Children's Home run by Beacon Care Group Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Registered provider: Beacon Care Group Ltd

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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 operated by a private provider. Staff may provide care for up to 3 children experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection, and they spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a suitably qualified manager registered with Ofsted since March 2026.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged ‘inadequate’ at the full inspection on 29 and 30 April 2026. The inspector identified serious shortfalls in relation to leadership and management arrangements and care planning.

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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 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

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

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have strengthened recruitment processes. All necessary checks are now completed before new employees begin working with children, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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This monitoring visit

including appropriate risk assessments. The manager now records a clear rationale supporting employment decisions.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have developed effective monitoring systems. Staff now receive regular, useful feedback from the manager, which helps them to provide better care. Improved internal auditing processes mean that managers have more effective oversight of practice and care.

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This monitoring visit

Managers now respond appropriately to concerns about staff conduct. Following an allegation regarding a member of staff, the registered manager completed a thorough investigation, gathered relevant evidence and reached a balanced conclusion. Appropriate information was shared with external agencies; however, the required notification to Ofsted was not made promptly, reducing opportunities for independent regulatory scrutiny.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are developing an understanding of the therapeutic model of care outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff continue to improve their skills and confidence, with support from the in-house psychologist. When the child experiences crises, staff are usually able to help them to quickly become calmer. There has been one serious incident, which resulted in police attendance. Records are comprehensive and include management evaluation of staff’s actions. However, despite the seriousness of this incident, the registered manager did not recognise that it met the threshold for notification to Ofsted. This limits external oversight of safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive regular supervision that focuses on practice development, welfare and training needs. Managers routinely review progress against agreed objectives and explore learning from training.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, staff have completed a comprehensive programme of mandatory and specialist training, including useful topics such as safeguarding, mental health and exploitation. Staff demonstrate an improving understanding of safeguarding practice and know how to safely manage a range of safeguarding scenarios.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have strengthened the processes for consideration of new referrals. Although no children have moved in, managers have implemented more detailed assessments to help them reach well-evidenced decisions about whether this may be the best home for children. Managers have demonstrated some reflection and learning from abrupt endings of children’s placements.

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This monitoring visit

The child benefits from care that promotes their safety and wellbeing. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has become much safer and more settled since they have been living at the home.’ Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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, and so compliance notices were not reissued.

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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: 2817904 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2026 Full Inadequate 21/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(c)) 21 July 2026

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 21 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Requirement Due date

that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all risks are included in children’s plans and that relationships between children are assessed so that children do not harm each other. The registered person must also ensure that allegations or complaints made by children or staff are notified to the local authority designated officer and the regulator. They must also ensure that a review of the 21 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Requirement Due date

location is updated when significant incidents occur, such as a dispute with the neighbours.

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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

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")—

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are spoken to within 48 hours of a measure being used. 21 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person gathers feedback from people who are important to the children. 21 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

If there is a referral of a person working in the home pursuant to section 35 (Regulated activity providers: duty to refer) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the registered person must without delay notify—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI; 21 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (3)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 9 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. This should include gathering feedback from staff, children, professionals and family. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2817904 10 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackwell Business Centre, 1 Blackwell Lane, Darlington DL3 8QF

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2817904 11 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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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