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Social care · Children's home inspection (SCCIF)

Children's Home run by Yourcare (Northwest) Limited in LancashireOfsted inspection, 9 Sept 2026

Inspected 9 Sept 2026 · published 21 Oct 2026 · URN 2709686

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Ofsted inspected this children's home run by yourcare (northwest) limited on 9 Sept 2026, led by Shane North. The overall judgement was Good. Ofsted published the report on 21 Oct 2026. Source: Ofsted (Open Government Licence v3).

Summary

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Group verified

    Yourcare (Northwest) Ltd

  • Inspection date verified

    9 Sept 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Shane North

  • Helped and protected verified

    Good

  • Leadership and management verified

    Good

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Good

  • Name on report verified

    2709686

  • URN verified

    2709686

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

positive

The children's home is good, with strong safeguarding and care, though staff turnover and education have been areas of concern.

Inspectors judged the children's home good across all areas. Staff respond well to children's risks, safeguarding and self-harm, and managers provide effective oversight. The home has had high staff turnover since the last inspection, which has unsettled children, and children have experienced challenges with education. Two statutory requirements relate to staff continuity and educational provision, both due by 15 November 2026.

Going well

  • Staff respond well to children's risks and vulnerabilities with individual plans
  • Children are supported to maintain family contact safely and to take part in activities
  • Recruitment checks are safe and staff understand safeguarding procedures well
  • Managers provide effective oversight, and parents and professionals speak positively about the home

To improve

  • Ensure a regular and consistent staff team so children feel settled and secure
  • Ensure routine, support and educational provision help all children progress in education
  • Improve educational outcomes for children who have experienced challenges with education

What parents should know

  • Your child is likely to receive planned moves, support to settle and personalised care.
  • Children are encouraged to attend education and take part in activities, but some have found education challenging.
  • Ask how the home is managing staff changes and how continuity of care for your child is being maintained.
  • Ask what educational support is in place for your child and how their progress is being tracked.

What other providers can learn

  • Planned moves with pre-admission visits and personalising bedrooms helped children settle.
  • Monthly audits, supervision and team meetings gave managers clear oversight of quality of care.
  • Consistent staffing matters: high turnover unsettled children, so check continuity in your own setting.

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2026.

  • OverallGood
  • Helped and protectedGood
  • Leadership and managementGood

70% of comparable inspections in the last three years were graded Good (12,875 inspections).

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+47Positivemore positive than 59% of reports of this type graded Good
OutstandingGoodRIInadequate

In line with other reports of this type graded Good.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseeffectivepositiveconsistentlywell-plannedsafeeffectivelyconfidentrespectful
Criticismweaknessesseriouslyconcernsharm

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings1060w+54
  • What needs to improve251w−11

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,295
about usual (typical 1326)
Reading level
Fairly hard
Flesch 51, typical 50
Average sentence
15 words
Next steps
3
typical 4
Hedged sentences
1%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 63%What needs to improve 15%About the inspection 22%

Full report text

Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 1 Registered provider: Yourcare (Northwest) Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

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

p.1

Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. They spoke to the inspector about their experiences.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2023. The acting manager has been in post since November 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 13 January 2026

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2026 Full Good 18/02/2025 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff respond to children's risk and vulnerabilities. Children have individual risk assessments to support staff to implement effective strategies.

p.3

Summary of findings

The home has experienced an unsettled period since the last inspection due to high staff turnover.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff promote children's family time, in line with children's care plans. Staff continue to support the children and follow agreed care plans to ensure the children's ongoing safety. However, children in the home have experienced challenges with education.

p.3

Summary of findings

Managers support the team to ensure they work well together and in children's best interests. Managers have effective oversight of the home and are aware of areas for improvement. There is a positive culture of learning in the team.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, they experience well-planned moves with opportunities to visit their new home before they move in. One child has moved into the home and was supported to personalise their bedroom. This helped the child to settle and feel at home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When there are risks associated with children seeing their family, the manager works closely with the local authority to explore options for this to take place safely. This ensures that children can still spend time with their loved ones.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make progress in their education. When children are reluctant to attend, staff help them to understand the value of education and employment. Staff make significant effort to communicate with multi-agency links to advocate the employment and education needs of the children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in activities with staff. This includes going to the gym, playing golf and using local amenities. Additionally, children have opportunities to join extra- curricular activities, such as youth groups. These experiences support children's social development and physical health.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are treated with dignity and respect and know how to complain or voice their opinions. Children are regularly consulted to inform their care and ensure that their voice is heard in a wider context, including their care planning meetings. Their views are taken seriously and responded to. This helps children to know that they are listened to in influencing their future plans and decision-making. Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 4

p.3

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

Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting to work at the home. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

p.4

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

Children have detailed missing-from-home plans. Staff are aware of the children's plans should any child go missing from home. Missing-from-home incidents are managed consistently and effectively, leading to a reduction in the number of times that children are missing.

p.4

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Staff are confident about the safeguarding processes in place to protect children. Staff clearly identify children's vulnerabilities, and they are provided with guidance about how to maintain children's safety.

p.4

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

Staff ensure that the home environment remains safe by completing room searches when concerns have been identified. These searches are conducted in a manner that is respectful and promotes children's privacy and dignity, while also ensuring that there is a proactive approach to safeguarding children's physical and emotional wellbeing.

p.4

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

Staff are proactive in supporting children when they feel overwhelmed by their feelings. They ensure that the children receive suitable support in response to all episodes of self- harm, and each response is individual to the child and the situation. Children are encouraged to learn from incidents through support sessions, which help the children to develop skills to deal with things differently in the future.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced manager who is passionate about meeting children's needs. She is supported by an experienced responsible individual. Collectively, they form an effective management team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the support that they receive from leaders and managers. They value their leadership and the opportunities that they have to develop their skills and knowledge. Staff say that they have regular and reflective supervision. Supervision records demonstrate that there is a focus on reflective practice to support staff learning and development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from parents is positive. They have praised the home's approach to enhancing the children's lives. This is mirrored by external professionals, who noted the dedication of the staff and the care that they provide.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been some instability in the team, with a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. There is now a full team in place, and this has given the children consistency of care. However, it has been an unsettling period for the children. The manager has identified this and has plans in place to develop and upskill the team. Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 5 The managers work in partnership with people who are important to children. Regular updates are provided to professionals, which ensure that they are kept up to date about children's experiences. Meetings are held regularly to talk about the children, and managers and staff advocate well for them. Therapeutic support is provided to children when needed, and managers and staff seek regular advice from the specialist services. This helps to keep children safe and ensures that their needs are being met.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager consistently monitors the quality of care provided to the children. Systems are in place to maintain oversight of the home, allowing her to identify strengths and weaknesses. The manager and her team have a good understanding of the children's needs. Monthly audits, regular supervision, team meetings and daily support sessions now support accountability and learning.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and used to reflect on the work that staff are doing with the children. This gives staff an opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge of good practice and learn from any incidents that have occurred over the previous month. Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that there is a regular and consistent staff team in place to ensure the children feel settled and secure. 15 November 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that there is routine, support and educational provision in place to give all the 15 November 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 7 children in the home the opportunity to progress in education and achieve their potential.

p.6

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: 2709686 8

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider: Yourcare (Northwest) Ltd

p.8

Children's home details

Registered provider address: 64 St Georges Park, Kirkham, Lancashire PR4 2DZ

p.8

Inspector

Shane North, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2709686 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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

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