A Bolton children’s home has been criticised as having "serious and/or widespread failures" and for leaving a child "at high risk of child sexual exploitation" in an Ofsted report.

The home, which is in Bolton but is not named by Ofsted, received a judgment of "inadequate" following an inspection on January 4 and 5, after previously receiving a grade of "outstanding" following an inspection in March last year.

The council said it did not place children in the privately-run home and encouraged other local authorities to use local providers in their own areas.

Social care inspector Cathy Wilkins said staff at the home, which is operated by Cambian Childcare Limited to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties, had "not been prepared for the complexities and vulnerabilities" of the new child living there.

Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox.

Instances of negative behaviour increased at the home, compromising the child’s safety, after staff tried and failed to develop strategies to manage their feelings.

The report said the child “cannot always recognise when they are in unsafe situations or with unsafe”, putting them at "significant risk".

Leadership and management ‘put child at risk of sexual exploitation’

Poor leadership and management at the home were criticised for creating "serious shortfalls" in the home’s safeguarding practice, with the child set to have been put at "significant risk of harm", and leaders criticised for failing to ensure that staff had the right knowledge to care for the child.

The report explains how the child, who is not in formal education, went missing several times, with staff failing to intervene, follow, or locate them.

This left the child "at high risk of child sexual exploitation", the report concludes.

Staff were also criticised for not using physical restraint at times when it would have been appropriate, and for failing to recognise risk indicators.

Despite requiring supervision from two adults at all times, just one adult cared for the child at times when the home was short-staffed, increasing the risk to the child and allowing them to evade staff and go missing.

Follow The Bolton News on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok.

A Cambian spokesperson said: “We have appointed a new manager, the home is undergoing a full reset of training for all staff to address the concerns raised and return the home to the standard we expect.”

A spokesperson for the local authority, which has a safeguarding responsibility for such homes in the borough, said: “Bolton Council tracks and reviews Ofsted outcomes across the residential sector and we note these latest findings.

“We are already working with the provider to explore and address the concerns raised.

“There are no Bolton children placed in this home, and we would always urge other local authorities to use quality providers in their own area wherever possible.”

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk or text or WhatsApp on 07517566383.