Children's Home run by Mon Ami Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 managed and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 3 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 home was registered with Ofsted in October 2025. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2026.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 20 and 21 May 2025. Two compliance notices relating to regulation 12 and regulation 14 were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 17 June 2025, an early monitoring inspection was undertaken to address serious concerns raised by the provider. During the visit, the inspector identified serious and widespread concerns about the care and protection of children. Ofsted took immediate action to suspend the home on that day.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the monitoring visit on the 2 July 2025, most staff had left. Only 2 workers remained and they moved to another home in the company. There was no registered manager in place, and the home was being overseen by the responsible individual. The provider outlined plans to recruit a new manager and staff team. Despite these plans, leaders and managers had not taken sufficient action to meet the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the monitoring visit on the 1 September 2025, the provider had not identified a manager to lead and manage the home. Additionally, there were no staff currently working in the home. The responsible individual had handed in their notice and was due to leave. The provider had not outlined clear plans in respect of who would fulfil this role.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A case review was held on 5 September 2025. Steps were taken to ensure that children did not move in until an appropriate manager, responsible individual and staff team had been recruited and that the home could provide a suitable environment for children to live in.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted imposed a condition on this home on 5 September 2025 under section 13 of the Care Standards Act 2000. The condition is that the registered person must inform Ofsted of their intention to accommodate children in the home at least 3 months before any child is accommodated. This measure was introduced as the directors of the organisation had been clear that they did not intend for any children to move in until they have made changes to the home environment and recruited new leadership and a more experienced staff team.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The provider informed Ofsted of their intention that children will move into the home and a monitoring visit took place on the 3 March 2026 to consider the removal of the condition.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following this monitoring visit, a case review was held on 10 March 2026, where it was agreed that the condition could be removed. The manager and responsible individual have also been deemed suitable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Inadequate 17/03/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

The home recently reopened with a new leadership and staff team with varied experience. There has been a focus on staff development and training.

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Summary of findings

A child has recently moved to the home, and the staff are in the early stages of developing relationships and establishing healthy routines.

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Summary of findings

Practice is not yet consistently effective, weaknesses in effective monitoring of a bedroom door alarm contributed to a missing-from-home episode. The manager took prompt action during the visit to address practice in this area.

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improvement to be good

One child has recently moved into the home on an emergency basis. The manager obtained information available about the child in a limited time frame to be able to understand the child’s needs. The decision to move the child into the home was deemed to be in their best interests. However, the information gathered did not fully consider the impact of the child being placed a significant distance from their local area or the potential challenges this could present.

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improvement to be good

The child has been out of education for a prolonged period, and the manager is engaging with the virtual school to secure suitable education or learning opportunities in line with the child’s needs. However, the absence of a structured daytime routine means the child is not experiencing regular sleeping patterns or meals times.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain positive relationships with their family. This helps the child to stay connected to their loved ones and supports their identity.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are understood, and staff are encouraging the child to attend health-related appointments despite their reluctance to engage with services. Therapeutic support is available for the child from the in-house therapist to support the child’s emotional wellbeing and help them to understand their lived experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff are in the early stages of building relationships and trust with the child. Staff are offering the child opportunities to express their wishes and feelings informally through daily conversations. The child can choose their meals and activities for the week should they wish to. Staff are trying to encourage the child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child lives in a warm and comfortable environment and is being encouraged to personalise their bedroom to support a sense of belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

The home uses bedroom door alarms in line with the child’s care plan, with appropriate consent from the child and placing authority. However, on one occasion when the alarm was activated, staff did not sufficiently check the child’s whereabouts in the home. This resulted in the child leaving the home without staff knowledge, meaning that monitoring arrangements were not consistently effective.

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improvement to be good

Staff worked closely with police when the child went missing. They searched the local area and notified all professionals. However, there were missed opportunities to escalate concerns further with the placing authority when key professionals could not be contacted. Managers and staff did not consider searching beyond the local area.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff are aware of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff are still getting to know the child and are continuing to develop their understanding of their individual experiences, risks and ongoing support needs. Appropriate risk management and behavioural support plans are in place to support staff practice.

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

Since reopening, the home has undergone significant changes, including the appointment of a new registered manager, responsible individual and staff team. The manager is experienced and is developing and embedding new systems and processes to support the effective running of the home and improve the quality of care provided to children.

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

Recruitment records identified some inconsistencies between employment history dates provided by applicants and dates obtained through references. Managers have not completed evaluation to demonstrate how discrepancies have been considered and addressed. Additionally, employment histories are not consistently recorded with specific dates. This limits the ability to explore gaps in employment and fully assess suitability.

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

The manager is child focused and is committed to achieving positive outcomes for the child. Staff spoken to shared that they feel well supported in their roles.

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

The members of the staff team have varied levels of experience, and the manager is dedicated to developing staff practice through ongoing training and professional development. In addition, the manager uses a range of approaches to enhance learning, including scenario-based discussions and quizzes. Continued focus is needed to ensure this is fully embedded into day-to-day practice.

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

Staff have regular supervision sessions, which provide opportunities for reflection on practice and allow the manager to review and test staff knowledge. In addition, team meetings are held, which provide a forum for sharing updates, discussing practice and engaging in further learning to upskill staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

The manager has several monitoring systems in place to oversee the quality of care provided for children. However, processes for escalating concerns are not yet fully robust. The manager has identified where practice could be strengthened and is committed to ongoing improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities when bedroom door alarms are activated, including the need to promptly check the child’s whereabouts and take appropriate action to ensure the child’s wellbeing.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is appropriate consideration of the need to search for children beyond the local area where available information or risk assessment indicates this may be necessary. 3 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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

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

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are consistently helped to form healthy daily routines and are encouraged to engage in activities and enrichment to promote their wellbeing.

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience to support the child and lead a team to deliver consistent high-quality care for children.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that, where key professionals cannot be contacted, there is a clear escalation process to promote the welfare of children.

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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, 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

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that recruitment processes are robust and that any discrepancies identified within employment histories and references are appropriately explored, recorded and evaluated to demonstrate that safer recruitment practices are consistently followed. 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that placement matching considers and evaluates the impact of a child being placed significantly outside of their home area, including any potential barriers this may present. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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: 2798154 11 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat B, 149 Albion Road, London N16 9JU

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Inspector

Shauna Morley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 12 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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