Children's home run by Gracewells Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 1 Registered provider: Gracewells 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 run children’s home is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social, behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2019 and it is run by a suitably experienced manager who was registered in October 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 November 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Outstanding 22/11/2022 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children to spend time with each other. Mealtimes are an important part of the children’s routine. Staff use this time as an opportunity to talk about each person’s day and plan for the evening and forthcoming week.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming, and children are encouraged to individualise their own bedrooms. Health and safety checks are completed in the relevant timescales. However, hot water from the downstairs toilet tap was found to be extremely hot. This may pose a risk to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to enjoy themselves and have fun, providing children with a range of stimulating activities that suit their interests. Staff and children enjoy holidays together, which expands children’s life experiences. This will ensure that they build important and happy childhood memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak extremely positively about the staff in the home and the care that children receive. Staff are creative in identifying ways to help children settle in the home and make progress. One social worker said, ‘[child’s name] has had amazing opportunities since living at the home and this was not possible where they had previously lived.’ Staff work well with family members, building relationships and helping to sustain positive and important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for children and support them to attend education. When children face barriers in education, staff respond quickly and reduce any impact that these barriers may have on their learning. However, one child’s education, health and care plan is out of date. This document reported that the child lived in foster care, despite living in the home for over 18 months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to attend routine health appointments and seek specialist health input when needed. Staff also work with external professionals, including an external psychologist, to provide support for children.

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

Staff are recruited safely, and processes are in place to ensure that the right staff are employed to keep the children safe. The manager verbally verifies the references and agency staff are not used. The manager and the provider are confident that the staff are suitable to work with children.

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

Children build trusted and secure relationships with the adults who are looking after them. Staff know the children well and ensure that their health needs are met. Children are listened to and staff invest time advocating for them and promoting their welfare. Children develop an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 4 Staff have a clear understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in the home and how to manage and support them. The home has detailed risk management plans in place. Any allegations or risks are clearly documented in care plans and all staff are aware of how to respond to any risks that children may face. However, not all serious incidents have been notified to the regulator.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour. They work as a team to maintain clear boundaries and to provide consistent routines for children. The manager tracks and monitors children’s behaviours using a model of therapeutic care. This provides staff with an understanding of each child and helps them to identify if further support is required.

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

Staff are proactive in supporting children when they feel overwhelmed by their feelings. Children are rarely restrained and only held when necessary to protect themselves or those around them. Methods used are proportionate and only used as a last resort. The manager has recently implemented changes about the recording of physical intervention incidents.

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

Staff receive extensive training, and all incidents are recorded, reviewed and monitored by the manager. The views of the child, dependent on their age and understanding, are sought afterwards and documented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident, driven and passionate about the children in her care. She leads a stable staff team that is dedicated, enthusiastic and motivated, which offers consistency for children. Children, staff and family members speak highly of the manager and her positive approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. She has developed an effective system to monitor care practices, and uses both internal and external monitoring systems to improve and change care practices as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consistently scrutinises and actively oversees the care that children receive. She consults with families, social workers and independent reviewing officers to seek their views on the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff come from a variety of professional backgrounds and have different experiences. This enhances the overall experiences for the children. Staff rotas are up to date and planned, and managers are included on the rota.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is child focused from either the manager or a senior leader. Supervision is recorded. However, this is not always a true reflection of the discussions that have taken place. Staff also take part in regular group supervision and occasionally work with the in-house therapist. Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 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’s Due date

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

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Requirement’s Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement’s Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement’s Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement’s Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement’s Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)( e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement’s Due date

Specifically, when a child is involved in a car accident as a pedestrian, a notification needs to be sent to Ofsted concerning the incident. 31 January 2025

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Requirement’s Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement’s Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement’s Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement’s Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 6 authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement’s Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement’s Due date

Specifically, the registered person should challenge the local authority when education, health and care plans are not up to date and in line with a child’s personal education plan.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice. Specifically, this should include reflection on care given to the children and supporting colleagues in their development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.). Specifically, the registered person should ensure that hot water temperature restrictors are placed on taps in the bathrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2545733 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 36 Jubilee House, East Beach, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 5FT

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Inspector

Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2545733 8 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 who are 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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