Children's Home run by Outbound Care in Blackpool

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 1 Registered provider: Outbound Care

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. The inspector spoke to the child about their experiences of living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Inspection date: 12 March 2026

Date of last inspection: 11 November 2025

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Inspection date: 12 March 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 12 March 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: 2523036 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

Due to insufficient staffing levels, no children have lived at the home since the last inspection until January 2026. Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures and ensure that the home is adequately staffed before considering moves into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have reviewed the admission processes for children moving into the home. This ensures that they obtain all relevant information about each child and carefully consider their needs in relation to staff’s skills and training. This ensures that staff are equipped to meet the needs of the children moving into the home. However, children’s placement plans and agreements are not always signed on admission.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff meet with children before they move into the home, and children and their families are offered the opportunity to visit beforehand. This helps children build familiarity with the home and staff before moving in and promotes positive working relationships with their families.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is settling into the home and is beginning to build positive, trusting relationships with the staff team. The child said they get along with staff and feel comfortable talking to them.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is well presented and homely. The living room and bathroom have been refurbished. Staff help the child maintain a clear, clean space and organise their belongings, and there are plans in place to personalise their bedroom.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager ensures that staff receive training that is specific to the individual needs of the child, including self-harm, substance misuse, neurodiversity, and child criminal and sexual exploitation. This ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills required to support the child effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the risks to the child. Risk assessments provide strategies to help staff manage, prevent, and reduce risk. However, risk assessments do not provide an accurate and up-to-date reflection of the child’s current risks and vulnerabilities and fail to identify specific protocols for staff to follow in crisis situations. Staff understand how to respond to keep children safe; however, the lack of guidance in risk assessments could potentially affect consistency in their approach.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff respond effectively to missing-from-home episodes. They make every effort to locate the child and encourage their safe return. The child is welcomed when they return to the home, and staff ensure that they are safe and well. Staff adapt their approach to missing-from-home episodes dependent on whether the child is missing Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 3 locally or in their hometown. However, missing-from-home protocols do not specify the procedures to follow when a child is missing in their hometown. This does not ensure consistency in responses to missing-from-home episodes.

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Findings from the inspection

Following incidents, staff carry out direct work with the child to help them understand risks and how to stay safe. However, staff do not always use professional curiosity to gather additional information about risks to the child or their associates. As a result, opportunities to promptly identify emerging risks may be missed.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager works effectively with the child’s wider professional network. Meetings are routinely arranged following concerns. The manager and staff work with specialist agencies and professionals to ensure that the child receives support for issues such as mental health, substance misuse and child criminal and sexual exploitation. This collaborative approach helps to implement robust safety plans and ensures that the child receives the right support from the most appropriate services.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has not raised any complaints about their care but knows how to do so. The manager has established clear processes to promptly and appropriately address complaints.

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Findings from the inspection

Regular team meetings take place. The manager holds additional meetings when staff are unable to attend. Meetings serve to ensure that staff meet the home’s standards, are fully aware of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and responsibilities, and are prepared for new admissions. This ensures that staff are well informed and promotes collaborative working.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has adequate monitoring systems in place to ensure that the home is compliant with regulations.

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Findings from the inspection

Two recommendations and all but one requirement raised at the last inspection have been met. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2025 Full Good 12/09/2023 Full Good 15/06/2022 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments provide an accurate and up-to-date reflection of children’s risks and vulnerabilities, as well as the strategies in place to support them. Staff must understand what they need to do to keep children safe. In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that staff use professional curiosity following incidents to gather all relevant information and all incidents are recorded in the correct place.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 23 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 23 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 6 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that statutory care plans are in place for all children living at the home. The plans must contain relevant information and be signed and dated by relevant professionals on the date of admission. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Renée Sims, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 8 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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