Children's Home run by Lindum Care Ltd in Bury

Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 1 Registered provider: Lindum 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 operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025. This was the home’s first inspection since registration. At the time of the inspection, the manager was not working in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

One child has lived in the home since it was registered. At the time of the inspection, there were no children living in the home.

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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 and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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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 last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 2

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Summary of findings

The child’s experience of living at the home was poor. Managers failed to assess the child’s needs effectively, and, subsequently, staff were ill equipped to meet the child’s needs safely. Poor restraint practice and police callouts occurred regularly to manage challenges that the child presented. This was because staff did not have the experience, training or guidance to care for the child appropriately. This left the child and staff at risk of harm.

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Summary of findings

Management oversight of the home is ineffective because it does not identify and address concerns, including poor staff practice. Newly recruited managers have left due to concerns about established management practices in respect of staff induction, support and supervision.

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Summary of findings

Despite significant failings, the child got on well with some staff and enjoyed going out on some activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor care planning by managers meant that the child’s needs were not understood, and so staff were not well prepared to care for the child. As a result, staff responses to the child’s needs and behaviours were ineffective, leading to an escalation in risks to the child and other people. The child moved from the home abruptly after being arrested by the police, who were called to the home to help staff who did not have the skills to manage a challenging situation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Guidance to staff from the manager about how to care for the child changed regularly. This left staff confused and unsure about how to respond to the child’s needs consistently. Consequently, the child also experienced confusion. This did not help the child to feel safe, well cared for or understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The staff’s therapeutic approach was guided by the manager and a clinician, who was employed to provide consultation to the staff team. However, the guidance staff received contributed to the child’s emotional distress. For example, staff videoed the child when the child was angry and upset to help them to develop behaviour management strategies. This inappropriate practice does not help children feel safe or secure and was not effectively challenged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some records are not written in a way that is helpful to the child. Daily records contain blaming language and demonstrate that the staff did not know the child or their needs. Some staff who have cared for the child are referred to by their job title. This does not help the child to look back on and understand more about who looked after them during their time living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 3 The child was not in formal education. A tutor attended the home during the week to do some alternative learning with the child. During the time the child was in the home, plans to enrol the child into formal education did not progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child got on well with some of the staff and enjoyed going on activities. Staff maintained relationships and regular communication with the child’s family members. One parent said they were kept informed about the child’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home, including the children’s bedrooms, is well decorated, modern and spacious. Any damage and maintenance needs in the property are addressed promptly.

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

The child was restrained regularly by staff, and police were called to the home by staff to manage the child’s behaviours. However, decisions to call the police were not child- centred but a result of staff not having the skills to meet the child’s needs. On occasion, threats were made by staff to call the police as a behaviour management strategy. Such strategies added to the child’s emotional distress.

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

Restraint records have been altered without the involvement of the staff members who wrote them. This has led to records containing inaccuracies. This concerning practice does not help relevant professionals to know what happened to the child or understand if staff practice is safe and proportionate. Furthermore, management oversight of incidents does not fully consider learning points to prevent such incidents reoccurring. This does not help develop effective behaviour management strategies or keep children safe.

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

Managers have not ensured that safer recruitment processes are followed. This prevents them from being assured that children are cared for by suitable people. A member of staff was employed to work in the home without all safer recruitment checks having been returned. Despite there being a risk assessment in place about not being left alone with the child, this was not adhered to. This had the potential to compromise the child’s safety.

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

Medication is not administered competently by suitably trained staff. On occasion, the child did not receive their medication, despite it being an important part of their care needs. Shortfalls in planning and staffing arrangements contributed to this. Sometimes, medication was administered by untrained staff who were guided remotely over a video call. These concerns about medication management expose children to potential harm.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are rare. When they do occur, the staff respond quickly to return the child home safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Frequent changes in managers have led to instability and a lack of clear oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. Senior managers in the organisation did not take prompt action to understand and address the underlying reasons for this instability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive sufficient induction to their role when they start working at the home. In addition, there are gaps in staff training that prevent staff from understanding the child’s needs, and this negatively affected their ability to safely care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive practice-related supervision sessions at the agreed frequency. This prevents staff from having the opportunity to regularly discuss and develop their practice. Those undertaking staff supervision are not suitably experienced and trained to undertake this effectively. Furthermore, some staff say they do not feel supported or listened to by the manager and that guidance is inconsistent and contradictory.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inexperienced staff work together without the support and guidance from more experienced colleagues. This prevents new staff from learning from experienced colleagues and leaves their practice unmonitored when they are finding their feet in the role, limiting their ability to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s records are disorganised and of poor quality. This reflects a lack of understanding by leaders and managers about what records they need to retain and a lack of oversight and intervention to identify and address quality concerns. As a result, important information about and for the child is missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An interim manager has recently been appointed and is undertaking a full review of what has happened to inform the way forward and bring about improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

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;

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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)(c)(e)(g)(i)(h)) 12 July 2026

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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. 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 6 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)) 12 July 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;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 7 in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)(b)) 12 July 2026

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 8 paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d) (7)(b)(d))

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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;

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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

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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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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

ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that—

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Requirement Due date

satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. 12 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 9 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(vi)(ix)(d) (3)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 12 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 12 July 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 staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 10

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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: 2850786 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lindum Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Park Road, Lytham St. Annes FY8 1PW

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2850786 12 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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Inspector

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

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