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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 1 Registered provider: The Rubix Care Group 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

The home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and was spoken to by the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2830706 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, staff welcome them sensitively and with care. Staff visit the child beforehand to introduce themselves and begin building relationships early. They plan moves carefully with external professionals and take time to learn the child’s likes and dislikes. This approach helps the child settle quickly into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has positive relationships with staff and can identify adults they trust. They say they are happy living at the home and describe activities they enjoy with staff both inside and outside of the home. Staff speak about the child with genuine care and affection and the child presents as comfortable in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends an education provision that meets their needs. When they arrived at the home, they had a poor sleep routine that affected their ability to engage in education and activities. Staff worked hard to establish a consistent routine to prepare the child for starting school and continue to work closely with education professionals to ensure that the bespoke curriculum meets their needs. As a result, the child now attends school daily, engages well and is making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the child’s health needs are met. They follow clear plans with guidance to support their practice. Staff help the child to attend regular routine appointments and support them to develop healthy habits that they can sustain when they move on from the home. Staff recognise the importance of the child spending time with people who are important to them. They listen to the child’s views about family time and use creative methods to stay connected and maintain relationships. This supports the child’s sense of self and their identity.

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

The presenting risks for the child have significantly reduced since living at the home. Professionals previously had serious concerns about the child regularly going missing from home and the risks posed to them in the community. On the few occasions that the child has gone missing from the home, staff have been proactive and professionally curious in their efforts to locate and return the child safely. Staff follow clear safety plans with guidance to support their actions. As a result, risks continue to reduce and the child is becoming increasingly safe.

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

The child is developing their knowledge and understanding of risk. Staff complete regular direct work with the child to support this learning and understanding. They use meaningful research-based resources to help the child to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff use rewards, de-escalation techniques and distraction methods to encourage positive behaviour. The child is regularly consulted about rewards and incentives and is involved in developing their own goals to work towards. Practice is supported Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 3 by detailed written information about the child from their placing authority. There have been no instances of the child being physically held by staff.

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

Staff rarely use consequences. However, when they do, there is no evidence that the registered manager scrutinises them to evaluate their effectiveness and proportionality. For one consequence relating to free time, the registered manager did not complete a timely review. This lack of oversight means that the child may be deprived of their liberty unnecessarily or disproportionately. Effective recruitment procedures enable the careful selection and recruitment of staff. Monitoring of visitors to the home further ensures the protection of the child from potential harm.

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good

The registered manager does not maintain sufficient oversight of care practices at the home. His monitoring and auditing systems fail to identify the shortfalls raised, meaning they are not effective and embedded into practice. The manager acknowledges these shortfalls and expresses a commitment to addressing them.

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good

At the time of this inspection, there were no clear plans for the child to commemorate the upcoming anniversary of a loved one’s passing, despite this date being known since the child moved into the home. During the inspection, the registered manager and responsible individual took immediate action to address this shortfall, ensuring that plans are now in place.

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good

Staff complete a range of training including specific courses that meet the individual needs of the child. All staff are working towards achieving a qualification in residential care and several are new to the role. Staff are provided with regular supervision to discuss their care of the child. However, the registered manager does not ensure that shortfalls identified in staff practice are addressed and monitored through supervision.

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good

Shortfalls have been identified during the inspection in relation to the child’s records. There is inconsistency in the quality of record keeping and omissions in key information. For example, staff do not record checks completed on the child’s mobile phone. As a result, staff do not have the most up-to-date information when providing care and this represents a missed opportunity to reflect the child’s progress.

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good

Staff generally report that they feel supported and listened to by their manager and say that they enjoy coming to work. Several staff describe the manager as approachable and say that they can raise any concerns with him. One staff member commented, ‘He’s brilliant, I can’t sing his praises enough.’ However, another staff member reported feeling ‘thrown in at the deep end’ since starting their role. The registered manager acknowledges this shortfall and has plans in place to address it.

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good

The registered manager communicates well with partner agencies. Professionals report that communication is ‘really good’ and that they are kept well informed Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 4 about the child’s progress. The manager advocates effectively on the child’s behalf. One social worker said, ‘It’s brilliant. I don’t have any worries. [Staff] communicate with me if there are any worries and they advocate on [name of child’s] behalf.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within 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 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; and

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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)(c)(f)(h) 18 January

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships.

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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. (Regulation 11 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 18 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 6 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to commemorate anniversaries of important dates to promote their emotional needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

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

a description of the measure and its duration; and

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that consequences implemented are appropriately recorded and reviewed to evaluate their effectiveness and proportionality to the behaviour displayed. 18 January

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Information about this inspection

Inspector has 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: 2830706 7

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2830706 8 and inspects 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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