Children's home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 1 Registered provider: Cherish Childrens Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home registered for up to 3 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left his role in April 2025. Since then, 3 interim managers have submitted applications for registration; however, these have subsequently been withdrawn. In the interim, the area manager is overseeing the home while recruitment for a new manager is ongoing.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspectors spoke with both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2025 Full Inadequate 06/11/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 3

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Summary of findings

There has been a lack of stable and consistent leadership and management in the home for over 12 months. Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address shortfalls in procedures and practice that impact on the safety and wellbeing of children. This has adversely affected children’s overall experiences and has placed them at potential risk of harm.

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Summary of findings

Staff report that leaders and managers do not consistently provide effective support or clear guidance to enable them to carry out their roles. This has had a negative impact on the quality of staff practice, the stability of the staff team and the continuity of care provided for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address procedures and practices that concern the safety and wellbeing of children. This has affected the overall experiences and quality of care for children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s serious health needs are not consistently understood or effectively managed by the staff team. This has led to serious incidents, including the use of physical intervention and an occasion requiring police involvement. Staff have reported that they are unable to meet one child’s health needs and are not equipped to manage the associated behaviours. Additionally, a relevant professional has raised concerns that the staff team is unable to meet the child’s complex health needs on a long-term basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child is permitted to vape in the home in the presence of staff. Staff have failed to take appropriate action to address this behaviour, and there is no evidence of proactive intervention, such as consultation with medical professionals or structured direct work to educate the child on the health risks associated with vaping. In addition, staff have not effectively explored or addressed the barriers preventing children from attending routine health appointments, including dental and optician visits. As a result, one child’s routine healthcare needs remain unmet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Boundaries and daily structure for children are poor. Some children are sleeping throughout the day and remaining awake during the night, with unrestricted access to internet-enabled devices 24 hours a day. This has adversely affected children’s wellbeing and significantly reduced staff’s ability to consistently monitor and respond to children’s individual health and medical needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff reported that there are no clear rules or structured routines in place for children, which was evident during the inspection. Inappropriate behaviour was not consistently challenged; for example, staff did not intervene when children were playing music Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 4 containing explicit or inappropriate language, and other negative behaviours were also left unchallenged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Education attendance is equally affected by the lack of routine in place for children. Both children have tutors to educate them in the home. Children’s engagement in this is sporadic. One child enjoys accessing off-site equine work 2 days a week and has successfully taken their exams. However, for the most part, children are not supported to reach their potential in education, and this limits their life opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child’s bedroom was untidy and smelt unclean. The child’s pet cat litter tray required emptying and there were empty cat food wrappers on the bedroom carpet. This had not been addressed by staff on shift.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child spoke about staff they like spending time with and staff that they can talk to and trust. The other child is in the initial stages of relationship building with staff and is doing so at their own pace. Children also have access to an in-house therapist for weekly sessions to share their views, wishes and feelings.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that allegations are managed appropriately or in line with relevant policies and procedures. In addition, when a child has told staff they have been injured by an external professional, these concerns have not been shared with the local authority designated officer. Leaders and managers evaluation of incident records does not always acknowledge when an allegation has been made by a child. This means that children’s views are not always taken seriously when raised, and furthermore, they are not effectively safeguarded.

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

Leaders, managers and staff have failed to ensure that children are protected from online harm. One child always has unrestricted access to an electronic tablet, and the newly installed internet system does not have appropriate safeguarding controls, including the ability to restrict or disable access when necessary. There is no risk assessment in place to guide staff in managing online safety, leaving children exposed to unmanaged risks.

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

The arrangements for staff to access and update children’s confidential records are not appropriate. Staff are using personal mobile phones to access sensitive information and complete daily records. This practice compromises the confidentiality and security of children’s personal data and is not compliant with General Data Protection Regulation requirements. Senior leaders have previously identified this concern during an investigation into staff practice and have acknowledged the need for change. However, these changes have not been implemented, and the associated risks remain high. As a result, children’s confidential information continues to be vulnerable to potential misuse or data breaches. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 5 Staff have failed to consistently complete daily room searches as set out in a child’s safety plan following an incident of self-injury. This lack of adherence to agreed

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

safeguarding measures increases the risk of harm to the child. Furthermore, leaders and managers do not consistently review and update safety plans and risk assessments following changes in a child’s level of risk or after serious incidents. As a result, current strategies to mitigate risk are not always clearly recorded or communicated to staff, which compromises the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

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

Leaders and managers have not considered the impact of one child’s risks on another child moving into the home. They have failed to identify strategies to manage risks to enable them to carefully consider the suitability of another child moving into the home. Consequently, children have engaged in risky behaviour together, including going missing from the home and suspected substance misuse.

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

Children reported that they are bullied by their peers. The staff team struggles to manage children’s behaviours and the dynamics of them living together. Consequently, serious incidents requiring police involvement have taken place and staff have had to access medical treatment for injuries that they have obtained during incidents.

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

There are no clear recording and reporting processes followed when complaints are received from neighbours. This does not promote positive community relationships or reassurance to the neighbourhood that leaders and managers take these concerns seriously.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the appropriate procedures to try and locate children and return them home safely. For one child, there has been a noticeable reduction in the number of times they have been missing from home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no stable or consistent leadership and management of the home for over 12 months. This has had a significant impact on the wellbeing and safety of children and the stability of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to adequately address some of the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. These requirements have been restated. Leaders and managers do not effectively oversee systems and records or understand shortfalls in staff practice. As a result, the oversight of the home continues to be ineffective and sustained improvements to children’s safety and care have not been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of safeguarding reports and serious incidents is not always in place. When leaders and managers recommend that reflective debriefs take place with staff, the sessions do not always address the identified shortfalls or lessons learned to improve staff practice. Leaders and managers were also unclear about the status of a child’s Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards order and whether it had expired. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 6 Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that all staff have been trained by a professional qualified to deliver type 1 diabetes training. This means that not all staff have the required knowledge and understanding to meet children’s health needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not have regular practice-related supervision. This is a missed opportunity to review staff practice and provide them with the support that they require. When concerns have been raised about staff practice and investigation meetings called, there is no evidence in the personnel files of the concerns being discussed with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been significant staff turnover since the last inspection, with 10 staff members leaving their roles and 14 new staff joining the home. Leaders and managers are struggling to cover the gaps in rotas and have been required to cover shifts themselves. Staff reported that leaders and managers do not provide effective support and that guidance is neither clear nor consistent in enabling them to carry out their roles. This has adversely impacted the consistency of staff practice and undermined the quality of care and protection provided for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff reported that, over the past two weeks, there have been some improvements in the home. These improvements are attributed to increased oversight from the area manager and a new deputy manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 7

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)) 12 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

*The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 9 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

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)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 16 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 16 July 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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)) 16 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 10 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 16 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 16 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 16 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 11  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 15, paragraph 3.9.)

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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’.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection started on 27 May 2026. The lead inspector returned on 16 June 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherish Childrens Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8, Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Rebecca Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 12 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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