Children's home run by Helm Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 1 Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private company. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025. The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. All were seen and provided with an opportunity to speak with the inspector.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection in April 2025. Due to concerns shared with Ofsted further assurance inspections took place on 16 September 2025 and 9 December 2025. These assurance inspections did not identify serious concerns. However, at the last inspection the requirements were reinstated and shortfalls under leadership and management led to a requirement under Regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the provider’s practice in response to further information that had been shared with Ofsted relating to potential shortfalls in promoting children’s safety and wellbeing. The findings of this visit highlight serious concerns and failings in safeguarding practice and insufficient management oversight of the care and protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not taken the appropriate action to ensure that children receive necessary medical attention and treatment. Children’s plans do not provide staff with the guidance to assist their understanding about seeking timely and appropriate medical care. This has left children with unmet health needs and at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 2 Staff have not effectively prevented children from misusing potentially hazardous items, placing them at risk of harm. Managers have not ensured that staff understand all actions available to them to reduce risks to the children. Shortfalls in staff practice, including the safe administration and storage of medication, have not been addressed by the manager. Lessons have not been learned, resulting in repeated significant incidents that affect children’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

The manager usually shares information with Ofsted. However, they have failed to share a significant incident, resulting in delay of independent oversight.

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This monitoring visit

Children have formed some trusted relationships with staff, helping them to share their worries and concerns. The therapeutic model of care is consistently used by staff and clinician advice is embedded in practice. However, the therapeutic approach has been maintained at the expense of effective safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

This was a focused monitoring visit. The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have not been reviewed and are therefore restated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 3 08/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/06/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 3 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 5 (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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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; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure clear records of investigation regarding staff practice and actions proposed. In addition, the registered person should ensure that there is effective and timely management oversight of incidents and that the actions that staff are required to carry out are in line with the children’s plans.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 6 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is

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Requirement Due date

authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff debriefs are consistently completed, and this is undertaken by an appropriate person.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and that all updated information regarding children’s care is shared in a timely manner with relevant parties. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 103, Group First House, 12A Meadway, Padiham BB12 7NG

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Inspectors

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector (lead) Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2750251 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 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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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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