Children's Home run by Canary House Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 1 Registered provider: Canary House Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and spoke with the inspector about their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected, their welfare is not promoted, and the care and experiences of children are poor.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since registration: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 2

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Summary of findings

There are significant shortfalls in staff practice when incidents occur. As a result, children are not always safeguarded effectively, and their welfare is compromised. When children make allegations, leaders and managers do not take swift action to address concerns to keep them safe. Leaders and managers do not consistently identify or address shortfalls in staff practice effectively. As a result, several significant incidents have been poorly managed, affecting children’s experiences and placing them at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child was not provided with the opportunity to experience a positive ending when they moved out of the home. Leaders and managers gave immediate notice following a series of incidents that had not been managed effectively by staff. This meant that the child’s time at the home ended abruptly and without the support needed to help them move on positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Before moving out of the home, the child had some extremely poor experiences. Staff did not have the confidence or skills needed to manage incidents effectively, which often resulted in situations escalating. They were not always able to manage the child’s behaviour or keep them safe. This was made worse by relationships between the child and some staff members not being consistently positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When another child moved into the home, leaders and managers did not consider the sleeping arrangements for staff. As a result, staff sleep in the lounge, which means the child is unable to access shared areas of the home at certain times. This has a negative impact on the child’s use and enjoyment of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child said that agency staff work at the home regularly, and they do not like being cared for by people they do not know. This does not promote the child’s sense of security, stability or consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not receive training that is sufficiently relevant to the children’s individual needs. In particular, staff do not have a clear enough understanding of caring for children who have a deprivation of liberty order in place. As a result, staff do not always understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to children’s liberty, and children’s freedoms have been restricted unnecessarily at times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is generally well maintained. However, the child’s bedroom contains damaged furniture and has not been personalised in line with the child’s preferences. Additionally, handles on windows throughout the home have been removed, meaning that the windows remain permanently closed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 3 There are some positive experiences for children. One child said that they like living at the home and are developing positive relationships with the permanent members of staff. Staff spend time with the child and engage in activities together, including board games and colouring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

A professional said that they are happy with the care provided to the child currently living at the home. They praised the staff team’s collaborative approach and proactive communication.

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

Children’s welfare and safety are routinely compromised. Not all staff have the skills, experience or confidence to manage children’s behaviours and keep them safe. Staff do not always take appropriate or effective action to safeguard children. When children go missing, staff do not always search for them. This means that children are placed at unnecessary risk of harm.

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

When there are concerns about children’s emotional health or self-harm, staff do not consistently monitor their wellbeing or seek medical advice in accordance with their plans. Following incidents of self-harm, staff do not always check children’s bedrooms to ensure that there are no items that could be used to cause further harm. Furthermore, medical advice is not consistently sought when it is needed.

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

When children raise complaints or make allegations about staff, leaders and managers do not take prompt action to address these concerns and ensure that children are safe. On occasions, staff have continued to care for children for a period after concerns have been raised. This suggests to children that they are not being listened to or believed when they raise concerns about staff.

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

Staff do not consistently use effective de-escalation strategies when children are distressed or displaying challenging behaviour. Police are regularly called to help manage incidents, resulting in children being arrested and criminalised. Such experiences are not positive for children and do not support their welfare or wellbeing.

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

Staff allowed one child to vape in the home. This does not demonstrate a proactive approach to helping the child understand the health implications and risks associated with vaping.

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

Records of restraint do not always contain all the information required by regulation. This limits effective oversight of restraint practice and makes it difficult to identify whether restraint is being used appropriately.

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

The recording and reporting of incidents are poor. Records do not always provide a full account of what has happened or the circumstances surrounding incidents, including incidents of self-harm. The language used in records is not consistently child centred or therapeutic. Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 4 Leaders and managers do not always notify Ofsted when serious incidents occur. This limits regulatory oversight of significant events at the home and reduces the opportunity for scrutiny and challenge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is managed by a registered manager and deputy manager. However, management oversight is ineffective. The registered manager is not sufficiently visible at the home and regularly works at another location. This limits their ability to oversee practice directly, identify concerns promptly and provide effective support and development opportunities for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Shortfalls in staff practice, particularly in relation to incidents and the use of punitive measures, are not consistently identified or addressed. There have been serious incidents where leaders and managers have failed to recognise significant safeguarding concerns or take effective action. Staff do not receive the support, challenge and guidance they need to improve their practice and keep children safe on a consistent basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When planning for children to move into the home, the registered manager does not always adequately consider staffing sufficiency. As a result, the child currently living at the home is regularly cared for by inconsistent adults who they do not know. The child said that they do not like this arrangement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff receive training to meet children’s individual needs. As a result, children are cared for by staff who do not always have the necessary skills and knowledge required to meet their needs or keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff approaches are not consistently child centred or therapeutic. Some responses are punitive rather than understanding and supporting the children’s needs. For example, on one occasion, staff removed a child’s access to their coat to encourage them to return home. This does not promote positive relationships or help children feel safe or understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager and deputy manager do not record their working hours on the home’s rota. As a result, there is no complete and accurate record of who is working at the home and caring for children at any given time. Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action to safeguard children. The registered person must ensure that staff follow children’s plans to keep them safe, specifically when they are missing or where there are concerns about their emotional health and self-harm. 6 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 6 Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills, experience and confidence to de-escalate incidents to ensure that police are not used to manage children’s behaviour and children are not criminalised unnecessarily.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that they take effective and swift action when children raise complaints or make allegations against staff.

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 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 6 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 7 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place to ensure that any shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that children are cared for by a consistent and suitably skilled staff team that receives relevant training to meet the children’s needs.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that that staff have the skills and experience to meet the needs of children who move into the home. 27 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 8 Additionally, the registered person must ensure that children are afforded a positive ending when they move on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff do not sleep in communal areas of the home. 27 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that, when children are restrained, records are clear and contain all the information required by regulation. 27 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 9 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 27 September 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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that incident records are accurate, comprehensive, and contain a full account of the circumstances surrounding the incident. 27 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home’s rota accurately reflects the hours worked by all staff, including the manager and deputy manager. 27 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely environment that is well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 10

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2855034 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Canary House Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 36 Glebe Road, London N3 2AX

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Inspector

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2855034 12 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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