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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

No children have lived at the home since the last inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

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.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: A full inspection was undertaken on 4 and 5 August 2025. During the inspection, inspectors identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

p.1

good

Following the full inspection, Ofsted made the decision to suspend the accommodation at the children’s home under section 14A of the Care Standards Act Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 2 2000 with immediate effect. A monitoring visit took place on 23 October 2025 to review the suspension of accommodation. The inspector found that the provider had complied with the suspension. A case review was held on 24 October 2025 and Ofsted made the decision to end the period of suspension. Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/08/2025 Full Inadequate 21/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 4

p.3

improvement to be good

The home environment is welcoming and well prepared for children to move in. The home has been redecorated throughout, creating a warm and homely atmosphere. Bedrooms are thoughtfully decorated and fully set up ready for children to move in and make their own. Staff have also prepared welcome baskets, to help children feel valued and supported on arrival.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff are motivated and eager to welcome children into the home and are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for both children and the staff team. However, the impact of the recent improvements has not yet been tested, as no children have lived at the home since the last inspection.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff now demonstrate a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in responding to safeguarding concerns. Staff confidently describe the actions they would take across a range of safeguarding scenarios they may face when caring for children. Clear and accessible flowcharts are in place to guide staff on the steps to take when concerns arise. However, the impact of these improvements is untested, as no children have lived at the home since the last inspection. A previous requirement raised relating to this issue has been restated.

p.4

improvement to be good

New fire safety measures have been implemented to improve safety within the home. This includes the installation of automatic door-closing mechanisms on all ground floor doors, which activate in the event of a fire.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has remained in post and demonstrated a clear commitment to improving the home since the last inspection. She has completed a comprehensive review of the previously identified shortfalls, including a detailed examination of all safeguarding incidents. This review provides an honest reflective account of where practice, including her own, did not meet the expected standards.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified recurring themes and patterns and used these to determine staff development needs. She has taken appropriate action to address these areas through additional training and structured workshops for all staff. The registered manager has a clear vision for the future of the service and is motivated to create a safe nurturing environment to welcome children into the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new responsible individual has been appointed and is providing quality support to the registered manager. As a result, the registered manager now receives regular, good quality supervision and oversight from senior Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 5 leaders. In addition, a new system has been implemented to ensure continuity of management and oversight in the event of the registered manager being absent.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in place who are committed to welcoming children into the home and providing safe, high-quality care. Staff have completed a range of extensive training and workshops in key aspects of safeguarding practice. They have also worked alongside experienced staff in other homes within the organisation to further develop their knowledge and skills. Staff practice has been observed and feedback provided to the registered manager. In addition, the manager reviews incidents involving staff when they are working in other homes and holds reflective de-briefs with these staff members.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures there is meaningful reflection on practice which helps to identify learning and development needs. This strengthens the registered manager’s oversight of staff practice and provides assurance of staff’s competence in fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager further tests staff’s understanding of safeguarding through practice-based scenarios and quizzes during regular good quality supervision. Staff also attend reflective sessions, which supports them to consider what has worked well in practice and to identify any areas for improvement. This approach promotes ongoing learning and strengthens staff confidence in responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New systems have been introduced to strengthen management oversight. The registered manager and responsible individual now both have oversight of all safeguarding incidents. They review and evaluate each incident to assess the effectiveness of staff practice and to identify any learning or development needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new pre-admission risk assessment process has been introduced. This includes additional prompts for the registered manager to consider all factors when evaluating the appropriateness of new children moving into the home. This strengthens decision ‑ making and helps to ensure that children’s needs can be safely and appropriately met from the point of admission.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported by leaders and managers. Leaders and managers have listened and responded to staff concerns about feeling unsupported and have introduced measures to strengthen staff support. Staff now describe the manager as ‘brilliant’ and say that she is approachable and available for advice and guidance when needed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager responds appropriately to whistleblowing concerns. When concerns are raised about practice outside of the home, the registered manager takes effective action to address the concerns and ensures that any safeguarding matters are escalated appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 6 One staff member has exceeded the regulatory timescale for completing the relevant qualification. As a result, the home is not fully compliant with workforce requirements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 7

p.5

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.7

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.7

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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 15 February

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 15 February Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 8 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 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

p.7

Information about this inspection

The 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: 2774125 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2774125 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10