Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC039683 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to 6 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 5 children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Three children spoke with the inspectors about their experiences of living there.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Inadequate 27/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/10/2025 Full Inadequate 06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

Children’s experiences of living at the home have improved since the last inspection. There are no serious or widespread concerns and children are safe and secure. The staff team is becoming more stable. Leaders and managers have taken action to address some areas of vulnerability; however, some shortfalls remain and there has not been sufficient time for positive changes to be fully embedded and sustained.

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improvement to be good

Children like living at the home. One child said, ‘I give it 8 out of 10’. Relationships between staff and children are generally positive. Permanent staff members are child centred and provide children with nurturing and loving care. They talk about the children with warmth and pride.

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improvement to be good

Two children moved into the home a few months ago and staff have supported them to settle in. Both children, who are siblings have started to make progress in all areas of their lives. Two older children living at the home are starting to prepare to move out to live independently. However, staff do not consistently plan or support the children to develop the skills and resilience to help prepare them for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Children’s interests are nurtured. One child who is in a band has weekly access to a music studio and another child who is a talented pianist has a keyboard at the home. Staff produced a guide of fun activities for children to experience over the summer. Children have enjoyed a holiday to a caravan and theme park, trips to the beach, waterparks and the cinema.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are known; however, staff do not always involve specialist health services when needed or find creative ways to encourage children to attend routine appointments.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with their education. Two children who did not routinely attend school before living at the home, are starting to engage with education. One child who has not attended education for a few months has a place to start a course of their choice in September.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain contact with people who are important to them. Children routinely spend time with family members and friends. One family member said, ‘staff are accommodating and keep communication open’.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a large home. Communal areas are homely and welcoming. Staff listened to the views of children and recently changed a downstairs room into a space where children can watch films, play board games and play music. Children’s bedrooms are Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

personalised to their tastes. Most areas of the home are well maintained; however, the bathrooms and the garden need renovation and repair which the manager had taken action to address before the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children have individual risk and behaviour management plans. However, some information is not personalised to each child, and guidance for staff to follow to help keep children safe lacks clarity. Efforts to improve risk assessment plans are underway.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not routinely share children’s information with them or encourage them to contribute to their records. This limits children’s understanding of their risks and behaviours.

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improvement to be good

There has been a reduction in safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. The frequency of children going missing from the home has reduced and staff have not needed to hold children to keep them or others safe. Children say they feel safe and secure living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk to children about topics to help keep them safe, for example the risks around vaping and substance misuse. However, discussions are rarely planned or followed up.

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improvement to be good

The manager has recently completed an annual review of the risks associated with the local area, including safety strategies. Children’s views have not yet been captured; however, a child friendly consultation document has been drafted for this purpose.

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

The manager is caring and child focused. She knows the children well and is fully involved in their lives. The manager is well supported by two new deputies who are also actively involved in the day to day running of the home.

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

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel valued by leaders and managers. They described the manager as supportive, kind and approachable.

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

The stability of the staff team is improving as more permanent staff are being recruited. However, children say that agency staff, who do not know them or have the skills to care for them, are regularly present in the home.

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

Staff receive regular supervision from a suitably qualified person; however, staff are not always provided with the opportunity to reflect on their practice. This limits the managers ability to identify performance issues or areas of good practice.

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

Staff attend regular team meetings which provide them with opportunities to discuss the needs of the children. The manager has invited people with specialist knowledge to Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

speak to staff at team meetings. This has helped to improve staff member’s understanding of the children’s behaviours and needs.

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

Leaders and managers complete regular audits of the home. This enhances their understanding of the quality of care being provided to the children. Plans are in place to help ensure that practice continues to develop for the benefit of children. Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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, 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children's risk plans contain all the necessary information and actions are consistently focused and individualised to each child's needs. In addition, ensure that keywork sessions consistently identify clear targets and outcomes to be achieved which are subsequently followed up. 14 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 14 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

The registered person must ensure that children are cared for by a consistent team of staff, who have the skills to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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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

understand and apply the home's statement of purpose;

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support older children to learn independence skills that will prepare them to live independently. In addition, that the bathrooms and garden are renovated and maintained. 14 September 2026

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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 staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child (Regulation 14(2)(f)) 14 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children's health needs are known and understood and that staff support and encourage children to receive help from health services when needed. 14 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with the opportunity to reflect on their individual practice and the needs of the children in their care during supervision sessions and that this is captured in recordings. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC039683 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Lancashire County Council, PO Box 100, Preston PR1 0LD

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Claire Rose -Dudley

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Inspectors

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Gareth Dakin, His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children's home: SC039683 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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