Children's Home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 1

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Exceptional Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children‘s home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may present with a range of complex needs and functioning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager has left. A new manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 10 and 11 October 2018, the home was judged inadequate. Several shortfalls were identified, including the lack of awareness and understanding of serious safeguarding matters by managers and staff. This was notably that, managers and staff did not recognise, assess and respond appropriately to incidents of bullying at the home and other risks to young people. The lack of robust safeguarding practice compromised young people‘s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Additionally, poor leadership and management practice adversely affected the quality of care and support provided to young people. The education needs of young people were not being adequately met and the environmental conditions in the home were poor. The ineffective monitoring of the service did not identify the decline in the quality of care and protection provided by the staff team. Four compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000: regulation 11, the positive relationships standard; regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 11 December 2018, Lisa Mulcahy and Karen Wilson, social care inspectors, completed an unannounced monitoring visit. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the provider towards meeting the four Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 2 compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The home has a new manager who has submitted his application to be registered with Ofsted. The new manager has taken sufficient steps to improve safeguarding practice at the home. The home has implemented a new anti-bullying policy and procedures‘. Awareness-raising sessions have been held with the remaining young person and staff to ensure that they are alert to any signs of bullying. This has helped staff to understand how to respond appropriately to bullying, which in turn ensures that young people are now more likely to receive the necessary help and support so that they will not be subject to bullying in their home.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are now more robust and identify more clearly the full range of the current young person‘s needs and vulnerabilities. The revised risk assessments now provide staff with improved guidance on what action they must take when a young person is at risk of significant harm, for unsafe internet use and risks relating to knives and other sharp instruments. Furthermore, the young person is consulted and aware of the information in his risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

Young people‘s bedrooms have been painted, and new furniture and mattresses have been purchased. This investment in improving the homeliness is motivating the young person to keep his personal space clean and tidy. Consequently, the cleanliness and condition of the young person‘s bedroom has improved significantly. The home improvements and staff‘s regular bedroom checks are making the home a safe and nurturing environment in which to live.

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This monitoring visit

The young person‘s education needs are now met well. He is encouraged and supported to engage in education. The young person‘s education provision includes opportunities to work in construction and mechanics, in which he enjoys participating. Staff also now spend time with the young person completing work at home in maths and English. This has resulted in improved attendance and good progress for the young person.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning at the home has improved. The young person is involved in discussions with the manager about plans for other young people who may move into the home. His views, wishes and feelings are considered when the manager is undertaking more robust compatibility assessments for new referrals. This process is now more thorough.

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This monitoring visit

Staff provide the young person with regular support that is targeted to his needs, for example understanding online safety, anti-bullying and the importance of education. The young person benefits from improved key-work sessions with staff, and he is learning how to keep himself safe. The young person commented that he now feels safe and able to talk to the manager and staff about any worries he may have. Consequently, the young person now feels valued and listened to.

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This monitoring visit

Improved monitoring and review systems are helping the manager to identify and act to address shortfalls. New systems ensure that the manager and staff carry out Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 3 daily, weekly and monthly health and safety checks and review the records and plans for the young person. This more organised approach has helped to improve and develop the home. Additionally, staff receive clear management direction and support. As a result, the quality and consistency of care offered to the young person have improved.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received additional training in equality and diversity awareness, effective communication and anti-bullying practice to enhance their knowledge and skills. All staff who are not suitably qualified are now enrolled to complete the relevant qualification. The deputy manager is also now enrolled to complete her level 5 management qualification. Additionally, all staff have received good quality supervision with the new manager that has enabled them to reflect on their practice, the shortfalls identified at the inadequate inspection and the needs of the young person. Consequently, staff feel better supported and more confident in providing a good quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded into the home‘s practice and to ensure that the home‘s ongoing development is sustained.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/10/2018 Full Inadequate 08/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/04/2017 Full Good 13/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 4

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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, 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 children‘s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‘s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child‘s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‘s best interests when making decisions about the child‘s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child‘s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

help each child to achieve the child‘s education and training 06/12/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 5 targets, as recorded in the child‘s relevant plans; support each child‘s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child‘s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child‘s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child‘s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child‘s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child‘s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

*The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 06/12/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 6 an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child‘s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‘s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‘s behaviour, in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child‘s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child‘s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children‘s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii) Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 7 (viii)(ix)(x) (xi)(xii)(xiii)) *The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 06/12/2018

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 06/12/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 8 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) *The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children‘s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‘s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child‘s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child‘s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child‘s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(d)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‘s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate 06/12/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 9 induction; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(4)(a)(b)) The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (―the authorised person‖)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)) 06/12/2018

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

the independent person must produce a report about a visit (―the independent person‘s report‖) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‘s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children‘s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person‘s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(4)(a)(b)(5)) 06/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (―a quality of care review‖) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 06/12/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 10 the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children‘s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (―the quality of care review report‖).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 11

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children‘s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Malthouse Business Centre, 48 Southport Road, Ormskirk L39 1QR

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Inspector(s)

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 1227335 12 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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