Children's Home run by Helm Care Services Ltd in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 1 Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in May 2022. The previous registered manager left in September 2025. An interim manager was appointed in November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Inspection date: 8 January 2026

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: 2677619 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

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the management and staff team. There is an interim manager in post. They are supported by a knowledgeable deputy manager. One staff member said, ‘Interim managers are the best I have had since I have been here.’

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Findings from the inspection

The home is nicely decorated. The child has personalised their bedroom, including photos of friends and family, and signed football shirts are proudly displayed. The child’s cat lives in the home. This supports the child to have a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home, and one child has moved into the home. The child living in the home has developed trusting relationships with staff. The manager and staff are working closely to provide stability and consistency for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have a thorough understanding of the child’s experiences, which helps them to tailor their practice to meet the child’s individual needs. The child’s risk assessment is regularly updated and reviewed and includes all relevant information. One social worker said, ‘Staff have a good understanding of [name of child’s] risks and they are kept under review.’

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Findings from the inspection

Staff communicate regularly with the child about any concerns and risks, which helps the child to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been incidents of the child going missing from home. When the child goes missing, staff are quick to respond. Staff have a good understanding of the missing-from-home procedure. However, the child has not always had an independent return home interview. This is a missed opportunity to support the child and try to reduce the risk of further incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

The child living in the home is in full-time education. There is good communication with the education provider, which promotes learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support the relationships between the child and their family. Staff work alongside family members and other services to ensure that the time the child spends with family is safe. One social worker said, ‘Family time is promoted.’ This provides the child with a support network to safely maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff feel well supported and are more confident in supporting the child who lives at the home. Staff receive regular supervision. One member of staff said, ‘I get the right level of support.’ Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 3 There are gaps in leaders and managers’ overall monitoring and review systems. The manager could not locate all requested information. This does not support the manager to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has completed a six-monthly quality of care review. However, the report does not include feedback from children, parents, staff, and local authorities. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to fully evaluate the care provided to children.

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Findings from the inspection

The statement of purpose is regularly updated. However, updates have not always been sent to Ofsted. This does not ensure the regulator has full oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have responded to previous requirements and made improvements since the previous inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 14/06/2023 Full Good 12/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are monitoring and review systems in place, so that leaders and managers have effective oversight of incidents and can access all information.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that monitoring and review systems ensure shortfalls are identified and actioned in a timely manner. 23 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 23 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 6 seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that arrangements are in place for missing from home interviews to be completed within 72 hours.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have a system in place that allows them to monitor the matters set out in regulation 45 specifically relating to the opinions of the child, parents, placing authorities and staff. 23 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 23 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 7 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when any changes are made to the statement of purpose an updated version is sent to HMCI within 28 days of the revision. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd

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Registered provider address:

Responsible individual: Rachel Greenwood

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Inspector

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2677619 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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