Children's Home run by Theracare Homes Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 1 Registered provider: Theracare Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 6 April 2022. The registered manager post has been vacant since 22 November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently an experienced manager in post who has applied to register with Ofsted. The new manager has the relevant skills and experience for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were no children living at the home. Inspection date : 12 October 2023

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection on 2 November 2022. Two compliance notices and a notice restricting accommodation were served following the inspection due to the poor safeguarding practice and leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

At the monitoring visit on 24 January 2023, no children were living at the home and there was no manager or staff in post. A further notice restricting accommodation was issued. At the monitoring visit, the provider confirmed their intention to close the home temporarily. As such, Ofsted made the decision to impose a variation of the home’s conditions of registration. This required the provider to give Ofsted three months’ notice of their intention to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

The provider wrote to Ofsted in July 2023 with a confirmation of their intention to care for children again from October 2023. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to look at the action taken by the provider to address the serious shortfalls identified at the full inspection and consider whether the three-month condition can be lifted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 2 At the time of this visit, no children were living in the home. No children have moved into the home since the last monitoring visit. This demonstrates that the provider has complied with the three-month condition.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that steps have been taken by the provider to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection. The new manager is an experienced registered manager within the same organisation. They have ensured that all staff assigned to work at the home have completed a robust induction programme. Staff have completed enhanced training and attended workshops in key areas, including safeguarding children, professional curiosity, behaviour management and recording. This has helped to develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has also strengthened its internal policy on staff conduct to make it clear what the expected standards of behaviour are and the consequences if these are not followed by staff. All staff have read and signed the policy to confirm their understanding of the expectations.

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This monitoring visit

There is a sufficient number of staff working at the home to meet children’s individual needs. The staff have relevant experience and are suitably qualified. The new manager has the relevant skills and experience for the role and is in the process of submitting an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the good progress and the improvements that have been made since the full inspection, Ofsted has removed the condition that required the registered person to inform Ofsted of their intention to accommodate children at the home at least three months before any child is accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations raised at the previous inspection have not been considered as part of this monitoring visit. These will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2022 Full Inadequate 27/07/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 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, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated. 17 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 17 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 5 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review consequences to ensure that those given are proportionate, effective and in line with the children’s needs and level of understanding.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated. 17 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 17 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 6 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated.

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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; 17 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h)) 17 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 17 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 8 This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)) 17 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 17 December 2023

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Theracare Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 10 Ambassador Place, Stockport Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 8DB

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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2673338 10 regulates 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 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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