Children's Home run by Polar Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 1 Registered provider: Polar Childcare Limited

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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 operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in August 2024. The registered manager post has been vacant since September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 28 and 29 October 2025. Due to the serious and widespread safeguarding failures and poor leadership and management of the home, Ofsted issued a notice to suspend the registration of the home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice and the actions taken to address the shortfalls identified. The provider has complied with the suspension notice, and no children have moved into the home. The provider has also taken action to address the shortfalls outlined in the notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, there have been further changes in the management of the home. The previous interim manager had applied to register with Ofsted. However, they are no longer working in the home. There is another new manager in post. This manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and the responsible individual have worked through an action plan to address the shortfalls outlined in the suspension notice, including recruiting a new staff team. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 2 The responsible individual and previous interim manager have safely recruited suitable, experienced and mostly qualified staff to work in the home. This ensures that the adults caring for children are safe to do so.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and responsible individual have ensured that the staff have the knowledge and skills to safely care for children. They have provided the new team with a thorough induction and training programme. Staff have completed training in safeguarding practices including physical intervention, first aid, fire safety, professional boundaries and whistleblowing, and on the role of the designated safeguarding lead.

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This monitoring visit

In a team meeting led by the new manager, staff took part in discussions around expectations of them in their roles, reflecting on progress since the last inspection and discussing how they will create a warm, nurturing, caring environment for children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff shared positive views during the visit. One member of staff said the atmosphere has been collaborative and forward thinking, with regular meetings taking place to reflect on progress and discuss next steps towards reopening the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff feel supported by the management team and feel they are visible and approachable, offering consistent support, guidance and encouragement. This has contributed to a motivated team with a strong desire to provide high-quality care and promote positive outcomes for children.

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This monitoring visit

Two of the requirements raised at the full inspection were met. The other requirements raised were outside the scope of this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Inadequate 25/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 3

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 4 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(f)(h)) 3 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 5 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which— 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 6 is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all managers and staff understand and follow safeguarding and allegation management policies.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; and

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i)(ii)) 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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 3 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 8 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s personal education plans are accessible to the staff to support children with their targets and provide opportunities for informal learning and the development of independence skills when a child is out of education.

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 3 May 2026

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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: 2801032 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Polar Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Halls House Farm, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool FY3 0DP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Broadstock

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Inspector

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801032 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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