Children's Home run by GS Social Care Solutions Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 1 Registered provider: GS Social Care Solutions 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 managed by a private company. It provides care for up to 6 children who may have a learning disability and/or physical disability. At the time of the inspection 5 children were living in the home. Inspectors spoke with or observed all the children.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 2 November 2022.

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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: 13 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2024 Full Outstanding 02/01/2024 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 16/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with staff who understand their communication styles well. Children and staff play games and engage in shared activities. This promotes a calm and supportive atmosphere, and children’s needs are understood and responded to effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. There is strong multi-agency coordination, ensuring that children receive timely health and educational support. Staff have high aspirations for the children in their care and speak positively and knowledgeably about their progress. An education professional said, ‘The staff have made [child’s name] feel welcomed and important, [they are] now a different child, who is thriving.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care for children with complex medical requirements and implement clear protocols, including well-structured processes for when hospital admission is necessary. They advocate effectively on children’s behalf, ensuring that their care remains safe and responsive. This proactive approach contributes to children’s health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some statutory records, including elements of children’s paperwork such as education and healthcare plans, are out of date. This limits staff’s ability to base risk assessments and care on the most current information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Aspects of the physical environment need to be improved. Some of the furniture is worn and wallpaper in the lounge is torn. Some of the paintwork is chipped or has scuff marks

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

Staff have effective arrangements in place to promote children’s safety and wellbeing. Systems for dispensing medication are well organised, with clear procedures for storage, administration and responding to any errors. Staff understand the individual risks for each child and use appropriate strategies to minimise them.

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

Safeguarding knowledge across the team is sound, and staff report feeling well supported by managers. Recruitment practice is well organised. All gaps in employment histories are explored, and references are obtained as part of safer recruitment procedures. This helps to ensure that only suitable staff care for the children.

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

Physical intervention is used only when necessary to protect children. Managers review incidents, but oversight is not consistently robust. Evaluation of the effectiveness of measures used, accuracy of records, and follow-up action are not always well documented. Recording lacks detail at times, including duration of measures and the views of staff and children. Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are strong advocates for children and demonstrate a clear commitment to improving outcomes for them. They work constructively with parents, health professionals and local authorities. This helps to ensure that children’s needs are prioritised and met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are well supported by leaders and benefit from regular supervision. Annual appraisals are meaningful and incorporate feedback from external professionals. Staff report that they feel valued, confident and able to raise concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training provision is strong. Staff receive extensive training relevant to the complex health needs of the children, and compliance with required courses is high. Team meetings are regular and inclusive, with additional nighttime meetings put in place to ensure that staff who work during the night can attend. These provide a good forum for reflective practice and information sharing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a relatively high turnover in staff. Managers have not identified any clear themes to staff leaving and a long-standing core team provides stability and familiarity for children. Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 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, 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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to the use of restraint. Leaders and managers must ensure that they review the effectiveness of the restraint use and that both children and staff are given the opportunity to discuss the restraint and any lessons learned afterwards. 16 April 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to experience living in a home that is homely comfortable and that the decor is clean and refreshed. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1271222 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: GS Social Care Solutions Limited

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, social care inspector Samantha Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1271222 7 regulates 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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