Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 1 SC039683 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to 6 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 5 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. Four children shared their views with inspectors. One child was spoken to but did not wish to speak with inspectors in detail.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged ‘inadequate’ at the full inspection on 21 and 22 April 2026. Inspectors identified serious shortfalls in children’s overall experiences and progress, safeguarding practices and leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following this inspection, 2 compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These compliance notices were in relation to Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to review progress made in relation to these compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have responded effectively to the identified shortfalls. No serious or widespread concerns were identified during this visit. Practice is improving, and changes are being embedded across the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff practice is increasingly consistent in how risks are identified and managed. Staff demonstrate a clearer understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children, and their confidence is continuing to grow. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 2 Training in areas such as professional curiosity and trauma-informed practice has strengthened staff knowledge, with evidence of this being applied in practice, particularly in response to emerging risks. Records do not yet fully reflect the training completed. This is a missed opportunity for streamlined oversight of staff skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of incidents has improved. Records show detailed review and feedback to staff, supporting reflective practice. There is improved professional curiosity demonstrated in staff responses to incidents, including exploring underlying factors when children go missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understanding of online safety is developing. Discussions regarding risks associated with internet use are taking place in team meetings, supervision and handovers. While recording of some of these discussions could be strengthened, there is evidence of an increased focus on this area.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from a more coordinated and consistent approach to safeguarding, with clearer expectations, rules and boundaries in place.

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This monitoring visit

Feedback from external professionals indicates improvements in the consistency and effectiveness of the staff team. Professionals report that staff are more visible at the home and are developing more positive relationships with children. This contributes to improved day-to-day experiences for children.

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This monitoring visit

Regular team meetings are in place and are used effectively to communicate expectations, share information and reinforce standards of care. Key topics, including internet safety and practice expectations, are discussed, supporting a more consistent approach across the team.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight has improved, including greater attention to the home environment. Children are responding positively to these changes and are beginning to take pride in their surroundings.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved monitoring and review systems. This ensures that they have a clearer understanding of children’s experiences. However, the quality and recording of handovers remain inconsistent, and management oversight of these important meetings is not always clearly evidenced.

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This monitoring visit

Managers now have improved oversight of children’s daily experiences. Children are being supported to develop more consistent daily routines and to engage in a wider range of structured activities. Planning for upcoming periods, including school holidays, is in progress. Staff are working towards establishing consistent daily routines for all children to support stability and promote positive outcomes.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing arrangements have improved, with no recent use of agency staff and a reduction in rota gaps. Where gaps remain, these are covered by familiar staff, supporting continuity of care. Feedback from professionals reflects that staffing Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 3 consistency is improving, although children continue to adjust to changes in the team. Measures have been introduced to support children’s understanding of staffing arrangements, such as the use of a visible daily planner.

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This monitoring visit

A case review meeting took place following this visit, and it was determined that enough progress had been made to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements and recommendations made at the full inspection were not within the scope of this visit and will be considered at future inspections. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Inadequate 27/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/10/2025 Full Inadequate 06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 5

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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 with 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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there are clear policies and procedures in place for protecting children’s online safety. 14 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 6 The registered provider must ensure that staff know what they need to do to keep children safe online.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff provide consistent day-to-day care that keeps children safe.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must provide children with consistent rules, boundaries and standards of care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff care for children with empathy, curiosity and respect.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand how to identify escalating or emerging risks and know how to respond.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must have systems in place that allow them to keep good oversight of day-to-day care. 14 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 7 The registered person must ensure that children are cared for by a consistent team of staff, who all know how to care for children and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must understand children’s plans and apply them consistently.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all monitoring systems are used effectively to identify and address shortfalls in the care children receive.

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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; and

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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.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 8 provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children enjoy a positive daily structure. When children are not engaged in full-time education, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff support children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are provided with consistent care from staff who show them respect and empathy.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is a consistent approach to rewards and consequences, of which they maintain effective oversight.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 9 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are sufficiently prepared and supported for other children moving into their home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s plans provide staff with clear guidance about what their day-to-day care looks like. The registered person must ensure that staff understand these plans and apply them consistently.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(vii)(ix)(x)(b)) 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 10 The registered person must ensure that staff hold children in high regard and treat them with respect in all situations.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive regular supervision that is reflective and helpful.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have regular, helpful conversations with children about important topics that help them to learn. The records of these conversations must be detailed enough to be helpful to the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s records are free of judgemental language.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 100, Preston PR1 0LD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claire Rose -Dudley

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Inspectors

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Samantha Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039683 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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