Children's Home run by Brinscall Care (GM) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2812492 1 Registered provider: Brinscall Care (GM) Limited 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 provides care for up to 3 children who may experience emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, only one child was living in the home. The inspectors spoke to the child during the inspection.

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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 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: 2812492 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good health. Their health needs, including their oral, physical and mental health needs, are identified and addressed. They have access to local health services, including dentists, opticians and mental health support. Staff develop effective relationships with health professionals to promote the child’s good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and out of the home are well planned and take place at a pace that reflects each child’s individual needs. Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively, helping them to settle and feel safe. When children move into the home in an emergency, staff take all reasonable steps to reduce children’s anxieties and prepare them as much as possible for the move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On one occasion, a child was supported by their mum during the transition into the home. This shared experience helped to reduce the child’s anxiety and contributed to a more positive and reassuring start to their time living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Specialist help is available for children according to their individual needs. The help is available as soon as it is needed, at the intensity required and for as long as it is required. The child can access external therapeutic support to help them to manage their emotional and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Any specific type or model of care delivered or commissioned by the home is provided by staff who are mostly suitably trained, experienced, qualified and supervised. However, not all staff are aware of the model of care. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that all staff provide a consistent approach to behaviour management.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide appropriate support to help children access education, and they encourage engagement in both formal and informal learning opportunities. However, the child has not experienced a consistent level of informal education during periods when they are not in full-time schooling. This lack of structure does not sufficiently promote their educational progress or prepare them for a successful return to full-time, formal education.

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

Children can identify a trusted member of staff they can talk to about any concerns. They report that staff listen to them, take their concerns seriously and respond appropriately.

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

Any risks associated with children self-harming or going missing from home are understood and responded to by the staff who look after them. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed to respond to any emerging or increasing levels of need. All staff sign Inspection report for children’s home: 2812492 3 and review risk assessments regularly to ensure they receive the most up-to-date information to support children.

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

There are plans and help in place to reduce actual harm or the risk of harm, and there is evidence that these risks are reducing based on children’s individual circumstances. One child struggled with their emotional health and required intensive support. The staff were able to help reduce the level of need in coordination with health colleagues.

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

Children who go missing from home experience well-coordinated responses that reduce actual harm or risk of harm to them. There is a clear plan of urgent action in place to protect children and to reduce further harm or the risk of harm. Staff understand the risks.

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

Staff manage incidents well. Incidents are reviewed by staff. This helps to develop good caring and safeguarding practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from effective and efficient leadership provided by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. Their oversight ensures that day- to-day operations run smoothly and that children’s needs remain central to practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use learning from practice and feedback to improve the experiences and care of children, including direct feedback from children in the form of direct work and discussions. Parents and the social worker all said that the staff are effective at communicating the children’s needs to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that plans for individual children comprehensively identify their needs. Plans include the local authority care plan for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Positive behaviour is promoted. Staff mostly use effective de-escalation techniques and creative alternative strategies that are specific to the needs of each child and planned in consultation with them. However, on two occasions, the police have been required to visit to help manage behaviour. This leaves children at risk of being criminalised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812492 4

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff have the skills and experience to manage children’s behaviour so as to avoid using the police to help manage the children’s behaviours. 24 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2812492 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are trained in the home’s model of care to enable them to provide consistent therapeutic care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)  The registered person should ensure that staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 28, paragraph 5.14)

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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: 2812492 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care (GM) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 172 Willows Lane, Bolton BL3 4BU

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Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Catherine Chrystal-Clarke

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Inspectors

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Joy Viles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2812492 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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