Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 1 SC063103 Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities 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 is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 5 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. One child was spoken to by the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 4 November 2025

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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: SC063103 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2025 Full Good 13/03/2024 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 3

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Summary of findings

Children do not consistently receive stable, high-quality care they need due to staffing shortages. Weaknesses in management oversight have resulted in inconsistent practice including shortfalls in care planning, communication support, the promotion of one child’s cultural identity, staff development and the maintenance of the home.

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Summary of findings

Staff promote education, health and family relationships. Staff respond sensitively to children’s emotional wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

The new manager has identified the areas for improvement and has begun to make positive changes. These changes are not embedded into practice to ensure that children consistently receive good-quality care.

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improvement to be good

Both children have lived in the home for a sustained period. A small number of long- standing staff know the children well. The home relies heavily on agency staff to cover shifts. Children do not always receive consistent care from the adults who know them well. This limits opportunities to build trusting relationships and reduces stability of the children’s day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently promote one child’s communication. Staff miss opportunities to develop the child’s communication during daily routines. Visual aids are not consistently available or used. This means the child has fewer opportunities to express choices and develop communication skills.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are generally met. Children receive medication safely to meet their health needs. When one member of staff made a recording error, the manager addressed it promptly and arranged additional training without delay. Out-of-date health plans have impacted on staff oversight. This resulted in one child’s routine dental check being missed.

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improvement to be good

Both children attend School. Staff work closely with school to understand and promote children’s needs. Staff share information to support consistency between the home and school. The manager has challenged drift and delays from partner agencies when exploring further education options for one child.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote children’s relationships with family. Staff support one child to visit the resting place of family members. They encourage meaningful conversations about the child’s feelings. The manager has challenged barriers that prevent one child from spending time with their sibling. This has supported the child to feel listened to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 4 Staff have not fully considered children’s cultural needs. One child’s heritage and first language are not reflected in their care. This means the child’s cultural identity is not reflected in their care experience.

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improvement to be good

One child had trouble attending their prom, and this caused the child upset and confusion. The manager responded sensitively and arranged a prom at home. This transformed a difficult experience into a positive and meaningful memory for the child.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual needs are considered when planning activities. Children have enjoyed new experiences, such as trips to sensory rooms, dancing clubs and a holiday for one child.

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improvement to be good

The manager has taken positive steps to improve the home. Recent improvements include new flooring. Several areas remain worn and tired, which detract from a homely environment.

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improvement to be good

Staff keep children safe. Weak systems impact the manager’s oversight of risk assessments. The manager does not always know whether staff have read and understand children’s risks.

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improvement to be good

The manager has removed internal locks from communal areas following a previous inspection requirement. This has improved children’s access to shared spaces. Access to the garden remains restricted. There are no identified risks associated with children using this area. This reduces opportunities for children to enjoy the full use of their home environment.

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improvement to be good

No physical interventions have been required to keep children safe. Staff use de- escalation strategies to support children when they experience distress. The manager models these approaches well and supports staff to respond positively to children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff have supported one child to develop their independence, including using a mobile phone safely. Staff have explored potential risks with the child. This included online safety and knowing what action to take should staff have concerns. This has helped the child develop confidence while understanding how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

The manager has taken appropriate action following concerns about how an incident was managed by school staff. The manager has notified wider agencies and made a referral to the local authority designated officer. The manager highlighted the impact on the child’s emotional wellbeing and ensured that the child’s experiences are considered.

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

Leadership changes have affected the stability of the home. The registered manager has left. A new manager has taken up post and has applied to register with Ofsted. The Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 5 manager understands the areas that require improvement and has started to make changes. Staffing shortages limit the manager’s ability to complete this work. The manager regularly works on shift to maintain safe staffing levels. This reduces the time available to focus on management responsibilities.

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

Senior leaders have not fully considered the impact on staffing pressures on the manager’s capacity. The manager faces significant demands due to staff vacancies and reliance on agency staff. Leaders and the manager recognise this challenge and continue to recruit to improve workforce stability.

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

The manager has started to update children’s plans. Updated plans reflect children’s current needs, experiences and goals. They use child-centred language and reflect children as individuals. The manager has not updated all necessary plans for children. Staffing pressures and limited staff expertise prevent the manager from delegating this work effectively.

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

Staff complete mandatory training. However, staffing pressures have delayed specialist training identified by the manager. Not all staff hold the required qualifications for their roles. This means staff do not always have the knowledge, skills and experience required to consistently meet children’s complex needs.

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

The manager has not completed a review of the quality of care provided. This limits opportunities to evaluate children’s experiences and identify improvements needed across the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 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 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h) 27 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 27 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 7 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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff use and understand children’s communication tools.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s cultural needs are considered in relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that ongoing maintenance to the home is completed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 8 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (1)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the use of locks on communal doors does not prevent children from accessing all safe areas of the home, including the garden.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 August 2026

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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 are updated, hold all relevant information and are signed by the author.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. 27 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 9 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)( 4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, 27 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 10 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 11 This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff have completed their qualification in line with regulation.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The manager should ensure that staff have the allocated time and access to appropriate specialist training to help them improve the quality of care for children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC063103 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shona Wands Alderson

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Inspectors

Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Julia Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063103 13 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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