Children's Home run by Positive Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 1 Registered provider: Positive Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2025 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 2

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Summary of findings

Children living at the home make good progress from their starting points. Consistent routines and clear expectations help them feel settled and safe. Children form positive and trusting relationships with staff, which supports their emotional wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

Staff regularly talk with children about making safer choices, and this contributes to a reduction in known risks. However, staff have not fully considered one risk identified at referral for a child. In addition, staff have not received the necessary training to manage this risk effectively. Staff retention remains strong, providing children with continuity and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved into the home. When visits are not possible before moving in, the manager provides virtual tours to help children understand the home environment. This helps ease children’s anxieties about moving into the home. A social worker said, ‘Staff couldn’t do anymore to make [name of child] feel settled and safe in their home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm, welcoming and homely environment. Staff display children’s photos throughout the home and encourage them to personalise their bedrooms. Children are involved in making decisions about their home. For example, children are currently making plans to develop the garden space for the upcoming summer months. This helps children develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are well met. They offer gentle prompts to promote personal hygiene and self-care practices. When children are worried about healthcare appointments, staff offer emotional support and speak with healthcare professionals. Additionally, children benefit from consistent routines and boundaries. For one child, clear expectations and boundaries around internet use have supported their educational attendance and emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in education from their starting points. For one child, following a period out of education, they have now reintegrated back into classroom learning. A teacher said, ‘The progression has been amazing.’ When there are barriers to children accessing education, staff are creative and support informal learning. This includes educational trips and online courses, as well as developing independence skills. A professional said, ‘Staff have worked incredibly hard to get [name of child] to a position of being willing to learn.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with the people who are important in their lives. The manager and staff recognise that seeing family members can be upsetting for children. As a result, they carefully consider transport arrangements, as well as plans for Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 3 the remainder of the day. Additionally, staff work closely with professionals to make plans for children to enjoy structured and safe time with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a wide range of activities, from attending football matches to bird watching. Staff show an active interest in children’s personalities and tailor shared activities to their needs and preferences. A social worker noted, ‘Staff have put the time and effort into getting to know [name of child] individually.’

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

Staff help children understand processes and procedures that are in place to keep them safe. Children know how to make a complaint, and staff regularly speak with them about the care they receive. Children say they feel comfortable speaking to staff if they have any worries or concerns, which helps them feel safe.

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

Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. They are confident to raise concerns and know how to escalate them if they need to, including the whistleblowing procedure. Additionally, the manager is present in the home and has good oversight of staff practice. This promotes good practice and healthy cultures.

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

Staff provide a nurturing, warm environment. They speak proudly about the progress children make, offering positive praise and recognition. Additionally, staff recognise that visual incentives are effective for children, and they are creatively displayed throughout the home. A social worker said, ‘Staff use a nurturing approach as opposed to punitive; this works well for [name of child].’

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

When children are missing from home, staff work closely with local police and respond promptly. Children’s plans are tailored to reflect patterns or trends. This helps staff locate children as quickly as possible. A social worker said, ‘Staff are really proactive at putting in safety measures.’ Additionally, children are offered the opportunity to speak to someone independent on their return. This supports children in expressing any worries or concerns.

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

Staff know the children well and understand their needs and risks. Incidents for one child have been limited, and risks for both children have reduced since living in the home. Clear plans guide staff responses when concerns arise. However, one risk identified at referral has not been fully assessed, and staff have not received training to manage this risk. This shortfall could place the child or others at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dual registered. This means that he is also responsible for managing another home in the organisation. The manager has effective systems in place to support him with the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager and the leadership of the home. A staff member said, ‘I feel valued, listened to and respected.’ This supports staff morale and Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 4 positive cultures. As a result, staff changes are minimal. This provides children with consistency and continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place monthly. They are used as opportunities to share information to support the smooth running of the home and to reflect on children’s needs. Additionally, research in practice is considered at team meetings covering topics which are relevant to children’s needs. This supports staff’s confidence, knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Additionally, there is a robust probation and induction process in place. This helps staff understand their role and responsibilities. When staff require additional support, it is quickly identified, along with plans to address gaps in knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are in place. All recruitment checks are carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager should ensure that information in children’s referrals is fully considered. Additionally, staff should receive training relating to the risks identified in children’s referrals. 4 June 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: 2864661 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Neptune Court, Hallam Way, Blackpool FY4 5LZ

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Inspector

Kitty Wiper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2864661 7 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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