Children's Home run by Yourcare (Northwest) Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 1 Registered provider: Yourcare (Northwest) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the 1 child who lived at the home has had a planned moved on in line with their care plan. On the day of inspection, another child was moving into the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The register manager post has been vacant since December 2025. Since the last inspection, the manager has left. A new manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Care planning for the child’s move into the home is not thorough. When assessing and reviewing the referral information, the manager did not identify all the actions staff needed to take to support the child. As a result, the child moved into the home without the right support in place to manage their allergies, including access to an EpiPen and staff training. This places the child at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk management plans do not give staff clear guidance on carrying out room searches following concerns about substance misuse, preventing online risks or maintaining appropriate staffing levels. Staff added a safety control to the child’s phone incorrectly and did not take action to correct it. These shortfalls place the child at risk of harm and leave staff without the guidance they need to respond safely and effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice mean staff do not safeguard the child effectively. Staff do not always intervene to prevent the child from self-harming or harming others. In addition, the child has left the home several times at night, and staff have not always taken appropriate action. On one occasion, the child threatened and attempted to go over a bridge on a dual carriageway, and staff did not call the emergency services.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not always take appropriate action following safeguarding incidents. For example, staff delayed carrying out room searches after self-harming incidents. When staff completed room searches, they did not always do them thoroughly enough to make sure the child could not access harmful items. In addition, when the child returned from missing-from-home incidents, staff did not always check on their welfare. This places the child at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not consistently follow the child’s safety plan. After one missing-from-home incident, the police returned the child and reported that they were under the influence of alcohol. Staff delayed seeking medical advice. When they did seek advice, they used an online service, causing further delay and placing the child at risk.

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Findings from the inspection

Direct work with the child is not effective. Staff do not always speak with the child after incidents. This is a missed opportunity to help the child develop strategies to manage their emotions and to educate them about risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Records show that managers have reviewed safeguarding incidents. However, they do not always identify shortfalls in staff practice. When they do identify shortfalls, they do not always share this information with staff to improve practice. In addition, Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 4 staff and the child do not always take part in debriefs after safeguarding incidents. When debriefs do take place, they are not always reflective. This limits opportunities for staff to learn from incidents and improve how they support children.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to staffing shortages, the manager works shifts, including waking nights. This creates a conflict between the manager’s operational and leadership responsibilities and reduces management capacity. As a result, management oversight is not consistently effective. For example, the manager did not explore how the child accessed a lighter from the staff office. The manager also failed to identify poor staff recording of safeguarding incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to the significant shortfalls identified, and following a case review on 20 July 2026, compliance notices have been issued under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/04/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/05/2025 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vii)(b)(e)) 6 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 7 The registered provider must ensure that staff take action to safeguard the child at all times, including when they present a risk of harm to themselves and others.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must that staff check on the child’s welfare when they have returned from a missing incident.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must that staff follow the child’s safety plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must that plans are in place to safeguard the child from all known risks and that these plans include clear guidance for staff to follow.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding to meet the child’s needs and manage risks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that meaningful work is completed with the child to help them understand how to keep safe. This should include following all incidents.

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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;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 6 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 8 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h)

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must that there is oversight of all of the care being provided in the home. This includes ensuring that care is provided to children in line with their plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all incidents are reviewed and that all shortfalls in staff practice are identified and action is taken to address these. This should also include undertaking debriefs with the child and staff following all incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that follow up actions identified following incidents are completed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff develop their knowledge, skills and understanding to undertake their role effectively and to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that leaders and managers monitor and review staff practice, identify any development needs and take action to address these.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 6 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 9 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, The registered provider must ensure that staff have the skills to be able to de-escalate violent behaviour by children. That staff communicate with the child around expectations regards their behaviour and help the child to develop skills to resolve conflict.

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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 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 6 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 10 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, The registered provider must ensure that when a child is admitted to the home, they are able to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff identify all known risks and support needs within the plans. The plans must also contain an explanation of how staff will support the child.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that safeguarding incident records are recorded in detail, include times when the child has left the home and actions taken by staff to support the child. 6 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the children’s home environment meets the needs of the children that it homely, maintained to a good standard and free from hazards. Specifically, that action is taken to remove items being stored in the electric and boiler unit. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.3 and page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Yourcare (Northwest) ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 64 St. Georges Park, Kirkham, Preston PR4 2DZ

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Inspector

Michelle McGrath, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821688 12 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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Inspector

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