunity to gain essential views to support improvement in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 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 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

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; 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that staff continue to make attempts to locate and contact children when they are missing from the home, for the duration until they return. 10 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 10 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 6 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(vii)

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that any measures of physical intervention are appropriately scrutinised to evaluate whether holds are safe, necessary and proportionate.

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 10 January 2026

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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; 10 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 7 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the views of children and other key people, including family members, professionals and staff, are included within the report.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must include clear actions to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment where maintenance repairs are completed as soon as practicably possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that children are aware of the complaints procedure and are reminded of this where necessary. Additionally, ensure that children feel listened to by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that all consequences implemented are appropriately recorded and subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair, necessary and proportionate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person consults

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Recommendations

regularly with children, families and other professionals and records the outcome in their report. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Rubix Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Cottam Lane Business Centre, Cottam Lane, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire PR2 1JR

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Inspector

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2807447 9 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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