Children's Home run by Outbound Care in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 1 Registered provider: Outbound Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children with social and emotional needs and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and one child has moved into the home. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with both children during the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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: 2 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2025 Full Good 20/09/2023 Full Good 08/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 3

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Summary of findings

The children are settled in their home and are supported by staff who know them well. Staff have good relationships with children and are warm and caring in their approach to the care they provide.

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Summary of findings

Plans and routines support the children's individual care plans, preparing them for further education and semi-independent living. Children actively engage in activities that promote their interests.

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Summary of findings

Staff have a good understanding of the children's risks and the strategies in place to manage and reduce them.

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Summary of findings

The staff team benefits from committed leadership, effective monitoring and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and well furnished. Children are supported to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. There have been improvements to the home's conservatory, and plans are in place to renovate the garden ready for summer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's moves into and out of the home are well planned and positive. The manager carefully assesses the needs of the child moving in, alongside the needs of the child already living at the home and the skills and experience of the staff team. The manager speaks with the child's network and works collaboratively to plan a move that supports the child, including contingency plans when children are moving a long distance from their home area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When one child moved on from the home, they experienced a planned move back to their hometown. The staff team celebrated the child's time at the home with a tea party and activity reflected on their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff actively promote children's education and work collaboratively with virtual school head teachers to identify appropriate school provisions to meet children's individual needs. They use incentives and rewards to increase children's engagement with learning. This has resulted in improved attendance for both children, and they are both taking their GCSE exams. Staff have implemented a timetable to support revision in the home. Both children have plans in place for further education that align with their aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop a wide range of life skills, including budgeting, cooking and completing household tasks. One child has also been supported to secure a weekend job at a local kennel and cattery. This support helps to prepare children for Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 4 planned moves into semi-independent living. Children enjoy a range of activities, such as Morris dancing and bike rides. This helps children to maintain hobbies that align with their interests. Staff recognise the importance of friendships and support children to spend time with their friends in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff support the children's individual healthcare needs. Where appropriate, referrals are made to support children's mental health and to conduct neurodiversity assessments. Children are supported to attend routine medical appointments, and direct work is completed to highlight the importance of attending their health appointments and maintaining their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of family relationships for children and actively support them to build and maintain family connections. Staff facilitate regular family time, helping children to sustain meaningful relationships. One child's parent said, 'The staff have supported me to rebuild my relationship with [name of child] and our relationship has really improved.'

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

Staff build positive, trusting relationships with children, and children identify staff as trusted adults who they can speak to if they are worried or concerned. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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

Leaders carry out thorough investigations regarding staff conduct. They seek advice from relevant professionals to ensure that conclusions are robust and that any recommendations are proportionate, even when staff choose not to participate in this process. This approach ensures that concerns are recorded and shared appropriately.

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

Staff respond effectively when children are missing from home. They follow agreed protocols and make every effort to locate children and encourage their safe return. When children return home, staff welcome them warmly and complete appropriate safe and well checks. This helps children to feel cared for and valued. However, on one occasion, the manager did not ensure that relevant information was obtained from all key services. This does not ensure that effective planning across all services is in place to safeguard the child.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children's individual risks and the strategies to support them. Children's risks are clearly documented in risk assessment plans that guide and support staff to manage and reduce risks. As a result, incidents are managed well, and staff respond to children appropriately and with sensitivity.

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

Staff complete follow ‑ up work with children after incidents and episodes of going missing from home. This helps children to identify risks and better understand the consequences of their actions. Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 5 Room searches take place when there are concerns that children may be in possession of prohibited items. Children are informed of the reasons for the search, and all room searches are recorded appropriately in line with the home's procedures.

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

Staff focus on positive reinforcement, and consequences are rarely implemented. However, when used, they are fair, proportionate and restorative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced manager and deputy manager who are committed to achieving positive outcomes for children. The manager is currently working her notice period, and a new manager has been identified to take over. Leaders have a robust succession plan in place to ensure continuity and stability. This includes a structured 2- week handover period and a detailed written handover that clearly sets out priorities for the home, children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems have been reviewed and strengthened. They now include daily task lists and monthly audits carried out by the manager and deputy manager. The responsible individual completes a comprehensive quarterly quality assurance report. The manager also uses information from the independent person visits and quality of care reports to identify shortfalls and areas for improvement. This ensures that the home remains compliant with regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures. Staff are fully checked before they provide care to children. New starters are supported to develop the skills and knowledge they need through clear and structured induction programmes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision and appraisals are carried out routinely. The manager and deputy ensure that supervision is reflective and supportive. Single-subject supervision is also used to provide 'in-the-moment' guidance and support in identified areas. Staff report feeling well supported in their roles and that they enjoy working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is focused on staff development. There are clear awareness programmes in place to support staff development during their probation period and to promote progression into roles such as team leader and deputy manager. This approach has resulted in internal promotions to team leader, deputy manager and registered manager positions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. They provide valuable opportunities for staff development, including sessions to promote professional curiosity, review recommendations from independent visits, review risks and strategies for children and to implement plans to support independence planning and education support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All requirements and recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been met. Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 6

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What does the children's home need to do to improve?

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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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Recommendation

 The registered person should convene a risk management meeting to develop a strategy for managing risks to the young person when a child runs away persistently or engages in other risky behaviours, such as frequently being absent from the home to meet with inappropriate adults. The meeting should be agreed and supported by the child's placing authority, the local authority where the home is located and the local police. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 44, paragraph 9.32)

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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: 1259061 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Outbound Care Ltd, Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Renée Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1259061 8 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 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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