Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 1 Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned. The home is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager left their role in January 2026. The registered manager post is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at a full inspection on 22 and 23 April 2026. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued 2 compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers responded appropriately to the allegation regarding staff conduct raised at the last inspection. They took suitable action and worked with relevant professionals, including the child's social worker and the local authority designated officer (LADO). However, the records do not show that they spoke with the child or informed them of the outcome of their allegation.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have introduced flow charts to guide staff on whistleblowing and notifiable incidents. However, they have not ensured that these have been shared with the staff team to support practice development. In addition, they have not used team meetings to revisit safeguarding issues identified at the last Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 2 inspection, including whistleblowing, allegation management and children's legal statuses. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect, learn lessons and strengthen their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have completed supervision sessions with staff since the last inspection. However, for most staff, these sessions do not focus on the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. As a result, staff are not sufficiently supported to reflect on their practice or identify learning that would drive improvement and professional development.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have not completed refresher training for designated safeguarding leads. Consequently, safeguarding leads do not have the necessary skills, knowledge or understanding to respond effectively to allegations and keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

New staff complete safeguarding training as part of their induction. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that existing staff receive refresher training in safeguarding and whistleblowing to ensure that they retain the relevant knowledge and skills to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented new systems to improve their quality assurance processes. This new system includes home audits to ensure that managers are alerted to any significant events and can easily identify any shortfalls in practice and drive improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers respond appropriately to complaints. They take all complaints seriously, investigate them thoroughly and maintain transparency with Ofsted and the LADO. Throughout this process, children's welfare is a priority.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements regarding areas of concern raised at the full inspection were not considered during this visit. They remain in place and will be reviewed at the home's next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/04/2026 Full Inadequate 27/08/2025 Full Good 26/11/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 3

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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 with the given timescales.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, senior leaders must ensure that they and the staff team follow appropriate safeguarding procedures and notify the relevant professionals when a child makes an allegation.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their own and other professionals' roles and responsibilities when making decisions about the child's care and protection. 26 July 2026

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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 26 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 4 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that their oversight of safeguarding records is effective.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that records relating to allegation management demonstrate that a clear process has been followed.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they identify shortfalls in staff safeguarding practice and take action to improve staff knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 7 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 7 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 5 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; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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 (2)(a)) 7 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive regular, practice-related supervision in line with the provider's own policy. 7 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that when they review the location of the premises risk assessment, that they include professionals and children's knowledge about the safety of the area. 7 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that follow up fire drills are undertaken with children following any fire safety incidents. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', Page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, in the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable, structured activities. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff provide children with additional support to help them prepare for their daily school routines. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards', Page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children to understand, and where necessary work to change, negative behaviours in key areas of health and wellbeing, such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that follow up work is undertaken to address the issue of children continuing to vape in the home. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', Page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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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: 2558681 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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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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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2558681 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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