Children's Home run by Seaside Child Care Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 1 Registered provider: Seaside Child 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

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/10/2025 Full Good 21/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 3

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Summary of findings

The home needs refurbishment. Children's overall progress, safety and experiences are compromised by poor safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management oversight. Children's risk management plans do not give staff the guidance they need to keep children safe and reduce risks.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding responses are insufficient. The action taken by staff following harmful incidents between children and substance ‑ related risks is unclear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, three children have lived in the home. One child lived in the home for three weeks, during which time there was a significant escalation of incidents. As a result, the child moved on as staff could not keep them safe. This move was the second poor ending for children living in the home. When children move on, there are missed opportunities to fully review decision-making about the children who move into the home and identify learning moving forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Parts of the home look worn and tired. The kitchen door does not close. The carpet on the stairs needs to be replaced. The lounge requires new pictures to make it feel more homely and the office door needs to be repainted. One child's bedroom had cigarette ash on the window ledge, and a cigarette end was found in the window casing. There were also several discarded cigarette ends near the front door.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child's Deprivation of Liberty order was not adhered to as the manager and staff did not fully understand its implications. Although the order was considered as part of the child's move into the home, at the time of the inspection staff were unclear if the order was still in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children's progress in education is variable. When children are not attending an education setting, informal learning is supported. When children are accessing education in the home, action has been taken by the manager to escalate concerns about the absence of more formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children register with universal health services and staff have sought support for children's specific health needs. One child who had declined appointments with an optician was encouraged by staff to access the service and subsequently prescribed glasses. Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 4 Staff promote family time. However, it is not always clear from children's records what actions the staff should take to ensure that children are safe when spending time with family members. As a result, one family visit had to be cut short as a family member was misusing substances.

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

During one significant incident, a child was returned to the home by the police and reported to be heavily intoxicated. Staff were not present upon the arrival of the police as they were actively searching for the child, and when they arrived home the child was found to be in bed sleeping. Staff sought medical attention when they became concerned about the child's breathing. However, the manager has failed to take effective action in raising concerns about other safeguarding professionals.

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

There have been incidents where children have smoked substances in their bedrooms. Inspectors found a lack of robust strategies to ensure that staff minimise this risk. Additionally, the fire risk assessment was not updated to reflect these incidents, despite advice being given from the independent person some months earlier.

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

There was an incident when a previous child inappropriately filmed another child. Records show that some work was undertaken with the child to address their online safety. However, this could have been more targeted and focused to ensure that the child was supported to stay safe online in the future.

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

There is not a consistent approach to risk management. For example, it is not clear how managers and staff mitigate the risk of children bringing items into the home, such as ketamine, cannabis and lighters.

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

When children are missing from home, staff take appropriate action in line with children's plans. The records of incidents are sometimes incomplete with return home interviews not consistently completed by the placing authority.

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

Risk and behaviour support plans are reviewed. However, these plans are not always updated to include new or emerging information in relation to children's vulnerabilities. This includes uncertainty about the time that children can spend in the community, confusion over required staffing levels and the arrangements for children travelling safely in vehicles. This does not enable staff to respond safely and consistently to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not delivering care and support that is consistent with the home's statement of purpose. Additionally, managers have failed to understand children's needs when they move into the home. This has had an adverse impact on children's safety and overall experiences. Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 5 The manager is experienced and there is a consistent staff team in place. Staff say that they feel well supported and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not consistently demonstrate learning from safeguarding incidents to support improvements in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have completed several training courses. However, staff have not undertaken training around foetal alcohol syndrome, despite this being a known condition of one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of incidents is not robust. Records are inconsistent and contain conflicting information. In some cases, it is difficult to fully determine the clear timeline of events.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not always make the regulator aware of serious incidents in the home. This means that the regulator does not have full oversight of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 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 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; and

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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 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health; and (Regulation 12 (a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that staff understand their role and responsibility in keeping children safe and that risk management plans clearly set out children's risks and the actions that staff need to take to manage children's risks and behaviours. 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 7 *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

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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;

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that leaders, managers and staff have a thorough understanding of the needs and risks of all children living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders and managers review all incidents to identify any learning. 19 June 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 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 8 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; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child's relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child's parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all children's records contain accurate information, and these are updated following incidents. 19 June 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)) 19 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 9 understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the carpet is replaced on the stairs, the office door is repainted and external areas of the home are not littered with cigarette ends.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2780495 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Seaside Child Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 54 Wood Street, Lytham St. Annes FY8 1QG

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Claire Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2780495 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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