Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 1 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and social difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2022 Full Inadequate 23/06/2021 Full Good 18/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. When staff are able to engage children, they enjoy positive experiences. However, staff have not been able to do this consistently. Consequently, children have spent significant periods of time not engaging in meaningful activities. This limits the children’s progress.

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls in the care planning for children living in the home. When children are not accessing education, there are no plans in place for staff to support children to access educational activities. This means that one child was spending a significant amount of time in their bedroom. This limits their progression in education.

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improvement to be good

Children are well supported when they move in and out of the home with clear plans. Staff support children to leave the home with all of their belongings. This includes all of their bedroom furniture. This means that children have a sense of ownership and are better equipped to settle into their new home.

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improvement to be good

Children are positive about their experiences of living in the home and the support that they have received. Children said that they feel genuinely cared for. However, one child, who no longer lives in the home, said that they had not established positive relationships with all staff. At this time, staff had not made enough effort to engage with the child.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to stay in touch with family members. Staff take children significant distances to see their parents and siblings. One child has been able to have their sibling stay over at the home. This helps children to maintain their family identity.

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improvement to be good

Children report to feel safe living in this home. Children informed the inspector that they have staff members who they can speak to about their worries.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff physically search for children. However, one child has spent a significant amount of time away from the home. Staff have not always made the appropriate checks to find out where the child was staying. This means that staff did not always know where the child was.

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improvement to be good

Staff were unable to manage risks posed to one child after they had lived in the home for a number of years. Consequently, the child left the home. This means that the child has experienced instability. Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 4 When staff are concerned about the child, information is shared with their placing authority. This means that relevant meetings are undertaken and the decisions on how to keep the child safe are made on a multi-agency basis.

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good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager who has well established relationships with the children in his care. The manager is supported by a deputy manager and regional manager. Children are positive about the support that they receive from the manager.

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good

Improvements have been made to the quality assurance undertaken by managers. However, these have not promptly addressed issues in staff practice when children are missing from home. This means that staff are not clear on what is expected of them when children are missing from home.

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good

When complaints have been made, the manager has investigated these thoroughly. The manager writes to children detailing the outcome of any complaint. This means that children are aware that their views are taken seriously.

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good

Staff are positive about the management support on offer at the home. One staff member said, ‘Both manager and deputy manager have supported me fully.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 5

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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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The protection of children standard

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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The protection of children standard

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

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The protection of children standard

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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The protection of children standard

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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The protection of children standard

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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The protection of children standard

In particular, when children stay away from the home, staff should make all the appropriate checks to ensure that they know where the child is and that the child is safe. 19 October 2023

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The protection of children standard

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

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The protection of children standard

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

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The protection of children standard

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 19 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 6 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv))

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The protection of children standard

In particular, when children refuse to access education, staff should provide children with structure to their day with educational based activities.

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The protection of children standard

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

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The protection of children standard

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

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The protection of children standard

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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The protection of children standard

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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The protection of children standard

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(v)(viii))

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The protection of children standard

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff spend time with all children and build relationships with them. 19 October 2023

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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: 2537801 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Exceptional Care Limited, Malthouse Business Centre, Southport Road, Ormskirk L39 1QR

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Inspector

Rob Neild, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2537801 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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