Children's Home run by Casterton Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 1 Registered provider: Casterton Care Group Limited

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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 managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home and spoken to by the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/08/2025 Full Good 13/08/2024 Full Good 13/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/11/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and two have moved on. Moves are well planned and positive. Children develop strong relationships with trusted adults and receive nurturing, trauma-informed care that meets their individual needs. Staff understand children's risks, take effective action to safeguard them and respond appropriately to concerns.

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Summary of findings

Staff benefit from supportive leaders, regular reflection and bespoke training. Therapeutic support strengthens care planning and risk management. Professionals report effective partnership working and good communication. However, monitoring and review systems require strengthening to ensure consistent management oversight and effective practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to provide stability for children and ensure that moves are positive experiences. Where appropriate, children visit the home and meet staff before moving in. The manager works closely with professionals and family members to plan children's moves. For one child, a three-week transition plan helped them build relationships with staff and settle quickly. Staff welcome children sensitively and take time to understand their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, the manager works with professionals to find the right home. Staff help children develop independence skills and prepare for their next steps. They make endings positive through activities, celebrations and gifts. Where possible, staff help children settle into their new home and continue to provide support when needed. Children receive memory books containing photographs and messages from staff. Unplanned endings only occur when all other options have been explored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop meaningful relationships with staff who know them well. They identify trusted adults and feel comfortable in their care. Staff celebrate children's individuality and encourage them to try new experiences. Children enjoy a range of activities, create positive memories and broaden their experiences, making new and long-lasting memories. Staff recognise and celebrate these achievements. Although there have been a small number of bullying incidents, staff address these promptly and help children understand the impact of their behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health needs are met. Staff support them to attend routine and specialist appointments and help them understand the importance of maintaining good health. When required, staff complete referrals to external services for additional support when any new health needs arise. They promote healthy lifestyles through regular physical activity, balanced diets and discussions about nutrition. Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 4 Children's education is a priority. When barriers to attending education arise, the manager advocates effectively on children's behalf, escalating concerns in their best interests. She works closely with external professionals to find appropriate provisions that support children's educational engagement. This includes implementing interim measures until a permanent solution is identified. For example, one child temporarily attends one-to-one tutoring, alongside a vocational placement. As a result, all children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

are attending and engaging in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where appropriate, staff support and encourage children to spend time with important people. Staff promote regular phone calls, visits and activities with family members to help children maintain stability in their family relationships. When children have limited family networks, staff work hard to help children build stable support networks for the future. This includes staff becoming part of children's life-long support network themselves if children want this. Staff also support children to explore their family history and ancestry, helping them develop a stronger sense of identity. This helps children to understand where they come from and promotes their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a welcoming home. Staff help them personalise their bedrooms, and photographs of children are displayed throughout the home. However, some repairs are needed to improve the appearance of the home, and further improvements to the outdoor environment are required to enhance children's safety. The manager has raised these shortfalls with the director.

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

Staff understand the impact of trauma for children and use this knowledge to provide thoughtful individualised care. Staff use warmth, encouragement and humour to get the best out of children. A dedicated therapy team supports staff to understand children's behaviours, reflect on their practice and adjust their approach. Positive behaviour is encouraged through consistent and effective de-escalation strategies. Any consequences implemented are appropriate and proportionate to behaviours displayed.

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

Staff complete direct work with children to help them understand how to manage and process difficult emotions, as well as how to keep themselves safe. For one child, staff use creative and engaging methods including emotion stones and social stories to address important topics in a way that is accessible and meaningful to them. These tools are specifically designed to help the child understand complex issues at their own pace.

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

Staff take effective immediate action to safeguard children during significant incidents. This includes physically holding children when necessary to remove immediate danger. Children and staff are consistently spoken to about the measure used. Practice is supported by detailed safety plans. However, guidance on when to seek medical attention is not clear and remains open to interpretation. This creates a risk that children may not receive timely medical support when required. Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 5 Staff prioritise children's safety in the community. Staff make persistent efforts to locate and return children when they go missing from home. Staff use creative methods to maintain increased levels of supervision and monitoring for children who are vulnerable to community risks. Bedroom searches and online monitoring tools enhance risk management. Staff demonstrate professional curiosity and take effective action,

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one medication error. Staff took immediate action to seek medical advice, which confirmed that there were no adverse health implications. Managers implemented new systems without delay and increased frequency of audits. They addressed the shortfall through staff supervision and additional training. There have been no further incidents.

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

Before children move into the home, the manager considers the potential impact of known risks on children already living there. The manager gathers information from a range of sources to inform decisions about whether children's needs can be met safely. However, on one occasion, the manager's assessment was not sufficiently robust. A child moved into the home before all known considerations had been fully evaluated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a permanent manager in post who is child-focused and committed to providing high-quality care. She is proactive in reviewing plans to manage and mitigate risks and regularly evaluates children's progress and the quality of care provided. The manager plays an active role in children's lives, and the positive relationships she has developed are evident in the way children seek her out to spend time with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe a supportive working environment where advice and guidance are readily available from managers. Staff say that they love their jobs and caring for the children. Staff speak about children with warmth and admiration; describing the home as 'a big family.' Staffing ratios are individualised and kept under review. For one child, high staffing ratios have reduced to one-to-one support demonstrating significant progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a range of training, including bespoke training that equips them to meet children's individual and emerging needs. Regular team meetings provide staff with additional workshops, opportunities to reflect on practice and discuss children's care and support needs alongside the therapy team. Following significant incidents, the manager supports staff to reflect on their practice and identify any lessons learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision, which provides opportunities to reflect on their practice and the care provided to children. Managers use scenario-based discussions to test and strengthen staff safeguarding knowledge, while promoting understanding of relevant legislation and policies. Any shortfalls in practice are addressed, and staff development is regularly reviewed and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager communicates effectively with external professionals and family members. They say that the manager provides 'high levels' of communication and are kept well Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 6 informed of children's care and progress. Family members describe being thoroughly involved in their child's care and that their opinions are valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers monitoring and review systems require strengthening to ensure consistent management oversight and effective practice. The quality of records held for children is inconsistent and do not always reflect all actions taken by staff. Most complaints are responded to effectively and timely. However, on one occasion, the manager did not complete all actions required to respond effectively. Additionally, two significant incidents were not notified to the regulator. The manager acknowledges the shortfalls identified and plans to address these. Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 7

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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

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk assessments completed prior to any child moving into the home, provide a robust evaluation on whether all children's needs can be safely met.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance on seeking medical attention following any incidents involving suicidal ideation or self-harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that effective action is taken to address safety concerns to the external areas of the home, so that these areas are safe for children. 6 September 2026

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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— 6 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 8 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that monitoring and review systems are strengthened and support thorough management oversight of practices in the home, and that all shortfalls are effectively identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that effective action is taken to acknowledge and address all complaints made.

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the quality of recording is consistent and clearly details all actions taken by staff to safeguard children. 6 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 9

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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: 2722566 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Casterton Care Group Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 13 Montpelier Avenue, Bexley, Kent DA5 3AP

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Inspector

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2722566 11 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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