Children's Home run by Icare Solutions Stockport Limited in Warrington

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 1 Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider and is registered to provide care for three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. One child had recently moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2025

Date of last inspection: 30 October 2024

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Inspection date: 10 February 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 2

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Findings from the inspection

An assurance inspection was undertaken on 10 February 2025. This visit was undertaken in response to concerns in relation to safeguarding practices and leadership and management.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Ineffective leadership and management.  Staff do not have the skills, knowledge or qualifications to care for the children living in the house.  Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe and protecting them from harm.  Staff do not recognise the risk of child exploitation

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Findings from the inspection

Children have been placed at risk of significant harm, which could have been prevented. Children’s needs and risks have not been considered alongside the skills and experience of the staff team. Leaders and managers have not considered the risks children may pose to each other when making decisions about children moving into the home. This has resulted in children being exposed to risks.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s complex needs and behaviours are not reflected in their risk management plans. The provider’s approach does not reflect a strong commitment to safeguarding and supporting children’s individual needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff lack professional curiosity when children’s behaviours or conversations indicate they may be at risk of exploitation in the home and community. Staff have failed to act when there are indicators of abuse. As a result, effective strategies to reduce risk have not been considered or implemented.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not have the skills and knowledge to care for and safeguard children effectively. Management oversight of staff training is poor, and staff have not received training specific to children’s needs. This includes trauma and attachment training.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers do not always share information about children’s behaviour with local authority social workers. This means that social workers are unaware of all the potential risks. This has impacted significantly on children’s safety and well-being and has resulted in one child moving out of the home in an unplanned way.

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Findings from the inspection

Rotas do not accurately reflect the staff working in the home. They do not include the manager’s working hours or the full names of staff and the hours they work. One incident refers to a member of staff being involved who was not listed on the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 3 rota at the time of the incident. This means it is unclear who is working with children and when.

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Findings from the inspection

Records of incidents are poor, and safeguarding records are not always clear and do not evidence robust scrutiny by leaders and managers. As a result, leaders and managers have not identified shortfalls in staff’s practice or learning from incidents to improve staff’s practice. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Having considered the serious shortfalls found at the full inspection, Ofsted has issued a restriction notice to the provider of the children’s home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/10/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have a good understanding of the indicators of child exploitation and what actions they should take to manage or reduce risks. 4 May 2025

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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 4 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 6 promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that decision- making about children’s suitability for the home takes account of children’s needs and risks and whether the staff’s qualifications, skills and experience are sufficient to provide safe and consistent care to children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff complete training specific to children’s needs and risks.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff’s skills and knowledge are reviewed as part of team meetings, reflective supervision sessions and appraisals.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure they take into account feedback on the experiences of children to improve the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 4 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 7 maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must maintain an accurate copy of the staff duty rota detailing all relevant information of persons working in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 101 Wellington Road North, Stockport SK4 2LP

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Inspectors

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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