Children's Home run by Gracewells Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 1

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Gracewells Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that provides care for up to three children and young people who have emotional needs and challenging behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered on 4 May 2020 and has not previously had an inspection. There is a registered manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the home following concerns that were raised, suggesting that there may be a breach in regulations. These concerns relate to an event that occurred in the home that Ofsted was notified about.

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This monitoring visit

The visit identified that children have not been safeguarded effectively. This is because staff have failed to take the necessary action to minimise risk and keep each child safe from harm. Furthermore, the visit identified that the responsible individual has limited capacity to support the registered manager in her role in the new registered home.

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This monitoring visit

The home accommodates three children. One 13-year-old child is subject to sexual exploitation. There are serious concerns around her safety and welfare when she goes missing from the home. Police have picked her up from different addresses to return her to the children’s home. A number of professionals are involved in her care and a comprehensive support package is in place, including work with a sexual exploitation worker. However, at the time of the monitoring visit, the child continued to put herself at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Another child is subject to criminal exploitation. The 16-year-old child has been missing from the home since 6 December 2020. Previous to this, he went missing on 1 December 2020 and returned to the home for one night on 5 December 2020 before going missing again. The staff confirmed that the young person is dealing Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 2 illegal substances in his home town. He leaves the home and transports himself by rail to his home town, failing to pay for his fare. Although he is known to visit his mother’s house for a shower and some food, his sleeping arrangements are unknown. A number of professionals are involved in his care and his youth offending worker and social worker have met the young person while out in his community. A number of missing-from-home strategy meetings have been held. However, at the time of the monitoring visit, the young person continued to put himself at risk.

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This monitoring visit

The home uses an agency to fill staff shortfalls as a result of vacancies in the home. To provide consistency, one agency member of staff has been used from the agency. This agency member of staff was subject to an allegation that she had harmed a child in the home. The incident had been witnessed by a member of staff as the agency member pushed a child into a door causing her to bang her head.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager did not report these concerns to children’s social care and the local authority designated officer until seven days later, although she did report her concerns to the agency immediately. The registered manager failed to follow safeguarding procedures to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The agency member of staff worked in the home on 16 occasions and was subject to two allegations during this period of time. Staff reported that she spoke unprofessionally to children. During this period, the staff member had one supervision on 18 November 2020. The registered manager had failed to undertake scrutiny around the recruitment of this agency member, accepting that she had a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references and experience without verifying this with the agency. The agency member had not been sufficiently supervised to ensure that their practice was to the standard and quality that the organisation aims to achieve. This lack of management of safer recruitment and a lack of support for the agency member of staff placed children in the home at risk and eventually subjected them to physical harm.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual acts as the registered provider for six organisations and has a further three applications to be registered with Ofsted. The responsible individual does not live in the same region as the children’s home and so spends half a day in the home, once a fortnight. This limits his capacity to fulfil his duties as a responsible individual. He was unable to name the children in the home and a child spoken to was not aware of his name, though they had seen him around the home previously.

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This monitoring visit

In Ofsted’s view, the home’s day-to-day care is poorly arranged and delivered and fails to protect each child effectively from harm. This has resulted in serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice and procedure, compromising children’s safety and protection in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, that the registered person ensures 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)(b)) 22/01/2021

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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. In particular, that the registered person understands the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(f)) 22/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5). The requirements are that a responsible individual must have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (5) (7)(b)) 22/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (8)) 22/01/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 5 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the home following concerns that the home may not be operating in line with regulations.

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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: Gracewells Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Gracewells International Ltd, Unit 1, Calder Court, Shorebury Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool, Blackpool FY4 2RH

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 6 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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