Children's Home run by A-Triangle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care 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 operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties and have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was 1 child living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 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: 18 November 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2025 Full Good 17/04/2025 Full Inadequate 14/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 3

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Summary of findings

The child benefits from positive relationships with staff who respond sensitively to their needs.

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Summary of findings

Staff support the child’s education, health, daily routines, and engagement in activities while maintaining a safe, nurturing, and welcoming home environment.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is effective with leaders reflecting on incidents and taking action to improve responses and staff practice.

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Summary of findings

Staff receive regular supervision and training and work with external professionals to meet the child’s needs.

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Summary of findings

Monitoring systems, team meetings, and support plans help drive improvements and ensure a consistent level of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the child have developed positive, trusting relationships. The child feels comfortable sharing their future aspirations with staff, who understand their individual needs and respond sensitively. The child described staff as ‘sound’ and said they enjoy living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are ongoing difficulties with the child’s attendance at school. The manager and staff are working closely with the placing authority, the virtual school, and education providers to ensure that the child has access to a suitable education provision. Staff deliver in-house education, and a tutor completes daily learning sessions within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively encourage the child’s participation in activities within and beyond the home, such as pool, shared meals, ice-cream outings, and themed movie or gaming evenings. Clear plans are in place to ensure that restrictions associated with the child’s court directed order is managed safely while still enabling them to engage in their preferred hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed assessments were completed before the child moved into the home, incorporating all relevant information about the child and the staff team’s ability to meet their needs. Staff supported the child to move in as sensitively as possible, taking full account of their complex circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to attend routine health appointments. This had previously been a challenge, as the child often refused to go. Staff have completed support sessions to help the child prepare and understand the importance of looking after their health. As a Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 4 result, the child has now attended several appointments, ensuring that their health needs are being met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, clean, and tidy. There are pictures of the child, their friends and staff displayed. This helps the child feel a sense of belonging.

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

When concerns have arisen regarding staff conduct, appropriate action has been taken, with the child’s welfare remaining the priority throughout. Staff understand the whistleblowing procedure and have used it when necessary. However, on one occasion a delay in reporting a concern limited the manager’s ability to take swift action. Leaders and managers have recognised this and addressed it as a development opportunity with the staff member involved.

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

Support plans and risk assessments are detailed documents that are regularly updated. They provide clear strategies and guidance for staff to follow so the child is supported consistently and in line with agreed the court order restrictions.

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

When the child goes missing from the home, staff take suitable action to search for them and work with the child’s family and the police to support a return home as quickly as possible. The manager maintains a detailed overview of each missing episode and identifies any areas for learning. They have reflected on shortfalls in staff responses to missing episodes and have taken suitable action to strengthen and improve future responses.

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

Staff suitably reward and celebrate positive behaviour to encourage the child to develop good character. When it is necessary to impose a consequence because of negative behaviour, this is reasonable and proportionate. However, staff do not always record and review these measures to ensure that they are consistently fair and effective.

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

Staff complete regular support sessions with the child. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, such as life skills and substance misuse, and help prepare the child for upcoming events. However, staff complete limited work with the child to discuss the risks involved in criminal exploitation and to help them understand these risks and keep themselves and others safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a registered manager in post who provides stability and consistency for the team. Staff said that the manager is always available for support and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems for the monitoring and oversight of the home. They make use of internal and external monitoring systems. They use these systems Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 5 effectively to highlight positive practice and to address any shortfalls and drive improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent staff team. This means that staff who work with the child know them well. Staff are suitably qualified and have completed a wide range of training to meet children's individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision session take place often. They are used to support staff wellbeing and as an opportunity to address any short falls in staff practice, to drive improvements and promote staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended, with staff recognising their importance and value. They provide an opportunity for the team to come together, share information, and support ongoing learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to working together with relevant professionals such as placing authorities, health professionals, and education providers. They attend regular meetings and reviews. This supports a wrap-around approach to meeting the child's needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 6

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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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person ensures that staff understand the whistleblowing process. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 7 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the use of consequences is suitably recorded.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that if a child makes a choice that would place them or another person at significant risk of harm, staff support them to understand the risks and to keep themselves and others safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations’. Page 42, paragraph 9.7)

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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 Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 8 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: 2557064 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Hardhorn Road, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 3LJ

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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Sam Baird, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2557064 10 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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