Clare Lodge

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 1 SC033362

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Registered provider: Peterborough City Council

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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 operated by a local authority and is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict children’s liberty.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 16 girls aged between 10 and 17 who are placed by local authorities, under section 25 of the Children Act 1989. There were 4 children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Admission of any child who is under 13 years old requires the approval of the Secretary of State.

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Information about this children’s home

The commissioning of health services at this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since February 2026 and is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 10 and 11 February 2026. Following this inspection, two compliance notices were served, under Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, and Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’. A monitoring visit was carried out on 25 March 2026, the compliance notice under Regulation 12 was met, but the compliance notice under Regulation 13 was served again.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to explore the action taken by leaders and managers to meet the steps in the compliance notice. Not all steps in the Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 2 compliance notices have been fully met, but due to sufficient progress these will not be reissued. The restriction of accommodation has also been lifted.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers take some action to investigate concerns. However, these actions are not always robust. In one allegation about staff practice, there is no record to show how the concern was fully explored. Managers said that the close circuit television was viewed, but this is not recorded to confirm what was seen. The concern was raised by a child who said that a staff member fell asleep while the child was on a laptop. The staff member was spoken to a week after the concern was raised and there is no reason recorded for the delay in addressing this. No exploration into whether the child’s claim about being able to access potentially inappropriate content was undertaken, or a check of the computer. This means concerns about staff practice are not fully explored.

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This monitoring visit

Following one incident, a fact-finding investigation was completed to explore the incident. Statements were taken from all of the staff involved. The fact-finding document does not detail the reasons for a month’s delay. Following the fact-finding investigation, the document was sent to the local authority designated officer for transparency. Some staff were spoken with in fact-finding interviews regarding their actions and what they could have done differently, but this did not include all of the staff. Following completion of these interviews and identifying learning to be taken from the situation, all staff were sent an email with expectations. However, the staff involved have not been spoken with about the outcomes or any required learning. This means that managers have not ensured that staff understand their responsibilities and have learned from this incident in order to be able to manage incidents differently in the future.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s preferred names and pronouns are not used consistently. Some records use incorrect pronouns. This could mean that children do not feel their identity is always respected. Some children’s records are not written in child-friendly ways. Following one incident, a child was not offered a debrief as staff were worried this may upset the child. This means the child was not given an opportunity to talk about what happened or their feelings about this.

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This monitoring visit

Children appear settled at the home. Positive interactions between children and staff were observed. Children talk positively about going into the community when this is part of their agreed plan. The home environment has improved. A new carpet has been fitted in one area, which makes it more homely. Wall decorations which match the child’s interests have also been added.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken with were positive regarding the changes that have been made since the last inspection. Staff feel well supported, including in their day-to-day practice. Staff have weekly refresher training. This includes topics such as routines and boundaries and de-escalation. The following elements from the last inspection have not been reviewed and are restated: the requirements relating to engaging with the wider system and the protection of children, and the recommendations relating to Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 3 children’s education. The requirement about the quality and purpose of care has been partially met so the requirement has been updated and raised again. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/02/2026 Full Inadequate 07/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 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 with the given timescales.

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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;

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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’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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 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)(e)(f)(i)(h)) 1 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 6 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that detailed risk assessments are in place and kept updated and that staff are aware of these and follow them. 1 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(d)) 1 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. 1 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 7 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the child’s preferred name and pronouns are used by all staff and is in paperwork.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. They should ensure that staff receive the training and support they need to improve their subject and pedagogical knowledge. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 27 and 28, paragraph 5.11)  The registered person should ensure that children have a clear plan to continue their education, training or employment once they leave the home. Measurements of progress should include qualitative information such as how well the child is being prepared for the next stage. Plans should include rewards and recognition of achievements, improvements in attendance and, when appropriate, reduction in behavioural incidents, including exclusion. The child’s personal circumstances, individual needs and educational history are relevant in considering what might

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Recommendations

constitute progress; but should not limit aspirations for them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.2)

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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: SC033362 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Peterborough City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough PE2 8TY

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Inspectors

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC033362 9 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 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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