Children's Home run by Lighthouse Collaborative Care Limited in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 1 Registered provider: Lighthouse Collaborative Care 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

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 17 September 2025. The registered manager post has been vacant since November 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 spoke briefly with 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 requires improvement to be 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 is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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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: 2847720 2

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improvement to be good

The child moved into the home on 16 October 2025 and settled in quickly. They have positive relationships with the staff who support and care for them. The social worker said, ‘This is the most settled that they have ever been. They have realised that the staff care about them and have lovely relationships with the staff.’

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improvement to be good

The child is not currently receiving any formal education. However, they have completed life skills training with the staff and are looking forward to starting a new school in early January 2026. The child has recently turned sixteen and is now an eligible care leaver. Consequently, they will require a pathway plan to secure their readiness for independent living.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s health needs by ensuring that they have access to the health services they require, when they need them. This includes access to therapy to support their emotional well-being. The child missed their last annual health assessment and now requires a new assessment to support their positive health.

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improvement to be good

Medical consent is in place to ensure that staff are familiar with the health decisions that are delegated to them. Staff ensure that medication is safely and securely stored at the home. However, there have been two near-miss incidents in which staff almost administered the wrong medication to the child. On both occasions, the error was identified and corrected and no harm came to the child. Staff have since refreshed their medication training and medication procedures have been revised. However, increased scrutiny of medication practices is needed from leaders and managers to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child’s interests and hobbies. However, the child is sometimes reluctant to engage in activities and requires additional support and encouragement to cope with new social situations.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the child benefits from a physically safe, appropriately secure, comfortable and homely living environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively by staff.

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improvement to be good

The child’s needs and specific vulnerabilities are well known and understood by staff. Detailed risk management plans are in place to protect the child from harm. However, on one occasion, the child inappropriately accessed their mobile phone unsupervised because staff did not follow the agreed plans. In addition, an allegation has been made regarding a staff’s members unsafe working practice. Both matters Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 3 are currently under investigation and the staff member concerned has been suspended. While both matters have been reported to the appropriate authorities, including the local authorities designated officer, a notification was not made to Ofsted in relation to one of these incidents.

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improvement to be good

The child is currently subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOL’S) order which is in place to safeguard them and is due to expire in January 2026. The order requires the child to be supervised by two staff members to ensure their safety. The child has made good progress with a marked reduction in previous unsafe behaviours.

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improvement to be good

There has been one missing from home incident which staff responded to proactively by securing the child’s safe and prompt return home.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention is rare and is only ever used to protect the child from harm. There have been no concerns relating to substance misuse or exploitation. The use of consequences to address unwanted behaviours is kept to an absolute minimum. When consequences have been used, they are fair, balanced and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

Staff consistently praise and reinforce positive behaviour. Staff are nurturing, supportive and caring in their approach. The social worker said, ‘I am very happy with the way the staff are supporting her. She has shared with me, that’s it’s the best home she has lived in. The staff genuinely show her a lot of love, kindness and support.’

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good

This is the homes first inspection since registration in September 2025. The registered manager post has been vacant since November 2025. There are also four staff vacancies.

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good

Agency staff have been used on occasion to cover shortfalls in the staff rota. Once a full staff team is recruited, this is expected to remove the need for continued use of agency workers, providing greater consistency and stability for children. The provider has ensured that all vacant staff posts are advertised.

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good

The responsible individual has since stepped into the registered manager’s role on a temporary basis to ensure effective day-to-day management oversight of the care provided for children. This has been of a great benefit to the staff team who report feeling well supported. Staff said, ‘We have had solid support from the responsible individual’ and ‘I feel massively supported.’

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good

The responsible individual is supportive of staff’s practice and channels their efforts effectively. They have high aspirations for the child and help to stimulate staff’s enthusiasm. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and receive practice-related Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 4 supervision sessions, which supports them to reflect on their performance and provide opportunities for professional reflection. Staff also benefit from good quality training that helps them meet the specific needs of children.

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good

The responsible individual is currently sourcing additional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) training for the team, identified as a learning need. Staff said, ‘The high level of training provided has been informative and interesting.’ However, risks associated with the location of the home and the training needs of the staff team have not been fully considered when reviewing children’s referrals.

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good

Leaders and managers make good use of the home’s external and independent monitoring activities to identify strengths and weaknesses in the care provided. This enables them to address any shortfalls and drive continuous improvement.

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good

Staff are recruited and vetted carefully to ensure that children are protected from unsuitable individuals. Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 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

that staff 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff’s understanding and implementation of each individual child’s risk assessment and their role in keeping children safe, particularly, with regards to the risks of exploitation and adherence to safe working practice. 19 January

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 19 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 6 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that medication is stored and administered safely. In addition, regular and thorough medication checks should be conducted with improved management oversight.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home

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Requirement Due date

if the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 19 January

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced staff are employed to negate the need for the use of agency staff. 19 January

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 19 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii) and (e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the child has a pathway plan and annual health needs assessment completed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 21, paragraph 4.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff are trained to meet the specific needs of children. This relates specifically to staff training on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should consider the location of the home and the training need of the staff team when considering future referrals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph, 15.1)

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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: 2847720 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lighthouse Collaborative Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 St. Asaphs Drive, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 8UB

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2847720 9 regulates 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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