Children's Home run by Lancashire Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 1 Registered provider: Lancashire Care Group Limited 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 organisation. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026.

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Information about this children's home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, one child has remained living at the home. Staff have supported the child to make some progress when considering their individual starting point. Staff work in partnership with wider agencies to balance managing complex risks while supporting the child to develop independence skills. Leaders and managers take an active role in the child's care and provide effective oversight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and have a good understanding of their needs. They have demonstrated resilience and commitment to the child's care. Staff work hard to build positive and open relationships with the child. This helps the child feel comfortable sharing their experiences, supporting staff to help keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child's plans are detailed and reflect their individual needs. They are regularly reviewed and updated, and staff support the child to engage in their own care planning. Staff support the child to attend important meetings and ensure that their views are sought both before and after. This ensures that the child's voice is heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are persistent in encouraging the child to access health care. When appointments are refused, they are quickly rearranged, and conversations take place to help the child understand the importance of them. This has resulted in the child accessing health appointments and treatments, which is real progress for them. The child has been provided with the opportunity to access specialist support, including access to private dental care. However, staff have not been proactive in removing barriers to ensure that the child has easy access to prescription toothpaste. This has had a detrimental impact on the child's oral hygiene.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the child's engagement in education, training or employment. They have continually sought alternative options when the child has struggled to access mainstream education. This has enabled the child to access online courses and bespoke employability courses. Staff support informal learning at the home and help them to develop their independence skills. This helps the child prepare for future independent living.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child's risks and the plans in place to keep them safe. Risk assessments for the child are clear, personalised and regularly updated following incidents. This supports staff to provide a consistent response in safeguarding the child. Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 4 Staff respond to safeguarding incidents for the child with empathy and care. They understand the importance of balancing the child's risks with their need for independence. They work closely with wider professionals, including regular planning meetings, which involve the child. This has supported the gradual removal of restrictions when the child has been subject to a deprivation of liberty order.

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

When the child is missing from the home, there is an effective response from the staff team. Staff search known addresses and the local community, at times throughout the night. They are also proactive in trying to prevent incidents of the child being missing, for example, intervening when the child has tried to leave by taxi.

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

There is an effective response to complaints and allegations. Leaders and managers follow procedures to ensure that concerns are taken seriously and that there is external scrutiny of practice.

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

When there are incidents of the child being under the influence of substances, staff take action to ensure their wellbeing. However, there has not always been a proactive response to reassessing the strategies in place to manage the risks of the child smoking at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a registered manager in post who is supported by a strong deputy. Leaders and managers know the child well and are actively involved in their care. They provide detailed and evaluative oversight across incidents for the child. This allows them to review the plans in place effectively to safeguard the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team have established positive relationships with wider professionals. Professionals say that staff have positive relationships with the child and that their communication is effective. One professional said that the information shared by staff has helped to disrupt exploitation for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly of the support they receive from leaders and managers. They say that they are approachable and they receive regular supervision. One member of staff spoke about feeling comfortable to ask questions due to the non-judgement and supportive approach from the management team. This provides staff with a positive learning environment where they can develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers advocate for the child. They provide professional challenge when they do not feel decisions are being made in the child's best interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff are aware of the recording process when implementing consequences for the child. This impacts the effectiveness of monitoring and review to evaluate the measures implemented for the child. Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 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

The health and well-being standard is that—

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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

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. (Regulation 10 (1)(c) (2)(a)(ii)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they are proactive in promoting children's dental hygiene and removing any barriers that may hinder this. 4 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is followed and that all consequences are recorded and reviewed in line with the home's policy. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46, paragraph 9.34).  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risk of substance misuse in the home and are proactive in implementing strategies to address this risk. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5).

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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 Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 6 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: 2797361 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Lancashire Care Group Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 9 Richmond Avenue, Wrea Green PR4 2NJ

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Inspector

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2797361 8 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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