Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed. They have applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken to during the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: On 2 October 2025 , a notice was issued to urgently suspend the manager’s registration. Following a case review on 13 October 2025, a decision was made to lift the suspension with immediate effect. Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. The child is settled in the home and has formed positive relationships with staff. Staff encourage the child to engage in activities to support their physical and emotional wellbeing. While the child is not currently in formal education, they are being supported to access other educational opportunities inside and outside the home. There is effective multi-agency working, which supports positive outcomes for the child. The home benefits from a stable manager who is child centred in her approach.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers carefully plan and manage moves for children into and out of the home. Before moving in, the child had the opportunity to visit the home and meet members of staff to help them prepare for the transition.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met. They have regular contact with health professionals and are supported by staff to attend routine appointments and access specialist services when required. Staff also speak with the child about making healthy choices, including conversations about the risks associated with e-cigarettes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making some progress in respect of their education. They are currently being supported to access tuition alongside additional educational activities arranged by staff both in the home and the community. Staff also encourage the child to explore other areas of interest, including writing poetry and drawing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to engage in activities that promote their interests and enhance their physical and emotional wellbeing. This includes swimming, walking and going to the gym. Staff also support the child to develop their independence skills through activities including shopping, budgeting and preparing meals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s time with their family is sensitively supported. Staff provide supervision to enable a more flexible approach. This helps the child to maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child in caring for pets in the home. However, leaders and managers have failed to put a risk assessment in place to ensure that the child is able to safely look after them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a comfortable, clean home and has been supported to personalise their bedroom. However, some items in the home need repair, including a kitchen cupboard door and a dining room chair. Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 4

p.3

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

Leaders and managers have ensured that individual risk assessments are carried out for the child. This ensures that staff have clear guidance in relation to the actions they should take if identified risks increase. However, staff have not always followed the guidance when the child has gone missing from the home, and there have been long periods when staff have not actively searched for the child.

p.4

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

Staff respond calmly to the child and use de-escalation techniques. When physical intervention is used, it is used as a last resort to protect the child and staff. Managers ensure that conversations are held with the child and the staff members involved following incidents.

p.4

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

When incidents of self-harming behaviour occur, staff offer first aid and ensure that the child receives appropriate medical support. However, the manager does not ensure that staff carry out room searches and remove items that could be potentially harmful to the child in a timely way.

p.4

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

The manager works closely with the wider professional network to ensure that there is a robust and consistent understanding of the legal measures in place to promote the child’s safety.

p.4

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

When concerns are identified in staff practice, they are quickly addressed. Leaders and managers ensure that investigations are carried out in line with safeguarding practice and company policy, including following relevant disciplinary procedures.

p.4

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed. This ensures that those working in the home are suitable to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed. The manager has experience as a registered manager in another home. They have applied to register with Ofsted. The manager is child centred in her approach and advocates on behalf of the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team, and staff report feeling supported in their roles by leaders and managers. Staff members are supported to progress through robust development plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, during which they can discuss the emotional impact of their work, and conversations are held about any concerns relating to practice. In addition, staff receive annual appraisals to review their performance and consider any training or development needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 5 Team meetings are held on a regular basis and are well attended. However, the meetings do not always provide staff with the opportunity to reflect and share their knowledge. This prevents additional learning opportunities for staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive appropriate training that is specific to the child’s individual needs. This ensures that staff have the skills required to confidently meet the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, especially when children are missing from the home. Staff must follow the child’s 25 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 7 risk assessment and actively search for the child until they have safely returned.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that, following an incident of self-harm in a child’s room, staff actively search the room to ensure that any items used by the child are safely removed.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that issues of maintenance in the home are addressed. Specifically, ensure that the missing cabinet door and damaged dining room chair are replaced. 25 September 2026

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, where pets live in the home, there is a clear risk assessment in place that is regularly reviewed to ensure that they can be cared for safely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff have access to appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. This particularly relates to ensuring that team meetings are reflective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 8

p.7

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: 2766766 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor, Seneca House, Links Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 2FF

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Titterington

p.9

Inspectors

Ruth Mortimer-Jones, Social Care Inspector Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2766766 10 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.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10