Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 1 Registered provider: Guidance Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 2023 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Good 12/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 3

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Summary of findings

Both children report feeling safe and happy and say that they have positive relationships with the staff team. The staff are happy in their roles and enjoy being in the home and spending time with the children.

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Summary of findings

Children’s achievements are displayed on a wall in the home. Achievements and areas of progress are celebrated with the children, enabling them to recognise the progress they make and understand how the staff team has supported them.

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Summary of findings

Staff provide good quality care to children. However, risk assessments do not fully consider the children’s relationship with each other or outline strategies to manage their interactions. Additionally, further attention is needed to enhance the home environment, with a focus on further personalising children’s bedrooms. However, they and ensure that both children remain safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children report feeling safe and happy living in the home. They can identify trusted staff members they can approach and feel confident in raising any worries or concerns. Children’s views are actively sought, appropriately recorded, and responded to effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend quality time with children and ensure that they have access to a wide range of enjoyable activities inside and outside the home. Children said they have opportunities to have fun, such as playing board games with staff, which helps build positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend meaningful time with their families. This has included arranging outings, such as meals to celebrate birthdays and achievements. One family member commented positively on the strong and supportive relationships that children have developed with the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well supported. They are registered with appropriate health services, and staff ensure that appointments are attended. Where there are concerns about a child’s health, staff seek medical advice and appropriate intervention.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children engage in education and are making progress. One education professional commented that the child has made immense progress and attributes this achievement to the consistent support provided by the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, with photos of children displayed throughout. However, there are some areas of decoration and maintenance that require attention. A plan is in place to address these issues, which includes work to decorate and further personalise the Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 4 children’s bedrooms in line with their wishes. This is important in further promoting a sense of belonging and individuality for each child.

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

Staff talk to children about their wishes, feelings and individual plans. Staff have developed positive and trusting relationships with the children, enabling them to engage in more sensitive discussions about risks and personal safety. The trust established has supported children in sharing their views openly and accessing additional support when needed.

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

Staff promote children’s safety through a clear understanding of their individual strengths and vulnerabilities. Risks are identified, and staff have a good awareness of how to manage them. Risk assessments provide clear guidance for staff. However, they do not fully consider the children’s relationship with each other or outline strategies to manage their interactions and ensure that both children remain safe.

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

Safeguarding practice is effective. When incidents occur, staff respond appropriately and ensure that children’s welfare remains paramount. They follow procedures consistently and work effectively in partnership with other professionals. Regular meetings are held to share accurate and up-to-date information to support the children effectively.

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

The manager is a strong advocate for ensuring that children receive the right support and services. They work proactively with external professionals and appropriately challenge any drift or delay. As a result, both children have been able to access additional therapeutic support.

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

Staff use appropriate de-escalation techniques when children struggle to regulate their emotions. These approaches are informed by staff knowledge of each child’s level of understanding and developmental stage. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to maintain safety.

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

There is a prompt and thorough response to allegations, with appropriate safeguarding measures implemented. When a child made a complaint, the response was robust, and the child was provided with suitable support.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place to ensure that only suitable and appropriately vetted individuals are employed at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of care practices in the home. This has enabled them to identify areas for staff development and take prompt action to address these. Where concerns have been identified, the manager has provided individualised support to staff, ensuring both staff development and the continued safety of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 5 The staff talk about the children with care and respect. They say they enjoy their roles and feel motivated to work in the home. They speak positively about the management team and the support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities, including training tailored to meet the specific needs of individual children. This ensures that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to support each child effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision arrangements are regular and reflective, with discussions including recent events in the home and the needs of the children. Staff are well supported in their professional development, with access to additional supervision, individual support sessions and further training when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for children, with a strong emphasis on delivering positive experiences, consistent support and achieving stability. The manager has an insight into the home’s strengths and challenges and can identify areas for development. However, this is not fully reflected in the quality of care review report, which does not include direct feedback from children or contributions from professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 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 maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s case records contain up-to-date information about them and the support offered by staff, particularly in relation to the children’s relationship with each other. This supports the management of concerns. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should include direct feedback from children, their parents, placing authorities and staff in the quality of care review report. 1 July 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 7

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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: 2739597 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8 Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton Industrial Estate, Poulton-le-Fylde FY6 8JX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lorraine Anderson

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Inspector

Rebecca Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 9 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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