Children's Home run by Child Action Northwest in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 1 Registered provider: Child Action Northwest Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and managed by a registered charity. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 26 January 2026.

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Information about this children's home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 2

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Summary of findings

The home provides a warm, welcoming and homely environment for children. Children's care needs are central to practice within the home, enabling them to make progress and achieve improved outcomes in line with their individual care plans. Staff support and promote positive relationships with children that are built on mutual trust and respect. Safeguarding is embedded throughout all aspects of care and remains central to the home's ethos and practice.

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Summary of findings

Staff work effectively in partnership with other professionals to ensure continuity of care and support. This includes collaboration with social care and education professionals, as well as parents and guardians. The child currently living at the home said that staff listen to them, and, despite having lived at the home for only a short while, they view this as a positive move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently welcomed a child into the home. The move in plan ensured that the child was warmly welcomed and that their individual needs were clearly identified so they could be appropriately supported. Despite the short time the child has lived at the home, they are starting to develop positive relationships with staff. The child said that they were 'welcomed, happy and safe' living at the home. Although the staff team is relatively new, they are providing consistent care and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is fully involved in their individual care planning and is encouraged and supported to have a say about all aspects of their care. Regular key-work sessions and individual discussions further support and promote the child's views being heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for the child. The child has previously been out of education, and staff are working in partnership with educational professionals to support re-engagement in learning. Staff also provide additional support through activities with educational value, helping to make learning more accessible and engaging for the child. In addition, a wide range of activities is available within the home, including the use of an indoor gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from good support to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and their healthcare needs are met effectively. Access to community healthcare professionals is arranged as part of the initial placement planning process and when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming and homely environment that is comfortable for children. The child is encouraged and supported to personalise their bedroom to reflect their individual interests. However, the child does not currently have access to lockable storage in their bedroom for personal belongings. Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 3

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

Staff understand the individual risks for the child, and there are clear and detailed measures in place to minimise risk. The staff work in partnership with other agencies involved in safeguarding children and this ensures a consistent and responsive approach to supporting the child to be safe.

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

When the child has been missing from home, staff follow agreed procedures and protocols to support them. Additionally, an independent follow-up visit is arranged to enable the child to discuss any concerns or reasons for them being missing. As a result of the support and measures in place, there has been a decrease in missing-from-home incidents.

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

Staff understand the reason for children's behaviours and focus on positive praise to encourage and support behaviour. There have been no negative consequences implemented in the short time the child has lived at the home.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children and take appropriate action to ensure the child's safety. They engage the child in regular discussions about staying safe, which contributes to the child's skills and knowledge to better understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Recruitment and selection of staff is in accordance with safer recruitment guidance. The organisation follows all required procedures to verify and follow up references, including obtaining references from previous employers. Careful consideration is given to candidates' knowledge, skills and experience to ensure that staff appointed are suitable and equipped to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

The registered manager has recently left the home. However, Ofsted has not yet been notified of this change as required. As a result, the individual remains recorded as the registered manager of the home, which does not reflect the current management arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

The responsible individual has taken immediate action to recruit a new manager. In the interim period, the responsible individual, who is experienced in residential childcare, has based herself at the home to provide consistent management support and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

The responsible individual has high aspirations for children and demonstrates strong and effective leadership. She is committed to ensuring that children receive care and support that enables them to achieve positive outcomes. The deputy manager shares this ethos. Staff report feeling exceptionally well supported in their roles. Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 4 Although the home is newly registered, staff are fully aware of, and work in accordance with, the home's ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

External professionals involved with the child currently living at the home report having excellent working relationships with the home and confirm that they are kept appropriately informed of any concerns or significant events.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

Staff benefit from a comprehensive induction programme and a wide range of training, which equips them with a good understanding of children's individual needs and how best to support them. As a result, staff are confident in and capable of delivering consistent, informed and child-centred care that promotes positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good

Regular team meetings and individual supervision sessions provide valuable opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, discuss challenges and identify future learning and development needs, helping to continually increase their skills and knowledge. Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 5

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Recommendation

 Children should be provided with appropriate furniture, such as a lockable cabinet or drawers to securely store personal items, including any personal information. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, Including the quality standards', page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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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: 2862983 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Child Action Northwest

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Buckshaw Parkway 2, Buckshaw Station Approach, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 7NR

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Tammy Sutherland

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Inspectors

Sarah Oldham, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2862983 7 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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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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