Children's Home run by Future Focused Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 1 Registered provider: Future Focused Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home, all 3 children spoke to the inspectors about their experiences of living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 18 October 2023.

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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: 1270301 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2025 Full Good 26/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2023 Full Good 04/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 3

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have strengthened oversight across the home, using recent learning to refine decision ‑ making and improve the consistency of care. This has supported clearer routines and better ‑ planned transitions for children.

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Summary of findings

Children say they are safe and well supported. Staff understand their needs and work closely with external professionals to ensure that risk management is embedded and children benefit from calm, confident responses when they need help.

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Summary of findings

Warm, trusting relationships underpin daily care. Children’s views shape routines, activities and contact arrangements and staff encourage healthy habits and emotional stability. This helps children build confidence and develop positive patterns of behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are safe living in the home and describe positive, trusting relationships with staff. Staff know the children well and understand their individual needs, which helps children feel settled and confident in their routines. Children’s bedrooms reflect their interests and personalities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in everyday decisions about their lives. They share their views through discussions with staff and group meetings that influence activity planning and daily arrangements. Children access a wide range of experiences, including local outings, sports, hobbies and tailored trips that reflect their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend education regularly. Staff work closely with schools to ensure that the right arrangements are in place and adjust support when children need additional encouragement. For one child, attendance at their identified provision has improved significantly since moving into the home. However, staff do not consistently reinforce the expectation to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff ensure that children attend routine and specialist appointments and encourage healthy habits through diet, exercise and personal care. Children receive reassurance and guidance that helps them develop confidence in managing their own health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children well to maintain relationships with their family and friends. Arrangements for time spent with family and friends are organised safely and sensitively and staff ensure that children can travel to and from visits without disruption.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Childrens; moves into the home are planned and centred around children’s needs. Recent moves out of the home have been less structured, but managers have reflected on these and identified clear learning to improve future transition planning. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 4

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

Children describe feeling safe and well supported. Staff work effectively with external agencies, ensuring that concerns are addressed promptly and information is shared appropriately.

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

Risk assessments are clear and regularly reviewed. They outline strategies to manage issues such as peer influence, substance misuse and online activity. Staff use these plans confidently and respond well when children need additional guidance. When children are missing from the home, staff act quickly, follow agreed procedures and help children understand the risks through follow ‑ up conversations.

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

Physical intervention is used only when necessary to prevent harm to children or others. Records are detailed, reviewed by managers and include children’s views, supporting reflective practice. Staff respond appropriately when children experience emotional distress, seeking professional advice when needed and encouraging engagement with therapeutic services. Staff perseverance and consistent emotional support contribute to an environment where children feel safe.

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

During the inspection, a hazardous light fitting was identified and the provider took action to address this immediately. In addition, concerns were noted regarding the purchase of age-inappropriate gaming content for children. This highlights the importance of strengthening management oversight to ensure that decision-making remains safe, appropriate, and responsive to children's individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced manager and deputy who know the children well and maintain strong oversight of staff practice. Staff describe managers as supportive and fair and morale in the team is positive. Managers work well with external professionals, who report timely communication and coordinated planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Changes within the staff team have been managed effectively. New staff receive a structured induction, training and supervision that helps them develop confidence in their roles. Most staff have completed the required training, although a small number have experienced delays in accessing first aid training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is reflective and covers staff practice, performance and development. Team meetings, which include input from the in ‑ house therapist, support shared learning and discussion of new approaches.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems are active and contribute to continuous improvement. Managers address shortfalls promptly and promote accountability. However, on one occasion the local authority designated officer (LADO) was not consulted regarding a staff conduct concern, which demonstrates that external oversight is not consistently sought as required. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 5 Managers recognise that communal areas and outdoor spaces require improved maintenance and a more robust cleaning schedule to ensure that children can use all areas safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are able to access gaming materials relevant to their age. In addition, that exposed electrical wires are identified and remedied immediately. 13 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 13 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 7 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 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)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all areas of the home, inside and outside are clean and usable to all children.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that concerning personnel issues are reported to the LADO for consideration of the next steps. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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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: 1270301 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Crows Nest Business Park, Ashton Road, Billinge, Wigan, Lancashire WN5 7XX

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Inspectors

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Leanne Cooper, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1270301 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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