Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 1 SC441717 Registered provider: Partners in Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2018.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, there were 2 children living in the home. Both children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children's home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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'. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Leaders, managers and staff do not recognise and respond appropriately when the child is at risk of harm.  Leaders and managers do not have effective strategies in place to reduce one child's risk of harm in relation to child sexual exploitation. This has contributed to the child being at risk of significant harm.  Staff do not build and maintain respectful and trusting relationships with children. Where children have raised complaints relating to staff conduct, these have not been effectively addressed. This has had a significant impact on the emotional wellbeing of children.  Staff do not consistently demonstrate the confidence, knowledge and skills to effectively care for and support children. This is not sufficiently addressed by leaders and managers and has a negative impact on the quality of care that children receive.  Staff do not consistently meet children's health and wellbeing needs. One

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Findings from the inspection

child does not receive effective support to maintain a clean and hygienic living environment.  One child is not adequately supported to access further education. This has resulted in anxiety for the child about the impact of this on their future.

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Summary of findings

Requirements made at the last full inspection under regulations 11, 12 and 13 have not been met.

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Summary of findings

Staff do not consistently build trusting relationships with children or provide meaningful face-to-face interaction. Staff do not consistently support children's emotional wellbeing or education.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff do not manage one child's risk of sexual exploitation effectively. Management oversight is ineffective and staff do not have the skills and confidence to meet children's needs.

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Summary of findings

Children's complaints are not managed effectively.

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Summary of findings

Following a serious incident, the manager and responsible individual took appropriate action and worked with relevant safeguarding professionals to keep the child safe. This provides reassurance regarding the immediate safety of children. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 3 Staff do not consistently build relationships with children based on trust and mutual respect. Staff and the manager regularly communicate with children by text message and email instead of speaking with them face to face. This has created a culture in which meaningful conversations with children are limited. While there have been some improvements with some staff trying to get to know one child, this is not consistent across the staff team. The child continues to feel uncomfortable and sometimes isolated in their home. The manager took immediate action to address this.

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Summary of findings

Complaints from children relating to staff conduct have not been adequately explored. Staff have been unclear about the actions required of them. Staff did not speak to the child to help them understand what action has been taken. This has increased one child's feelings of discomfort.

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Summary of findings

Staff do not help one child to maintain a clean and hygienic bedroom. Staff do not recognise their responsibility to work alongside the child to improve the condition of the room. Staff do not have the skills and confidence to address this. As a result, the child feels embarrassed about their bedroom. This compromises the child's dignity and emotional wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

One child has not received effective support to access further education. The lack of progress causes the child anxiety about their future and limits their opportunities to develop the skills they need for adulthood.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff do not implement effective strategies to reduce the risk of child sexual exploitation for one child. They have not taken sufficient action in response to concerns identified at previous inspection. Therefore, a requirement under regulation 12, the protection of children standard is restated.

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Summary of findings

Staff do not consistently check the child's mobile phone or maintain effective oversight of their online activity. Staff do not support the child to develop their understanding of child sexual exploitation or how to keep themselves safe when they use the internet. The manager relies on the child to manage their own online safety instead of ensuring that staff take responsibility to reduce this risk. These shortfalls contributed to the child being placed at risk of significant harm.

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Summary of findings

Following a serious incident, the manager escalated concerns to the appropriate safeguarding professionals. The manager and the responsible individual now contribute to a multi-agency safeguarding response and work with relevant professionals to keep the child safe. An appropriate safety plan is in place and there are no immediate safeguarding concerns.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not maintain effective oversight of the home or the quality of care provided to children. A requirement made at the full inspection under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, is restated. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 4 The registered manager does not have sufficient confidence in staff to undertake their roles. Therefore, the registered manager completes this work. This has an adverse impact on the registered manager's oversight of the home.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager does not have sufficient confidence in staff to undertake their roles. Therefore, the registered manager completes this work. This has an adverse impact on the registered manager's oversight of the home.

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Summary of findings

Staff are not consistently given opportunities to develop and demonstrate their competence, which means the manager's confidence in their ability does not improve. This limits staff development and places an unsustainable level of responsibility on the manager.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager does not provide effective support or challenge when there are concerns about staff practice. When children make complaints relating to staff conduct, leaders and managers do not sufficiently respond or ensure that appropriate work takes place to rebuild relationships. This has had a negative impact on children's emotional wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

There are recent improvements in staff conduct relating to previous concerns raised regarding the behaviour of staff towards one another. There is a new responsible individual in place who commenced the role at the time of the previous inspection. The registered manager has also taken steps to end their dual registration with another home and focus on the improvements required at this home. These actions provide some reassurance.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 5 28/04/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2025 Full Good 20/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/11/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 6

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place to support the child to stay safe online and while using their mobile phone.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place to protect the child from identified risks, specifically in relation to child sexual exploitation. 5 October 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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 5 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 7 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the registered manager has effective oversight of the home to continually evaluate the quality of care that staff provide for children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders and managers take effective action to address any identified shortfalls in staff practice.

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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

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the culture in the home, where texting and emailing children has replaced meaningful face-to-face conversations, is reviewed and addressed. 5 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 8 The health and wellbeing standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and wellbeing needs of children are met; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

understand and develop skills to promote the child's wellbeing. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to maintain bedrooms that are clean, organised and conducive to their emotional wellbeing. Effective support strategies should be reflected in children's care plans. 2 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that one child who is above compulsory school age is supported to access suitable further education. 2 November 2026

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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. 2 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that external areas of the home, are well maintained, safe and secure.

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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 all staff are supported to achieve the relevant qualification within the timeframe specified in regulation. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.6) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Partners in Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Bethany Riley, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC441717 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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