Children's Home run by Panacea Children’s Services Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 1 Registered provider: Panacea Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 child who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 2

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Summary of findings

The child living at the home is not making progress. Staff provide loving and nurturing care; however, they have not yet established mutual respect and trust with the child. This impacts on the effectiveness of boundaries and rules and has placed children at risk of harm. A long-term staff absence impacted on the consistency of care provided to the child and on the management and leadership of the home.

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improvement to be good

The progress and experiences of the child living at the home are mixed. The child is not settled at the home, and their risks and vulnerabilities have increased since they moved in. Staff talk about the child with warmth and they provide child-centred, nurturing care. Staff have not yet built a trusted relationship with the child.

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improvement to be good

Since the home opened, 3 children have moved in and 2 have moved out. Children’s experiences of moving out of the home are varied. Staff supported one child to gradually move back in with a family member, and the child had a positive experience. However, one child did not move out in a planned way. Children’s moves into the home were well organised and child centred.

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improvement to be good

The child’s progress with education is limited. Since living at the home, their attendance has decreased. The manager has strongly advocated for suitable educational provision to meet the child’s needs, and this is now in place for the new term. However, staff do not provide regular learning opportunities for the child when they do not attend school.

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improvement to be good

The child is not in a structured or healthy routine. Staff encourage the child to engage with them and with activities; however, this is not always effective. The child has irregular sleep and eating patterns.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain contact with people who are important to them. They communicate regularly with family members and previous carers for the benefit of the child. One family member said, ‘Staff are always helpful and they keep in touch with me.’

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improvement to be good

The child lives in a modern and spacious home. Shared areas are adequately furnished, and the child’s bedroom is personalised to their taste. However, staff do not regularly help the child to maintain a clean and tidy bedroom. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 3

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improvement to be good

The child’s risks and vulnerabilities are known by staff and documented in risk and behaviour management plans. However, some information refers to another child, and guidance for staff to follow does not always occur in practice.

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improvement to be good

The frequency of missing-from-home episodes increased after the child had lived at the home for a few weeks. When the child goes missing from home, staff take swift and appropriate action, and the manager works proactively with other agencies to ensure that the child returns home safely. A social worker said, ‘The staff could not have done more.’

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to maintain rules and boundaries. However, this has not always been effective and has led to the child, and another child, who has now moved out, to be at risk of harm. Staffing arrangements during these incidents impeded staff’s ability to fully safeguard the children. The manager did not notify Ofsted of the concerns, which limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff plan conversations with the child about relevant issues. However, discussions are not always meaningful or followed up if staff identify that the child did not fully engage.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in a therapeutic parenting model, which they use in their everyday practice. A therapist regularly visits the home to help staff implement the model for the benefit of the child.

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

The manager is hard-working, child centred and caring. He is supported by experienced and committed senior leaders. However, the manager has resigned from his post and will be leaving soon. Senior managers have taken swift action to fill the position.

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

The manager has often worked additional hours to cover staff absences. On occasion, this has impacted on his emotional wellbeing and ability to carry out his management role. Staff do not always complete their allocated duties and need regular prompts to ensure that the needs of the child are met.

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

Staff say that they enjoy working at the home. They feel supported by the manager and senior leaders. One team member described the manager as ‘approachable and supportive’ and said he was ‘invested in the staff and the children’.

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

Staff benefit from regular training opportunities to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. This includes bespoke training from the contracted therapist to help equip them with the skills to meet the child’s current and emerging needs.

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

Staff team meetings and supervision sessions are regular and well organised. They focus on the children’s wellbeing and progress and provide opportunities to reflect on practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 4 The manager works proactively and effectively with other agencies and professionals. He advocates for the child and communicates regularly with key stakeholders. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 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; and help each child to understand how to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a) (i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that relationships between children are safe, and that all risk assessments contain up-to-date and relevant information with clear steps for staff to follow should an incident arise. 6 November 2026

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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 positive responses to other children and adults (Regulation 11 (1) (a)(b)(c)) 6 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 6 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 6 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that each child is provided with opportunities for learning when they are not attending school. In addition, the registered person must ensure that the quality of recordings of key-worker sessions is meaningful and that staff provide follow-up sessions to reinforce and promote further learning when needed.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported and encouraged to maintain a healthy routine that promotes their physical and emotional wellbeing. In addition, the registered person must ensure that staffing arrangements adequately meet the needs of the children. 6 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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)(e)) 6 November 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that routines are established to allow for children’s bedrooms to be cleaned regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 7

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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: 2850619 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Panacea Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unity House, Westwood Park Drive, Wigan WN3 4HE

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Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2850619 9 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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