Children's Home run by Blackpool Borough Council in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 1 SC033611 Registered provider: Blackpool Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides short-term breaks for up to 7 children who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

Currently, 21 children are accessing this service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since 2017.

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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: 11 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: SC033611 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2025 Full Good 26/11/2024 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience safe, nurturing and enjoyable stays in this short-break service, which enhances their overall quality of life. Staff understand the complex health and disability needs of the children and provide care that helps them to feel secure. There are no safeguarding concerns, and risks are managed effectively.

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Summary of findings

The manager maintains strong relationships with professionals, ensuring children’s health needs and plans are kept under review. Staff enjoy working in the home and create a stable, positive environment that supports children’s wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This short-break service provides good-quality care for children who have complex needs and disabilities. Children benefit from nurturing care from staff who are committed to providing enjoyable short stays at the home. The staff create an environment where there is lots of joy and laughter, and children are encouraged to be themselves in an inclusive environment where individual differences are respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is meticulous planning in place to prepare children who are new to the home, and assessments are completed to ensure that the home can meet children’s complex needs. Staff work closely with all the professionals and children’s families from the outset. This helps staff to have a well-rounded understanding of children’s particular needs and how best to meet them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are made to feel welcome and are introduced to the home through short introductory visits for tea, allowing the child the opportunity to gain confidence in their new environment. Children benefit from well-planned stays, taking into consideration each child’s individual needs. One parent said, ‘When [name of child] comes here, it’s like their second home. These are very special people, and they don’t just work here. They actually love the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care plans are detailed and provide clear and relevant information for staff to be able to support children. Plans are up to date and concise and are reviewed regularly by leaders and managers to ensure that they remain effective. Staff support children to contribute to their own care. They seek regular feedback from children to understand their views and feelings. Staff support children to make choices about their daily activities and food, and they respect children’s wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s health needs. A significant strength is their detailed knowledge of each child, enabling them to respond promptly to emerging health concerns and ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 4 Children benefit from a stable and experienced staff team, with the majority of staff having worked in the setting for a sustained period. This continuity contributes to consistent care practice and supports the development of secure, trusting relationships with children. Staff consistently report high levels of job satisfaction and state they feel well supported by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff maintain effective working relationships with schools and receive regular updates through professional meetings. Staff liaise with schools regarding communication, health and children’s overall wellbeing, enabling them to support children’s learning informally. However, education plans are not up to date or reflective of children’s current needs.

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

Safeguarding practice is effective. Staff receive safeguarding training that is specific to children’s disabilities. Additionally, staff have a clear understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and the potential risks they may be exposed to.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviours extremely well and are consistent in their approach. De-escalation techniques are effective. Staff use creative strategies to help children at times of upset, which prevents incidents from escalating, and physical intervention has been used minimally. However, these incidents have not always been recorded in the correct way.

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

Medication is stored securely in a locked room and clearly labelled for each child. Administration is carried out safely. Any new medication is reviewed by the manager in consultation with relevant health professionals.

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

Staff receive comprehensive training, supervised by a nurse practice educator, to manage children’s complex health needs effectively. Competency is assessed at each stage of training, ensuring they can safely perform tasks after demonstrating proficiency. When a new child comes into the home, an external health professional will provide any new and updated guidance and training around any medications prescribed. Equipment used to support children’s health needs is regularly reviewed by therapists, and staff receive appropriate training to maintain safe practice.

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

Staff are recruited safely, and processes are in place to ensure that the right people are employed to keep the children safe. Staff are provided with thorough induction training, which prepares them well for their roles. This means that all adults in the home are knowledgeable and safe to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about their roles and are clearly passionate about the children’s wellbeing. Staff feel well supported by their management team and are motivated to Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 5 continue making improvements for children. A member of staff said about the manager, ‘She is fantastic to work with. Her knowledge and experience in this area of work is huge. The children are at the centre of everything she does.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has excellent relationships with partner agencies. The staff build effective connections with parents and partner agencies, which allows open communication and cooperation with all those involved in children’s care. These strong links ensure that children receive the support they need in all areas of their lives. The manager asks questions and challenges appropriately when they feel a decision may not be in a child’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is child focused and reflective. Managers support staff to reflect on the care children receive and allow them opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify any additional support they need. Staff are supported to explore development opportunities in the home and enjoy learning from others in the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended. They provide staff with opportunities to discuss the children and the running of the home. However, the meetings are not practice related, nor reflective, and they are recorded poorly. This does not show an accurate picture of the meeting and is a missed opportunity to actively engage staff in self-development and shared learning across the team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 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, 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 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

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Requirement Due date

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, 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 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 7 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 —

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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, leaders and managers must ensure that following any incident where a child is physically removed to prevent an escalation in behaviours, an authorised person speaks with the staff members involved and an accurate record of this discussion is completed.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, team meetings should be practice related and reflective. Recording should be completed in a timely manner and in a format available for staff to be able to refer back to for self-development and wider team learning. 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s education plans are up to date and accessible to staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 13.28)

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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: SC033611 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blackpool Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 4, Blackpool FY1 1NA

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Inspector

Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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