Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 1 SC035428 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a local authority and provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025. He is also registered at another home owned by the local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home during the inspection. One child spoke to the inspector about their experience of living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/06/2024 Full Good 31/10/2023 Full Outstanding 25/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 3

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Summary of findings

Children have made progress from their individual starting points. However, the inspection identified shortfalls in key areas, which have impacted on children’s experiences of living at the home. Significant incidents have resulted in inconsistent boundaries, affecting how the staff respond to children’s behaviour. Leaders and managers are taking action to address shortfalls in staff practice and are committed to supporting staff development.

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improvement to be good

One child said that they like living at the home and get on well with the staff. They enjoy engaging in activities such as pool and tennis, and staff support them to watch their favourite football team play. Both children are provided with opportunities to create memories of their time at the home, which are captured in photos.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have a full understanding of children’s health needs. They do not have access to children’s health assessments, and it is not clear if a refused dental appointment was rescheduled for one child.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the barriers in learning for children. They advocate for children to support them to fully engage in education. Despite the challenges, both children are making some progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff praise children for their achievements in education and their contributions at the home. Children respond positively to this, as it helps them feel valued and proud.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff are supporting one child to re-establish family relationships, and they provide additional support to family members when appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff use effective de-escalation skills to support children in managing their emotions and behaviour. However, there have been incidents of bullying and physical aggression between the children. Staff are working hard to improve the quality of the children’s relationships with one another, and there has been some progress. Despite this, leaders and managers have not fully considered the impact that the children’s behaviour has on each other. This has also affected staff’s ability to manage each child’s behaviour consistently, as they have not been able to maintain clear and consistent boundaries. The manager has addressed the practice with staff to help promote a more consistent approach to behaviour management. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 4

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the children’s safety and have a good understanding of their individual needs and vulnerabilities. However, one child’s risk management plan does not reflect recent incidents or the increase in risk.

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improvement to be good

Several incidents of children going missing from home have occurred since the last inspection. Staff follow the relevant procedures to ensure that children return to the home safely. Managers review the actions taken by staff and apply any learning to improve practice.

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improvement to be good

Restraint is used as a last resort to ensure that children and those around them are safe. However, children are not always provided with the opportunity to share their views about the restraint. Furthermore, some discussions with staff focus only on the children’s behaviour and do not include a reflection on their own practice.

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improvement to be good

Conversations take place with children following incidents. However, it is not always clear whether staff provide children with opportunities to discuss the incidents and understand the consequences of their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers take complaints seriously. Children and their parents are supported to make complaints, and the outcome of any investigation is shared with them. Managers spend time with the children to ensure that they understand the rationale for any decisions made. This helps children feel listened to and valued.

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

The home is managed by an experienced and qualified manager. Staff speak positively about the support that they receive from the manager.

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

There are staff vacancies since the last inspection, which the manager is actively recruiting for. This means that bank staff, agency workers and staff from other homes in the organisation are supporting the children. This does not provide children with stable and consistent care.

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

Leaders and managers do not notify all serious events to Ofsted as required by regulation. This does not support the regulator’s oversight of practice at the home.

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

Team meetings and supervision sessions with staff take place regularly. Staff are provided with opportunities to discuss the children and reflect on their practice. Regular development days, supported by leaders and managers, provide staff with opportunities for further learning and development.

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

Not all staff have completed training to meet the children’s individual needs and ensure their safety. Despite some staff working at the home for several months, they have not Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 5 completed training in substance misuse, first aid or the administration of medication. This means that staff may not have the knowledge and skills to meet the children’s needs safely and effectively, placing them at risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 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.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to attend all health appointments and that their health needs are recorded and understood by staff. 25 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 25 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to take responsibility for their behaviour and the impact this may have on others.

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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

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. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk and support plans are regularly reviewed and detail all 25 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 8 known risks and vulnerabilities along with clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have completed both mandatory training and training specific to the children’s individual needs.

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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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are spoken to following all use of restraint and that their views are clearly recorded. 25 August 2026

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that Ofsted is informed of all serious events. 25 August 2026

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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: SC035428 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 100, Preston PR1 0LD

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035428 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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