Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in LancashireOfsted inspection, 9 Sept 2026

Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare 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 owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection and was spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 31 March 2026. The new manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 2764939 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 3

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Summary of findings

There have been changes in the management and staffing of the home. The new manager has quickly strengthened the leadership and oversight in the home, resulting in improved stability, stronger monitoring systems and a clearer focus on achieving positive outcomes for the child.

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Summary of findings

The child is settling into the home, has started building trusting relationships with staff and is making progress in many aspects of their life, including re-engaging in their education.

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Summary of findings

The child is safe, likes living at the home and feels listened to and involved in their day- to-day care.

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Summary of findings

A stable staff team is now in place. Staff are nurturing, committed and child centred and have a good understanding of the child’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. They have attended specific training to give them the skills to meet the child’s individual needs. Staff said that they have seen positive changes since the new manager took over, and they feel supported in their roles.

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Summary of findings

The manager has identified that there are still some areas that need improving, including ensuring that staff are following the missing-from-home procedures in place and continually improving the home environment. She is committed to the continual development of the staff and improving the quality of care provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been significant challenges with staff and management changes. One child struggled through these changes and found it difficult to build trusting relationships with the new staff. However, the manager worked closely with the local authority and listened to the child’s views. The child has now moved to another home in the company to which the previous manager had relocated. This has helped to support the child and they have now settled into their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who recently moved into the home moved in as an emergency placement. The manager completed a robust pre-admission assessment and ensured that staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to meet the child’s needs. The child has begun to settle well into the home and is already making measurable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are committed to providing nurturing and child-centred care that has helped the child to develop a strong sense of belonging in the home. As a result, the child is Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 4 beginning to build trusting relationships with staff. The child spoke positively about their experiences and said that they are happy and enjoy living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s complex health needs, and they work alongside other professionals to ensure that these needs are met effectively. Staff are supported in their role by the company’s therapist, who offers support and advice to meet the child’s emotional needs. Staff also have regular discussions with the child about their feelings, emotional wellbeing, healthy eating and exercise. This support is helping the child to understand and manage their emotions and make positive choices around leading a healthier lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has high expectations for the child’s educational engagement and achievement. Before moving into the home, the child experienced several school moves, which disrupted their learning. Staff have supported the child to attend the company’s education provision, and the child is fully engaging and gaining confidence in their abilities. As a result, the child is now beginning to express aspirations to attend a local school. The manager is working with educational professionals to identify a suitable school that can meet the child’s needs and support their future ambitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to remain connected to their family. Through weekly phone calls the child is maintaining relationships with people who are important to them. The manager and the local authority are working together to look at re-establishing family time in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are helping the child to develop their self-esteem and confidence. They support the child to take part in several activities, including go-karting, swimming, bowling and attending local football matches. In addition, staff celebrate the child’s achievements through incentives and meaningful rewards to recognise positive choices and progress.

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

The child feels safe living at the home and understands how to raise a concern or make a complaint. They were able to identify trusted adults they would go to if they had any worries or concerns. There have been no complaints made since the child moved into the home. Staff regularly seek and act on the child’s wishes and feelings, ensuring that their views are listened to and influence decisions about their care. This helps the child to feel safe, valued and reassured that their opinions matter.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. As the manager and staff get to know the child, they have regular discussions around managing new identified risks. The manager ensures that the child’s risk assessments reflect the child’s changing behaviours, and these give clear guidelines to staff for managing these changes.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour from the child. They use proactive strategies to help the child manage feelings of frustration and anxiety. The child responds well to this Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 5 approach. Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep the child and others safe. After each incident, staff encourage the child to reflect and discuss their feelings and understand why the hold was necessary. However, on one occasion, the manager did not ensure that the child was given an opportunity to speak with a staff member who had not been involved in the hold to ensure that there was full impartiality.

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

There is a detailed procedure for staff to follow when a child goes missing from home. Staff inform other professionals and family members to help to locate the child. However, the manager has not consistently ensured that staff actively search for the child during the periods they are missing from home. In addition, the child is not always provided with access to an independent person on their return, which limits opportunities for them to share their views and experiences.

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

The manager responds appropriately to significant incidents and is committed to safeguarding children. When allegations have been made against staff, she has taken appropriate action by removing staff from their duties while investigations are completed. She also ensures that all relevant safeguarding agencies are informed for full transparency.

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

The home environment is clean and tidy and there is a relaxed atmosphere. There are age-appropriate games available, and the child has been supported to personalise their bedroom. The manager has started addressing some of the shortfalls in the upkeep of the home. However, some hazards still remain, including broken glass and a window frame stored at the side of the house that need to be removed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a new manager in post who is experienced, child centred and has a good understanding of the child’s individual needs. She is committed to continually improving the quality of care provided. The manager has applied to dual register, as she currently holds management responsibility for another home in the company. She is well supported in her role by a highly competent deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented a range of positive changes in the home and established more robust monitoring systems, enabling her to maintain effective oversight of day-to- day practice. She has completed a comprehensive development plan that identifies the home’s strengths and areas for further improvement. This demonstrates her commitment to continually improving the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has successfully addressed previous concerns regarding the instability of staffing in the home. She has established a consistent staff team, providing consistency for the child. Staff spoken to during the inspection reported that they have seen positive changes since the manager took up post, and they said that they feel well supported in their roles. The manager actively promotes staff development by providing opportunities for them to take on additional responsibilities and develop new skills. This supports their personal development and provides a sense of shared ownership in the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 6 The manager ensures that staff have access to a comprehensive training programme that equips them with the skills and knowledge required to meet the child’s specific and individual needs. Staff said that they value the training provided, reporting that it

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

increases their confidence in carrying out their roles and responsibilities effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides staff with regular supervision that takes place within the appropriate timescales. These one-to-one sessions offer staff opportunities to reflect on their practice, discuss their work with the child and identify additional learning and development needs. This helps staff to continually develop and improve their skills in meeting the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and provide staff with valuable opportunities to share information, knowledge and skills and to discuss the child’s progress and needs. As a result, there is consistency in how the staff care for the child on a daily basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with other professionals and has developed positive and effective working relationships. She understands the importance of good communication. However, the previous manager did not always challenge other professionals and escalate concerns when responses from others were not satisfactory.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person visits the home each month and completes a report to evaluate the quality of care provided to the child. These reports are used to inform the manager’s monitoring and oversight of the home. However, the manager has not ensured that the independent person routinely seeks the views of parents as part of the process. This is a missed opportunity to gather all information to inform the independent monitoring of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 7

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, especially when children are missing from the home. Staff must follow the child’s risk assessment and actively search for the child until they have safely returned. 9 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 8 In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the placing local authority provides children with a return home interview after being missing from care and that any failure to provide this is escalated in a timely manner with the placing authority. 9 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;

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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 issues of safety in the home are addressed. Specifically, that the broken 9 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 9 window frame and broken pieces of glass are removed from the side of the house.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when any form of physical intervention is used, the children involved are offered the opportunity to have a debrief by persons not directly involved in the intervention. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person offers parents the opportunity to speak to them about the quality of care provided for their child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2764939 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2764939 11 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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