Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 1 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied for registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2023 Full Good 28/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home after two happy and successful years. Two new children then moved into the home in September and October 2024. A parent said, ‘My son was there for a few years. He transitioned well on to semi- independent living. He was fully supported, and it was a positive experience. He can’t speak highly enough of the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress based on their individual starting points. They benefit from warm and secure relationships with staff. Children benefit from well-planned, individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. Staff provide continuity of care, ensuring consistency and stability in the children’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is home tutored on a reduced timetable, and the other child is currently being supported by staff to resume their education and overcome the barriers to their learning. This child is not yet engaged in education. However, staff continue to work closely with social workers and the virtual school to promote children’s educational achievements. A teacher said, ‘This is the first place where [name of child] felt settled. I can’t speak highly enough of the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have access to the services that they need to stay healthy. Staff support children to attend health appointments and work closely with the home’s therapist to address the children’s emotional needs. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with all partner agencies to ensure that children receive the best possible help and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with effective support through one-to-one discussions. This includes life-story work. A social worker said, ‘I have nothing but praise for the staff and am very positive about their support.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with positive activities and experiences. Both children enjoy playing football and watching professional football matches with staff. Staff keep photo albums for the children to highlight their memorable moments and experiences. A child said, ‘All of the staff are sound. I’ve been rock climbing and mountain bike riding.’

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

Staff promote the children’s safety and well-being. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and specific vulnerabilities. They follow risk management plans effectively to keep children safe and reduce their risk of harm.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviours safely. They ensure that positive behaviour is rewarded and reinforced. The use of consequences to address negative behaviour is kept to an absolute minimum. Restraint is rarely used and is only ever used to protect Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 4 children from harm. Staff use de-escalation strategies to prevent unwanted behaviours from escalating.

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

There have been no complaints since the last inspection. Allegations of abuse are treated seriously, and appropriate action is taken to report safeguarding concerns. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding partners to promote the safety of children.

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

On the rare occasions that children have gone missing from the home, staff actively search for children and follow the home’s missing-from-home protocols. They work closely with the police to locate children quickly to secure their safe return.

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

Staff provide children with a physically safe, appropriately secure, comfortable and homely living environment. Health and safety matters are managed effectively to ensure a safe environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been recruited and has applied for registration. The manager promotes a good team spirit and fosters a positive culture and nurturing environment for children. A social worker said, ‘There is always a nice atmosphere in the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides a supportive environment for staff where their individual and collective contributions are valued and recognised. A staff member said, ‘The children are well cared for, the home is very warm and homely, and the staff team all work well together. Management is very approachable and open to suggestions.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that team meetings are held regularly, and staff benefit from practice-related supervision. This encourages staff to reflect on practice and enables them to monitor the progress of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training needs of staff are identified and met effectively. They receive good-quality training, which enables them to meet the specific needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses stakeholder feedback to review the quality of care provided. However, the manager has not submitted the six-monthly quality of care review to Ofsted in the required timescales. This impacts the regulator’s oversight of the care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home on a monthly basis to review the quality of care provided for children. This helps staff, leaders and managers to understand the strengths and weaknesses in the care provided, ensuring that action is taken to address any shortfalls to secure timely improvement. Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 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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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

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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children are engaged in education. 6 January 2025

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; 6 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 6 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a))

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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: 2627967 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 Ltd, Malthouse Business Centre, 48 Southport Road, Ormskirk L39 1QR

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2627967 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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