Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 1 Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2019 and is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

An interim manager was appointed in July 2025 following the absence of the registered manager due to ill health. Immediate arrangements were put in place to ensure leadership and management oversight of the home during this period.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection. However, they did not speak to the inspector about their experiences 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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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: 16 December 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/12/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2025 Full Inadequate 09/10/2024 Full Good 10/05/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 3

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Summary of findings

The child is settled in a welcoming home where they feel safe, valued and supported. Staff promote and maintain important family and social relationships.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand the child’s risks and needs. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and provide clear guidance to help keep the child safe. Staff reflect on incidents and learn from them to strengthen safeguarding practice.

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Summary of findings

Managers are committed to supporting staff and improving practice. Regular supervision, purposeful team meetings and tailored training help staff meet the child’s needs with confidence and consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child experiences warm, predictable care, and staff have developed trusting relationships with them. Staff use a strengths-based approach to help the child understand their emotions, develop coping strategies and build resilience. This helps the child feel safe and emotionally secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been out of education for a long time, and staff help them make meaningful progress. Through calm, consistent encouragement, staff support the child to engage in structured learning and develop confidence in daily routines. Plans are in place to support the child’s re-engagement in education in the new school year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is developing age-appropriate independence skills, including shopping, cooking and managing routines. Staff encourage the child to take safe risks and build confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage moves into and out of the home well. They advocated effectively for one child who experienced increased missing-from-home incidents, supporting a safe transition home and helping to reduce risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and homely. Staff have helped the child personalise their bedroom to reflect their interests, which supports their sense of identity and belonging.

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

Staff understand the child’s risks well and maintain an individualised risk assessment that they update regularly. The assessment includes clear strategies for staff to follow, helping to ensure that practice remains consistent and responsive to the child’s needs.

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

Children who have since left the home experienced a high number of missing-from-home episodes. Staff responded to these incidents promptly and proportionately, working Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 4 effectively with partner agencies. Over time, incidents reduced, and staff helped children understand the associated risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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

When concerns or allegations arise, staff and managers take prompt action. They work closely with relevant agencies to ensure appropriate oversight and thorough investigations. Staff also have meaningful conversations with the child about safety, risk and decision-making, helping them to make informed choices and develop safer behaviours.

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

Staff embed therapeutic guidance from external professionals into their daily practice. They use advice, reflective discussions and tailored strategies to support the child’s emotional wellbeing and behavioural development. This helps staff provide consistent and informed care that promotes resilience and positive progress

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain strong oversight of practice and have a clear, ambitious vision for the child’s progress. The interim manager knows the child well and ensures that staff understand and respond to the child’s needs. Staff describe managers as supportive and approachable and say they feel valued and proud of the care they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide regular, reflective supervision that focuses on the child’s needs. Team meetings are purposeful and encourage staff to contribute openly. Managers support staff to use therapeutic interventions to strengthen practice and promote a holistic approach to care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers tailor training to the child’s needs. Staff value this training and report that it strengthens their understanding and approach to caring for the child. Team meetings further embed learning and support staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide effective professional challenge. For a child who has since moved home, managers advocated strongly when decisions were not in the child’s best interests and escalated concerns appropriately. This included challenging unrealistic expectations regarding missing-from-home incidents and ensuring that the child’s voice was heard during complex multi-agency planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain robust monitoring arrangements. Managers and the responsible individual understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. Through audits and external scrutiny, they identify areas for improvement and take decisive action where required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is out of date and should be reviewed to reflect current staffing arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 5

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 8 September 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: 2510847 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Lancaster Road, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9LD

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2510847 7 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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