Children's Home run by Brinscall Care (GM) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 1 Registered provider: Brinscall Care (GM) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in July 2025 and is run by a private company. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home, and they spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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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: 20 January 2026

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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: 2812492 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2026 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 3

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Summary of findings

Two children have lived in the home during the inspection period. One child made steady progress while living in the home and has now moved out. The child currently living in the home continues to make good progress.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is effective. Staff create an environment in which children feel well supported and protected.

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Summary of findings

The manager drives the quality of care in the home, and staff are committed to enhancing children’s experiences. However, children’s records do not consistently demonstrate thoughtful analysis or provide sufficient detail. Some records use language that is not child centred, limiting their value in enhancing and capturing children’s experiences.

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from living in a well-managed home. The manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided and has a good understanding of activity in the home. However, leaders have not ensured that the independent visitor’s reports provide sufficient scrutiny or clear evaluation of children’s experiences, limiting their oversight of practice.

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Summary of findings

Children’s health is supported through the positive relationships they have with staff, who encourage regular engagement in activities. Despite this, staff are not sufficiently guided by up-to-date knowledge of specific health matters. As a result, their response to the child’s use of vapes lacks the targeted guidance to promote safer choices for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from the time they move into the home. Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children, and interactions are calm, nurturing and consistent. Staff provide clear expectations and supportive guidance, helping the child to feel understood, listened to and valued. The quality of these relationships is a strength of the home and contributes to children feeling valued and confident in expressing their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children who have lived at the home have experienced barriers to education. One child demonstrated improved attendance during their time in the home as a result of encouragement and routine provided by staff. The child living in the home is re-engaging with structured education, and staff advocate strongly to ensure that their learning needs are met. When formal education is not available, staff provide planned educational activities that promote continued engagement. Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 4 Care planning is effective and consistently centred on children’s needs. Staff ensure that children’s views are reflected throughout their plans, and children are supported to attend their own meetings. This gives children a clear influence over their care and reinforces that their views drive planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and wellbeing are monitored consistently. Staff ensure that children are registered with appropriate health services and attend routine appointments. When issues arise that could affect the child’s health, such as vaping, staff work with the child to help them understand the risks. However, this work has not been effective, meaning that the child remains vulnerable to making choices that place their health at risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place strong importance on children maintaining meaningful family relationships. They actively promote family involvement and increase family time when this supports children’s wellbeing. Staff work consistently with families to strengthen these relationships, enabling children to maintain the connections that are most important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, clean and well maintained. The child’s bedroom is personalised and thoughtfully arranged to reflect their interests and choices. The environment promotes comfort and stability, helping children to feel settled and secure from the time they move into the home.

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

The child who is currently living in the home said that they feel safe. Professionals and parents report that staff work consistently to maximise children’s safety. Staff have a strong understanding of the child’s vulnerabilities and the plans in place to keep them safe. Written documents are updated after each incident, ensuring that staff have current information that supports a safe and protective environment.

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

Staff respond to children’s missing-from-home incidents with confidence. When a child goes missing, they carry out local searches and contact others who may have seen the child. Staff work promptly with relevant agencies, such as the police, to support children’s safe return when necessary. Staff welcome the children back with warmth and reassurance, helping them feel safe and understood.

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

Physical interventions are used as a last resort. Staff receive proactive training that equips them with preventative strategies and confidence in safe guiding techniques. When intervention has been required, it has involved guiding techniques only and has been for the safety of the child. These responses are proportionate and are clearly recorded with reflective management oversight.

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

Staff recognise children’s behaviours as communication linked to their experiences and needs. Behaviour plans outline de-escalation strategies based on what the child responds well to. This continues to strengthen practice. However, this understanding is not always Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 5 reflected in written records, meaning that some incident debriefs place emphasis on the behaviour itself rather than the child’s experience.

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

Children rarely receive consequences. When a consequence is applied, it is proportionate and linked to the behaviour of concern. Staff place greater emphasis on positive reinforcement, using rewards purposefully to recognise engagement in education, sustained effort and progress in settling into the home. This helps children understand expectations and encourages positive behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child focused and has created a strong ethos of unconditional support for children. The staff team demonstrates resilience and commitment, often working persistently to safeguard children and ensure that no child is given up on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff bring valuable experience in supporting vulnerable children. Newer staff are eager to learn from experienced staff, creating a positive learning culture. However, leaders have not ensured that newer members of the team receive the training needed to apply the home’s therapeutic approach. This shortfall leads to variability in written records, meaning incidents are written without considering the underlying needs of the child. Records written in this way are not helpful for the child should they wish to review their day-to-day experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders invest in staff development, creating a culture where learning is valued. Supervision is regular and reflective, helping staff explore their practice and strengthen their skills. Team meetings are purposeful and regular, offering opportunities to share learning, discuss progress and maintain strong morale through team-building exercises. Leaders have also invested in training and systems that enhance how the home operates, contributing to a supportive environment for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works effectively with partner agencies, such as education and the placing authority. She advocates firmly for the child’s education and challenges professionals when their responses fall short. Her proactive engagement has enabled access to appropriate educational provision, resulting in improved outcomes for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is generally effective. Leaders have established clear routines that support children’s daily experiences. However, there is a lack of scrutiny of independent visitor reports. This reduces opportunities to strengthen practice. Despite this, leaders and managers remain open to learning and committed to improving the home further. Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 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 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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure children understand the risks relates to vapes. 30 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff follow the home’s model of care and reflect this in language used in children’s records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2812492 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care (GM) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 172 Willows Lane, Bolton BL3 4BU

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Catherine Chrystal-Clarke

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Inspectors

Mariam Sawaiz, Social Care Inspector (lead) Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2812492 8 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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