Children's Home run by Aspris Care North West Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 1 Registered provider: Aspris Care North West Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. One child was spoken with during the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2025

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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: 2634720 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2025 Full Good 21/01/2025 Full Outstanding 12/03/2024 Full Outstanding 14/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and one child has moved out. Children are supported in respect of their health needs and attend both routine and specialist appointments. Children are making good progress in respect of their education, and staff support them to overcome any barriers to learning. Staff support children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them, and they build positive relationships with family members. The home benefits from a stable manager, who advocates on behalf of the children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move in and out of the home. Staff worked alongside other professionals to ensure that one child’s move into the home was carefully considered and planned. The child visited the home to meet with staff before moving in. As a result, they have settled into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the health needs of children and support them to attend both routine and specialist appointments when required. In addition, staff support older children to manage their own health appointments. Staff also speak with children about making healthy choices. For one child, this has included conversations about the health risks of energy drinks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make progress in education. For one child, this has involved supporting their return to formal education after a period of non-engagement. Another child is being supported to prepare for a move to high school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff build positive relationships with family members. Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. This supports children to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop age-appropriate life skills. This includes practical skills, such as doing their laundry, keeping their room tidy and supporting with shopping for meals. As a result, children develop important life skills that help to prepare them for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements have been made to the home environment, which has a welcoming feel. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to reflect their personal interests. Staff ensure that all areas of the home are maintained to a good standard. As a result, children live in a comfortable and relaxing environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 4

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

Leaders and managers complete individual risk assessments for each child that are regularly reviewed and updated. As a result, staff have clear guidance in relation to the action they should take if there is an increase in identified risks.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort, and incident records demonstrate the use of de-escalation techniques. Following these incidents, leaders and managers ensure that conversations take place with children and any members of staff involved. This ensures that the child’s voice is heard and there is an opportunity for staff learning and reflection.

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

When allegations are made against members of staff, they are treated seriously and appropriately investigated. Leaders and managers ensure that outcomes of investigations are shared with children and work is completed to repair the relationship between the child and the member of staff.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff take appropriate action, including searching for the child. They work effectively with family members and the police to locate the child and ensure their safe return.

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

When consequences are recorded, their effectiveness is evaluated and children’s views are sought. However, leaders and managers have failed to appropriately record all consequences. As a result, some measures are not reviewed to consider their impact and effectiveness.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that safe recruitment practices are followed. Staff are assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures help promote the safety of the children by reducing the potential for unsuitable adults to work with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager, who is currently working towards their level 5 qualification. Staff say that they are happy working at the home, enjoy caring for the children and feel well supported by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place on a regular basis and are well attended. They provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their work and consider any changes needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which is child focused and offers the opportunity for reflection. In addition, staff receive annual appraisals that consider their performance and identify areas for development. However, appraisals do not always consider the views of other professionals and the children who live in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 5 Staff have access to a wide range of training, including bespoke training tailored to meet the specific needs of individual children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Oversight of visits completed by the independent person has been planned. However, these visits do not sufficiently consider the views of children. This limits the independent visitor’s ability to have a full overview of the care being provided in the home and whether children are being appropriately safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Notifications to the regulator regarding significant incidents are generally received in a timely way. However, on one occasion, there has been a delay in notifying Ofsted of a significant incident. This oversight was identified and rectified by the registered manager, and work is being completed to ensure that further delays do not occur in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person visits the home at such times when they are able to speak to the children living at the home and that the visits are announced and unannounced. 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and their effectiveness is evaluated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)  The registered person should have a system in place to ensure that they notify Ofsted of all serious events without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that appraisals of staff members take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2634720 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Care North West Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Penelope Rafferty

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Inspector

Ruth Mortimer-Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 9 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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