Children's Home run by 3S Adolescent Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 1 Registered provider: 3S Adolescent Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children are currently being cared for at this home. Both children spoke to the inspector as part of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has been in post since 2 July 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2025 Full Good 28/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Practice in the home is underpinned by a commitment to children. Leaders and staff place children at the centre of their planning and practice. Children experience stability, positive relationships and a sense of belonging.

p.3

Summary of findings

Managers assess risk effectively and most incidents are well managed. However, in some incidents, staff should have intervened more effectively at an earlier stage. Staff promote positive behaviour, maintain strong partnerships with external agencies, and advocate well for children, despite challenges such as barriers to education.

p.3

Summary of findings

Management oversight is generally strong, with reflective practice and a clear focus on improvement. However, some shortfalls remain, including inconsistencies in staff responses and delays in debriefs with staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength of the home is the commitment of senior leaders and staff to the children. Managers and staff support children with complex needs with compassion and a drive to understand the views and experiences of children. Children like the staff, other children and enjoy living in the home. They have, or are developing, a sense of belonging and stability.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager plans for new children moving into the home effectively. They undertake careful assessments of children’s needs prior to them moving in and share relevant information with staff in a timely way. Children have the opportunity to meet staff and visit the home before they move in. Moving into the home is a smooth process and children’s anxieties are eased.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff make significant effort to ensure that appropriate contact is maintained with children who have moved out of the home. Children are aware that they are still thought of and have enduring relationships with staff that are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and well furnished. The manager has made environmental adjustments to ensure that damage is minimised, such as wood panelling to walls and safety glass in windows. Most damage in the home is addressed promptly. However, one child’s bedroom window has remained boarded up for an extended period. Additionally, one child’s private bathroom requires cleaning. A recommendation has been raised in relation to this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The provider commissions therapeutic support for staff at the home. They have an allocated psychologist who supports the staff team through regular, direct consultation Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 4 and in the review of plans and documents. This enables staff to implement consistent strategies to manage children’s individual behaviour.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager creates plans to ensure that staff have important conversations with children, tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. Staff also take opportunities to teach and guide the children as issues arise. Discussions with children are sensitive, purposeful and well recorded.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children who live far from their home area have their needs met. Staff make efforts to build positive relationships with children’s families and professionals at an early stage. They understand which services need to be transferred to the local area and engage with agencies to achieve this. The manager and staff communicate well with placing authorities and are willing to travel when required.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the children moved into the home with significant existing barriers to education and do not have suitable school or college places. The managers and staff understand the children’s journeys, provide appropriate structure and activity in the interim and challenge other agencies when their support of the child is not sufficient.

p.4

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

The manager creates risk assessments for children prior to them moving into the home. Risk assessments are detailed, reviewed and updated regularly and include clear strategies for staff to follow. The manager has created focused guidance for staff to help them to manage high and frequently occurring risks. As a result, staff have a clear understanding of how to respond to concerns.

p.4

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

Formal consequences are rarely used. When they are used, they are proportionate and fair. However, on one occasion, a financial consequence was implemented following previous restorative methods that failed to address the behaviour. Children are spoken to about consequences promptly. However, the manager does not routinely speak to the staff who implemented the consequence. This is a breach in regulation.

p.4

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

Staff focus on encouraging appropriate behaviour from children through positive reinforcement. Staff create visual charts to incentivise positive behaviour. The rewards children can achieve are individual to them and they are motivated to make progress. However, there is variance in the expectations of individual staff, which means there is a lack of consistency and clarity for children. A recommendation has been raised in relation to this.

p.4

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

Staff have called the police to assist them in managing children’s behaviour on several occasions. In most instances, this is necessary and proportionate to the level of risk presented. However, on two occasions, staff have called the police prematurely and did not intervene more effectively at an earlier stage. Senior leaders have undertaken a detailed review of these incidents, identified the shortfalls in practice and implemented targeted learning for staff. Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 5 Staff follow children’s individual plans when children are missing from home and work hard to ensure their safe and timely return. Staff recognise when risks increase and escalate concerns and actions appropriately. The manager maintains prompt oversight of practice and recording. When children return home, the manager speaks to them to understand the reasons for them being missing from the home.

p.4

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

Staff recordings of incidents are clear and detailed. The managers undertake detailed discussions with children and staff following incidents to understand the reasons for them and identify any shortfalls in practice. However, the debriefs with staff are late, which delays the opportunity for reflection and learning. A requirement has been raised in relation to this.

p.5

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

On one occasion, a staff member delayed informing leaders of a safeguarding concern. Senior leaders have since undertaken specific training for staff following the last inspection. They have taken steps to ensure that this knowledge is embedded and retained by staff. Staff are aware of the whistleblowing policy, understand when it should be used and are confident in sharing concerns with managers.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager joined the home shortly after the last inspection and is supported by a competent and experienced deputy manager. Staff describe the managers as available and approachable. Staff report feeling able to be open and transparent with managers and feel supported in their role. The stability in the management team has had a positive impact on the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of the areas of strength and development at the home. They undertake timely and evaluative reviews of the quality of care provided to children. The actions created from these reviews address the areas for development and drive service improvement.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has almost entirely changed since the last inspection. However, most staff left shortly after the last inspection and the current staff team has been in place prior to the children currently living in the home moved in. There are some staff vacancies. However, these roles are managed by core staff undertaking overtime and the use of two regular casual staff. Therefore, the current children have experienced consistency of care from the staff at the home. The manager is actively recruiting permanent staff to fill these vacancies.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from the managers, and those responsible for delivering supervision are appropriately trained. Supervision is reflective and focuses on staff development. The therapeutic support service attends team meetings, enabling staff to Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 6 reflect on their practice as a group. Staff have regular opportunities to consider their practice and how to improve it.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff team do not have the relevant qualification. However, the manager enrols staff to complete their qualifications in a timely way and in the required timescale. Managers have oversight of staff progress in completing the qualification and support staff to complete it.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have positive and effective relationships with external agencies. External agencies describe the home as proactive, child-focused and communicative.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the children in their care. The manager understands the impact on the children of services not being in place or providing insufficient support. They rigorously challenge other agencies, such as virtual schools and social care teams, to ensure that plans for children are timely and able to meet their identified needs. Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 7

p.6

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the confidence and skills to intervene effectively and at an early stage in prolonged incidents, including physically intervening when necessary and proportionate. 15 September 2026

p.7

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 (“the authorised person”)—

p.7

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are spoken to about the use of physical intervention or consequences within 48 hours. 15 September 2026

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff expectations of standards of behaviour are clear and unambiguous for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11) Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 8  The registered person should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met, and doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

p.7

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 for 2791475 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: 3S Adolescent Care Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, 3 Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

p.9

Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home for 2791475 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10