Children's Home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned by a private provider and can provide care for one child with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 6 June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2025 Full Good 09/07/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 3

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Summary of findings

The child is making exceptional progress across all areas of their development. Warm, consistent expectations promote the child’s safety, wellbeing and growing independence.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is highly effective. Staff respond swiftly to concerns and work well with partner agencies to keep the child safe.

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Summary of findings

Strong relationships with staff underpin children’s emotional stability and sustained educational achievement. Leaders provide purposeful oversight that supports a motivated and reflective staff team.

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Summary of findings

Staff confirm they feel well supported by leaders. Staff benefit from regular supervision and purposeful training. This helps them to provide high-quality care for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child is making exceptional progress from the time they arrived at this home. Staff provide high-quality care that meets the child’s individual needs. Staff show a strong understanding of the child’s presentation, reflected in detailed and well-structured plans. These plans are tailored to the child’s needs and delivered with skill and sensitivity. This approach enables the child to have positive experiences and make sustained, meaningful progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff highly promote the child’s education. The child has completed all required learning and has progressed successfully into further education. This represents an area of significant progress for the child. Staff determination and consistent encouragement enable the child to achieve outcomes beyond initial expectations. The child continues to demonstrate sustained ambition towards their long-term success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that the child’s health is prioritised consistently through a structured approach. Staff provide clear guidance, firm boundaries and supportive discussion around emerging needs. The child engages well with play therapy and counselling. This support is developing greater emotional stability for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager has a high-quality and detailed transition plan that guides independence work and helps to better prepare the child for the next stage in life. The plan is updated regularly and provides a clear pathway to prepare the child for adulthood. There is a phased step-down approach to support the child’s independence. This approach ensures that the child’s progress continues and staff support reduces safely over time. This comprehensive planning ensures the child is prepared well for a successful move. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 4 Staff consistently recognise and celebrate achievements, strengthening the child’s confidence and positive identity. This support enables the child to engage in meaningful activities that promote pride, motivation and self-esteem. The child has enjoyed new life experiences at the home, such as attending a live concert and a holiday to celebrate their

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

The child said they feel safe. Professionals and parents describe the home as a protective environment where staff work with consistency to safeguard children. Professionals shared that the team has a firm grasp of the child’s vulnerabilities and they apply agreed plans with confidence. Staff maintain precise, updated records after every incident, ensuring the whole staff team are working from current information. This helps to better protect the child.

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

There has been a significant reduction in missing from home incidents. On the rare occasion when this has happened, staff respond with confidence. They follow a clear and detailed plan that directs their actions. Staff search local areas, contact people known to the child and work closely with the police and placing authority. This helps to ensure that the child returns to the home as quickly as possible. After missing incidents, staff ensure the child speaks to an independent professional. This opportunity helps to support the child’s wellbeing and provides a space to gather information to help reduce future risks.

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

Staff have a detailed understanding of the child’s needs, their personality and behaviours. Staff make effective use of a detailed support plan reflecting the child’s interests and early signs of worry. The plan is regularly updated with the child. This means that the child has a purposeful say over how they want to be supported by staff.

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

Staff complete highly effective individualised work with the child. This work is research-informed, child-focused and targeted, which is helping the child to make safer and more informed decisions about personal safety.

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

Staff use natural consequences and prioritise positive reinforcement to support behaviour change. Staff show a clear grasp of how the child’s experiences influence their responses. This restorative approach has contributed to a reduction in high-risk incidents and has strengthened the child’s trust in staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the child well and provide effective support to their staff team. Staff speak exceptionally positively about working in the home. They describe a strong team culture and genuine enjoyment in supporting the child. Staff reflect on the meaningful relationships they have built with the child, and they take pride in the progress the child makes. Professional and parental feedback is highly positive. One parent said that the child had made significant progress. This demonstrates a stable, motivated team whose commitment directly enhances the child’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 5 Supervision sessions and team meetings are regular and purposeful. Supervision sessions provide a reflective space for staff to discuss the child’s needs and receive guidance. Team meetings offer structured opportunities to share updates, review learning and strengthen cohesion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular training that strengthens their practice and builds confidence in safeguarding expectations. Training is well structured and supports staff to apply learning within their daily work. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. However, the manager has recognised that some staff would benefit from additional training on whistleblowing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes good use of a range of monitoring tools. This helps them to review practice and ensure the child is making progress. However, the manager has not effectively scrutinised or challenged the gaps within the independent visitor’s monthly report about the quality of care in the home. Specifically, parents’ views have not been sought. This is a missed opportunity to gather feedback to support continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with other agencies to share information to make sure the child’s needs are met. Managers appropriately challenge other professionals to make sure the child has the services and support they need. However, on one occasion following a significant incident, managerial challenge to external professionals was lacking. Despite this shortfall, the child’s safety and wellbeing were not affected and learning was taken from this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child benefits from nurturing care from staff who know them well. Daily practice replicates that of a family environment, which has proved effective in helping the child make excellent progress. However, the model of care that staff are trained in is not reflected in key documents such as the statement of purpose. In addition, some staff lack clarity about how to best implement the model in practice, and they have differing levels of confidence. The manager recognises this and has plans in place to address it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they challenge the placing authority and other relevant parties when they do not provide the input and services needed to meet children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s Statement of Purpose is updated to define the specific model of care used by the home. The registered person should ensure that staff understand this framework and have access to targeted training and resources to improve their knowledge and skills to support the identified needs of children in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are confident about how to respond to any allegation made by a child against a member of staff in the home. ('Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.9)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2606135 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 C/O Goss & Co, Olympic Court, Whitehills Business Park, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 5GU

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Inspector

Mariam Sawaiz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 8 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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