Children's Home run by Therapeutic Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 1 Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have been living in the home for over a year. They both have excellent relationships with staff and the manager, who know them well. The children receive individualised care which meets their needs and there is a strong focus by staff on taking a therapeutic approach. One child said, ‘I really like it here and the best thing about it is the staff.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted and encouraged. Staff and the manager have formed good relationships with some family members. This supports children to maintain their familial links. Children are also encouraged to engage with their community and get involved in charitable initiatives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in a range of activities and enjoy holidays with staff. The children are encouraged to build their independence skills in an age-appropriate way, by helping with cooking, shopping and tidying their bedrooms. The children are encouraged to express their wishes and feelings, and these are acted on when appropriate. Both children say they feel listened to, and that staff advocate for them when necessary.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children’s individual health needs, and children are registered with all universal health services. However, the manager has not encouraged one child to seek further support for a health need.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager are aspirational for the children and education is promoted in the home. One child is attending college and is making good progress. Another child is finding it difficult to attend their education setting on a full-time basis. The manager has worked with other professionals to formulate a bespoke programme of education that the child is better able to engage with. This has resulted in the child being able to make progress in education.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are clear plans in place that help the staff to understand how to meet each child’s individual needs and keep them safe. Incidents are generally well managed, and staff are trained and skilled in de-escalation techniques. This promotes a positive and non- confrontational culture. When risks and vulnerabilities emerge, the manager takes steps to ensure that these are mitigated. Accidents and injuries are dealt with appropriately by staff, with medical attention sought when required.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children have developed trusting relationships with staff. Staff take a therapeutic approach and positive behaviour is promoted through rewards and incentives. Staff focus on building each child’s self-esteem using a variety of methods, and positive behaviours and achievements are noted. Negative consequences are rare and, when they are given, they are proportionate and fair, using a restorative approach. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 4 There is a stable staff team, which means that the children have consistent support from staff who know them well. Staff recruitment follows safe processes, which ensures that only suitable individuals work with children. Staff complete a broad range of good-quality training in safeguarding matters and know how to escalate safeguarding concerns. Allegations and complaints are dealt with appropriately, with all relevant agencies informed and processes followed.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home is a safe environment for children. It is a homely environment that is welcoming and well maintained. Some staff bring their dogs to the home, which further promotes the feeling of a family home. Children are able to personalise their bedrooms, giving them a sense of ownership and permanence.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. His practice is child-centred and meets the children’s needs. One social worker said, ‘He is amazing and so present for the children, and [name of child] has made massive progress.’ The manager is supported by an experienced responsible individual.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are supported by an experienced and skilled staff team who have access to a wide range of training. The manager has ensured that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children. Some staff are qualified and experienced in residential childcare. New members of staff complete an induction before being enrolled to work towards a recognised childcare qualification.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and the wider company leadership. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals, which allow them to reflect on their practice. Team meetings are used as a forum for discussion and are held regularly.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and the manager work effectively with other agencies, professionals and family members. They ensure that they attend all relevant meetings and advocate for children when necessary. There are plans in place that help the staff to understand how to meet each child’s individual needs. However, in one case, an up-to-date care plan has not been received from the local authority and the manager has not escalated this in a timely manner.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring systems in place and has good day-to-day oversight of the home. Records are reviewed by the manager, which allows for reflection and learning from incidents. However, the statement of purpose has not always been shared with the regulator after it has been updated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they receive the most recent care plan for children from the local authority and use this to inform their own care planning. 25 December 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.5

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(b) 25 December 2024

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged to take a proactive role in looking after their own day-to-day health and well-being. When children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these, in line with their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10) Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 6

p.5

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: 2744087 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Errigal House, Avroe Crescent, Blackpool FY4 2DP

p.7

Inspector

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744087 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8