Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Ltd

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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 operated by a private company and provides care for 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in August 2023. There is no registered manager in post. The acting manager has submitted his application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Both children were spoken to 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: 5 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: 2740375 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2025 Full Good 03/01/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 3

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Summary of findings

Children are settled and enjoy spending time with staff. They have positive relationships with staff, which helps them to make progress. Staff ensure that children’s health and educational needs are met.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have good oversight of staff practice. Staff receive training to help them care for children. However, there are gaps in staff training to meet children’s specific needs.

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Summary of findings

External monitoring reports are not sent to Ofsted in line with regulations. The acting manager is taking action to address this. This does not impact on the care that staff provide for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a homely and nurturing environment for children. The home is clean, comfortable and well maintained. There are comfortable spaces for children to sit in the lounge and a spacious dining area where children were observed eating meals with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with children and build trusting and positive relationships with them. Staff encourage children to be involved in their care. This helps children to feel included in plans about their ongoing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive moves into the home. The registered manager visits children before they move into the home to share information about the home and the staff team. This helps children to feel familiar with the home environment and staff before they move in. This contributes to children settling into living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff promote children’s education. They ensure that children’s education plans are progressed effectively so that children have the best chance of succeeding in later life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their individual health needs. Children are registered with relevant health services, including specialist services to support their specific needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with opportunities to access a range of activities. Staff support children to undertake voluntary work or part-time jobs with local businesses. This helps them to feel part of their community. This also helps staff to develop their understanding of children’s needs, likes and dislikes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop their independence skills. For example, children are learning how to cook. This helps to prepare children for their adult life. Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 4

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

Staff understand how to keep children safe. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Staff are confident about the safeguarding processes in place to protect children.

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

Children have detailed plans in place to manage their risks and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities when children go missing from home. This has contributed to a reduction in the number of missing-from-home incidents.

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

Since the last inspection, children have made allegations against staff. Records demonstrate that the acting manager completes thorough investigations and takes action to ensure that children are safe. The acting manager works well with relevant safeguarding professionals.

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

Staff are encouraged to use distraction or de-escalation techniques to support children when they are in crisis. On occasion, staff use physical intervention when children are in crisis. However, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents.

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

Staff educate children about risks that they may be exposed to. Staff talk to them to help them identify risks and make positive choices.

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

Since the last inspection, a member of staff was employed but relevant checks were not completed. This led to an unsuitable person being employed to work with children. This did not impact on children’s safety as the manager took immediate action to address this. Safe recruitment processes are now in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is no registered manager in post. However, there is an experienced acting manager, who is currently managing the home. He has submitted his application to register with Ofsted. Staff spoken to are positive about the acting manager. One member of staff said that the manager ‘has supported me any time I have needed something and has been there every time to answer any questions I may have’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has made improvements in the overall monitoring and review systems. However, the acting manager does not always notify Ofsted about serious incidents in line with regulation. This has not had an impact on children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received training to help them in their roles. However, there are gaps in staff receiving training in line with children’s specific needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 5 Staff receive regular supervision. This provides them with the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their practice. Staff attend regular team meetings, which help to support their development. These meetings provide staff with the opportunity to talk about children and share good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring visits are completed. However, the reports are not sent to Ofsted in line with regulation and do not include accurate information. This impacts on the regulator’s ability to monitor the home effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 8 November 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 to 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— 8 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that staff have the skills and training to meet children’s specific needs.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that reports include factually accurate information and are sent to Ofsted in line with regulations. 8 November 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2740375 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor, Seneca House, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 2FF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Titterington

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Inspector

Shane North, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2740375 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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