Children's home run by Northwest Youth Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 1 Registered provider: Northwest Youth Services 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 owned and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

One child is currently being cared for at this home. The child spoke with the inspector during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has strong and trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. Most of the staff have known the child for many years and understand them very well. The child said, ‘Nothing could make it better [at the home] because it is already the best.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff actively involve the child in decisions about their life and care. They seek the child’s view on their care plans and ensure that these plans are accessible. Staff support the child to create documents in preparation for their statutory reviews, enabling them to express their wishes and feelings. The child then shares these documents, so that their views are central to the discussion and help guide the decisions made about them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is spacious and well decorated. The manager has changed the home during the inspection period to match the child’s growing maturity and evolving needs and interests. The home features photos of the child’s loved ones and special memories shared with staff over the years. The child’s journey and achievements are celebrated with certificates and memorabilia displayed throughout the home, helping the child to feel valued, special and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has a suitable school placement and has made exceptional academic progress. They attend classroom learning every day without the need for staff support. Staff have helped the child explore their future ambitions and helped them to complete college applications. Staff are ambitious for the child and their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have a strong understanding the child’s health needs and provide effective, consistent support. They are proactive in securing the best possible resources for the child, including applying for grants to access specialist technology. Staff receive bespoke training tailored to the child’s individual needs. They also share relevant information with health professionals to ensure coordinated, well-informed and effective care for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are creative in helping the child learn skills for adult life. They have created a plan together with the home’s therapist, using words and ideas that motivate the child to engage. The plan is innovative and individualised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage the child to take part in social opportunities that are appropriate to the child’s age and interests. Staff and the therapist have worked closely to develop the child’s social skills, and the child has made significant progress. The child now attends football and youth clubs without staff support. The child has completed the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and received a Young Citizen Award for their volunteering at a local foodbank. The child is engaging well in their community, building friendships and developing a strong sense of identity and achievement.

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

Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 4 Risks for the child have significantly reduced. The child was subject to a deprivation of liberty order for a significant period, but this order has now lapsed and is no longer required. Staff talked with the child about the end of the order so they were prepared and understood that they would continue to receive the same level of care and attention. Discussions with the child were handled sensitively and helped the child feel safe and secure.

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

Staff understand the risks to the child and know how to keep them safe. The risk assessments are clear and up to date. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s history, behaviour and how to safely support the child. The risk assessments contain proactive and reactive strategies for staff to follow.

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

Staff help the child to learn about risks, for example grooming, online safety and healthy relationships. This work is repeated and natural opportunities are used to reinforce key messages. The child has developed their ability to recognise and respond to risks safely.

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

The therapist has worked with the child and staff for many years. The manager and staff use this therapeutic support to build a clear and accurate understanding of the child’s needs and behaviour. During the inspection period, the provider brought therapeutic services in-house to ensure the same therapist could continue their work. This consistency has helped the child make significant progress in managing their emotions, which has allowed them to access their education, social opportunities and build stronger relationships.

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

Staff know and understand the whistleblowing process and have used it when required. On the one occasion it was used, the manager took immediate action to keep the child safe and emotionally secure. The manager and senior leaders carried out a prompt and thorough investigation and identified clear learning. The plans put into place are robust and focus on staff development and the wellbeing of the child.

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

The child does not go missing from the home. The child has an individual missing-from- care plan that meets their needs and staff know the plan. This helps ensure safe and consistent support.

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

Staff rarely need to hold the child to keep them safe. When staff have held the child, this has been proportionate to the level of risk. The manager has prompt oversight of every hold and makes sure the child has the opportunity to share their views. The manager and staff recognised that their previous training did not fully meet the child’s needs, so they sought an alternative training programme to better support them. This demonstrates a purposeful and committed approach to the child’s safety.

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

Staff rarely use formal consequences. Instead, they support the child through education, guidance and the strong relationships they have built. When consequences are used, they are fair, proportionate and directly linked to the child’s behaviour. As a result, the child is learning to make positive choices. Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 5 Staff are safely recruited, ensuring the child receives consistent and trustworthy care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has known the child for a significant period and has been part of their care team since the child first came to the provider. The manager has an extremely positive relationship with the child, who seeks the manager out when they need to feel safe. The manager models caring, empathetic and sensitive practice for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and senior leaders. They feel able to share their views, and these views are taken on board. Staff are motivated to come to the home and provide the best possible care to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides a wide range of good ‑ quality training that supports staff to meet the child’s needs. They also source training that reflects the child’s emerging needs, including areas such as screen time, teenage development and positive risk ‑ taking. As a result, staff are well prepared to provide effective and informed care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision. Supervision is reflective and focused on staff development. Staff are encouraged to contribute ideas to improve the service. Their ideas are creative and senior leaders take them forward. The manager closely monitors performance and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several staff are beyond the expected timescale for completing their diploma in residential childcare. The manager has sought alternative training provision to support staff to achieve this qualification. Supervisors track each person’s progress and provide support to help them complete their work. However, this remains a breach of regulation, and a requirement has been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff participate in regular team meetings, which include the therapist. These meetings give staff time to jointly reflect on their practice and think how to best meet the needs of the child. Staff develop effective strategies that provide the child with a predictable environment and consistent boundaries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have excellent relationships with other professionals. They challenge other agencies when they feel this is in the child’s best interests, while maintaining effective co-working. One professional said, ‘We have had disagreements at times… but we have always managed to find a way forward, with [the child] at the centre of our problem-solving.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly reviews the quality of care in the home. They seek feedback from stakeholders and use this and other information to create a plan to improve the service. However, the manager has not sent this report to Ofsted in a timely way. This prevents the regulator from having effective oversight of the service. A requirement has been made. Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 6 There are no arrangements for the responsible individual to receive induction or supervision. This does not support senior leaders to develop in their role. A requirement has been made in relation to this. Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 7

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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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 30 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 27 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 8 undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that all senior leaders with oversight of the home have induction, supervision, appraisals and develop professionally.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (3) (4)(a)) 28 July 2026

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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 for 2764295 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northwest Youth Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Frazer Waite Desmier, Peine House, 1 Hind Hill Street, Heywood OL10 1JZ

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home for 2764295 10 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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