Children's home run by Future Focused Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 1 Registered provider: Future Focused Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2023 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 07/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a warm, homely and welcoming environment. They have access to a personalised bedroom and a range of toys and games. Photos of the child spending time with their family are displayed in the living room, helping to create a sense of belonging. The child has also designed a ‘beach hut’ in the garden, which provides a relaxing space for them to enjoy with staff during the summer months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and speak about them fondly. They are passionate about the child’s future and have built trusting, positive relationships with them. Staff work closely with the child to agree age ‑ appropriate boundaries, which helps maintain structure and routine. The child has access to a mobile phone and games console, both of which are monitored sensitively by staff through agreed device checks to ensure their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child engages in education daily and is making progress in their studies. The manager advocates on their behalf to ensure that assessments are accurate and regularly reviewed, enabling their needs to be met effectively. Staff encourage the child’s ambitions and support their aspiration to study at university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for the child and encourage them to participate in a range of enriching experiences, such as holidays, go ‑ karting and mountain biking. These memories are captured in a personalised memory book. Time spent with family is sensitively supported, helping the child maintain and strengthen their family relationships and sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s physical health needs are recognised, and they are encouraged to attend healthcare appointments. Staff work closely with professionals to ensure that specialist support is available, including input from child and adolescent mental health services and play therapy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s voice is valued. They are involved in planning and preparing meals in the home and are rewarded for their contributions, helping them to develop and demonstrate their independence skills.

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

The child receives a high level of supervision from staff. However, effective risk management means that they are no longer subject to any restrictions on their liberty.

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

The child’s risk assessments are reviewed regularly, and learning from incidents informs their behavioural support strategies. Staff and the child benefit from debriefs with the manager following incidents, which enables the manager to review de-escalation techniques. This has contributed to a significant reduction in incidents requiring physical intervention. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 4 When incidents occur, managers take swift and appropriate action, and information is shared with multi-agency professionals to ensure that risk management strategies are collaborative.

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

Staff work with the child to create a child-friendly care plan and risk assessments that are strengths based and written in partnership with them. These plans help staff identify the focus of direct-work sessions, which cover key topics, such as internet safety, bullying, and thoughts and feelings. The child’s progress is reviewed in team meetings, and staff receive up-to-date information through daily handovers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is aspirational about children’s futures, and staff speak positively about her leadership. Staff report high morale, and they benefit from regular supervision. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on practice, planning for the child and personal development. Staff also receive regular appraisals that feature the views of children and other key stakeholders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff benefit from comprehensive training and induction, while those with more experience have been supported in securing their vocational qualifications in children’s residential care. Leaders ensure that agency staff are seldom used, and staff speak of their commitment to providing consistency of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that there are regular audits of practice, and key tasks are closely monitored. The manager carries out a review of the quality of care, but this does not always include an evaluation of safeguarding incidents or feedback from the child and parents. This is a missed opportunity to consider practice from the perspective of all key stakeholders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager responds to complaints made by the child, and they are taken seriously. This includes carrying out investigations in collaboration with the local authority designated officer, senior leaders and the child. In these circumstances, the manager has taken action to resolve inconsistencies in staff practice and ensure that staff refresh training where necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency partners speak highly of the communication shared by the manager. However, a parent said they have not always been kept updated about the home’s therapeutic offer. The manager recognises this as an area for ongoing development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place monthly, providing staff with opportunities to discuss current issues affecting children and to reflect on decision-making in the home. On two occasions, incidents were recorded in which information had been misinterpreted by staff. This led to changes in care planning that were not aligned with multi-agency agreements. A recommendation has been raised in relation to this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 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 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

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that the review of the quality of care includes the views of children and family members to help inform the strengths and any areas for improvement. 29 April 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with the child’s parents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as what Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 6 they have the authority to decide on their own. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: 2726531 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Crows Nest Business Park, Ashton Road, Billinge, Wigan, Lancashire WN5 7XX

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Inspector

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726531 8 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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