Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 1 SC066428 Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in 2020 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to 5 children with physical disabilities, special educational needs and/or disabilities and who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. A new responsible individual has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were 4 children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: An assurance inspection was carried out on 15 January 2026. Serious and widespread concerns were identified at this inspection, which resulted in compliance notices being issued under Regulations 12 and 13 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. A monitoring visit was carried out on 19 February 2026 to monitor the action that the provider had taken to meet the actions set out in these notices. The inspector found that all compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/08/2025 Full Good 19/11/2024 Full Good 07/02/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children have positive experiences and are making good progress. They form strong relationships with staff, feel listened to and influence their care. They attend education regularly and maintain friendships. Minor shortfalls, including occasional lateness and one missed family-time arrangement, have been addressed appropriately by staff. Health needs are well managed with safe medication practices and no recent errors. Communication is supported effectively, including through Makaton, while activities, family time and independence work build confidence. Transitions are well planned and supported. The home is improved and personalised, although some areas still need updating.

p.3

Summary of findings

Children are kept safe, with risks clearly understood and managed through consistent staff practice. Professionals report reduced risks and improved safety. Incidents are handled appropriately, and physical interventions have decreased, although recording and oversight need improvement. Leadership has strengthened monitoring, training and presence in the home, but systems are not yet fully embedded. Staffing shortages, especially in the mornings, and inconsistent handovers, continue to affect practice. Some training and oversight processes remain incomplete. Leaders recognise these issues and have plans to improve consistency, oversight and care quality.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences living in the home. Staff help them make progress by providing care that supports their individual needs. Professionals say that children are settled due to the positive relationships they have developed with staff. This has helped children feel a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move on from the home in a planned way. One child recently moved out following careful preparation. Staff used social stories and regular discussions to help the child understand the changes. This approach reduced anxiety and helped the child manage the transition.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education regularly. Staff support children to travel longer distances so they can remain in familiar schools and maintain friendships. There have been occasional shortfalls, including one child arriving late and one missed family-time arrangement, due to a handover error. This caused upset, but staff responded appropriately. Leaders are reviewing staffing arrangements to reduce the risk of this happening again.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Staff seek medical advice and challenge decisions when needed. For example, staff have explored alternative approaches to support one child’s sleep. Medication is managed safely. Medicines, including controlled drugs, are stored securely and administered correctly. There have been no medication errors since the last inspection. This supports children’s health and wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 4 Children are supported to communicate in ways that meet their individual needs. Staff use a range of communication methods, including Makaton. Ongoing training helps staff build their skills. Staff also share new ideas to improve communication, particularly for children who are nonverbal.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are central to the home. Staff speak with children daily and seek their views in a variety of ways. This is reflected in records and in practice. Children are listened to, and their views influence the care they receive.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of activities. Staff encourage children to try new experiences and spend meaningful time together. This helps children build confidence and supports their social development.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff promote and support family time. Although there has been one missed opportunity due to a communication error, this is not typical. Staff understand the importance of maintaining relationships and support this well.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communication with professionals has improved. Feedback from professionals is positive. However, there are still some inconsistencies when staff change or handovers are not effective. This has had some effect on practice and is linked to staffing arrangements during morning shifts. A requirement has been raised to address this shortfall.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop independence. Staff use plans, records and photos to track progress. These help children learn practical skills and prepare for future transitions.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment has improved, with further decoration completed. Each child’s bedroom is personalised to reflect their interests and needs. Some areas, including the built-in washrooms, require improvement. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to address it. These issues do not currently affect children’s safety or wellbeing.

p.4

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

Professionals report that children are making good progress. They note that risks have reduced and that children are safer because of the care they receive.

p.4

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

Children are helped and protected by staff. Their individual risks and needs are understood by staff, who use clear risk assessments and behaviour plans to guide their practice. This helps staff to respond consistently and keep children safe.

p.4

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

Children do not go missing from home. Staff understand how to respond in the event a child goes missing.

p.4

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

Staff manage incidents and support the children. Staff report any concerns to the appropriate professionals and take action to reduce risk, including working with Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 5 safeguarding agencies when required. However, records do not always show clear management oversight. Follow-up actions, reflection and learning after incidents are sometimes unclear. These shortfalls relate to recording rather than the response to keeping children safe. A requirement has been raised to address this shortfall.

p.4

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

Staff have strong communication with schools and other professionals, and safeguarding practice is improving.

p.5

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

Children benefit from structured routines and clear support strategies. These approaches help reduce behaviours that place children at risk, including self-injury. The need for physical intervention has reduced. When physical intervention is required, staff record these incidents clearly and use proportionate measures after trying to calm situations using known calming strategies.

p.5

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

Staff carry out direct work with children to help them understand how to stay safe. This work is adapted to meet individual needs. For example, staff use image-based communication to help one child understand safety messages in a way that suits their level of understanding.

p.5

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

Health and safety arrangements are effective. Regular checks are carried out, including fire safety procedures. Children take part in fire drills, which helps them understand what to do in an emergency.

p.5

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

Recruitment processes are safe. All required checks are carried out before staff start working in the home. This helps to ensure that suitable adults care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been recent changes to leadership. A new responsible individual and operations manager have been in post since May 2026. They have introduced stronger monitoring systems and identified areas for improvement. Leaders and managers have made improvements since the last inspection. They have taken action to address previous concerns by increasing their presence in the home, strengthening audits and holding regular team meetings. These actions have improved oversight of day-to-day practice. While this has led to some positive changes, these systems are not yet fully established. Staffing shortages and pressures on rotas continue to affect consistency of care and staff confidence.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders have improved training through focused workshops and therapeutic input. Staff have been supported to understand the expectations of the quality of practice. This is beginning to stabilise the service. However, leadership is not yet fully effective. Staff have not all completed their mandatory training. A requirement has been raised to address this shortfall.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight is not consistently effective. Records are not always maintained to a good standard, and delays in completing records are not always identified and addressed. As a result, the registered manager is being supported by senior leaders. The Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 6 home has strengthened challenge and oversight through senior leaders, but improvements are not yet embedded.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staffing arrangements are not always sufficient at key times. For example, mornings can be challenging due to reduced staff numbers and less-effective handovers between shifts. This can affect staff responses to incidents and children’s needs. A requirement has been raised to address this shortfall.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Independent monitoring has not been consistent. Reports from the independent visitor do not always provide a clear picture of the quality of care or children’s progress. In addition, independent visitor reports have not always been submitted on time, with some months missed. Leaders have recognised this and appointed a new independent person, although visits have not yet taken place. A recommendation has been raised to improve this oversight.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The review of the quality of care report provides a clear overview of improvements for children. However, it has not always been submitted within the necessary timescales. A recommendation has been raised to ensure that future reviews are submitted on time. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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)(a)(c)(d)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff undertake relevant training that reflects children’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that they maintain oversight of monitoring and review systems to promote continued improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child, particularly during morning and evening routines. 28 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 8

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a quality of care review is carried out once every 6 months. The generated report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing authority of all looked-after children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3)  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 the welfare of the children in the home’s care. The assessment should be sent to Ofsted consistently, per month. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home includes any adaptations necessary to meet the needs of children with disabilities or specific health

p.8

Recommendations

issues. Where repairs or updates are required, these should be addressed swiftly to ensure that children have access to clean, safe and fully functioning facilities, particularly where bedrooms include en-suite or washroom facilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.24)

p.8

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: SC066428 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

p.9

Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066428 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