Children's Home run by Therapeutic Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 1 Registered provider: Therapeutic 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 home is operated by a private provider and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were no children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection. The registered manager’s post has been vacant since January 2025. The new manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 2

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improvement to be good

There have been two children who have moved in and out of the home quickly since the home was registered. The manager did not identify the level of the children’s complexities and vulnerabilities. This led to both children leaving the home prematurely, as staff could not meet their specific needs or ensure their long-term safety. As a result, the outcomes achieved by children have not been consistently positive.

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improvement to be good

There has now been a change in the management of the home. A new experienced manager is now in place, and she has identified the shortfalls in the referral process. The manager has developed a more robust system so that children only move in when the team can meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff did try to form positive relationships with children and their families. They supported children to have regular family time. This ensured that children sustained their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff promoted the children’s health needs. Children are registered with all universal services as soon as they move into the home. Staff also actively worked with other health professionals to ensure that the children’s health needs were being met. Staff educate children on having a healthier lifestyle, including information on the dangers of vaping, having a healthier diet and the importance of exercise in promoting their health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff actively promoted the children’s education. They ensured that while children were not in formal education, they had a daily timetable which consisted of both formal and informal learning opportunities, including educational trips and physical exercise. Staff provided children with positive activities, both in the home and out in the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly encouraged children to express their wishes and feelings. This was achieved through daily conversations and weekly meetings. They supported children to be involved in their day-to day care, including choosing activities and menu choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not consistently respond appropriately to missing-from-home incidents. There are clear and comprehensive plans in place that staff should follow to ensure the safe return of the child. Staff did act appropriately in notifying professionals, including the police and missing-from-home team, in a timely manner. However, staff did not consistently look for the child during the period that they were missing from home, to ensure their quick return to the home. The new manager has identified this as a shortfall Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 3 and now has clear plans to ensure that staff have a clear understanding of the importance of following the procedure to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

The use of clear risk management plans ensured that staff were familiar with the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. Children’s plans were reviewed and updated regularly by the manager, who ensured that children’s behaviours were monitored so that any emerging risks were appropriately considered.

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improvement to be good

The use of consequences to address unwanted behaviours are fair, balanced and proportionate. The use of physical intervention is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm. The manager ensures that they regularly scrutinise all records to look at any learning to help to reduce the number of incidents reoccurring.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that complaints and allegations are investigated quickly and handled professionally and effectively. Significant incidents are shared with the appropriate authorities to protect children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are only carried out when there is a recognised risk. Staff ensure that this is handled sensitively and the child is informed. There is clear management oversight of the searches to consider any follow-up action required.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is comfortable, clean, tidy and safe. The manager ensures that any damage is quickly repaired. All health and safety checks have been completed and any shortfalls have been rectified. This ensures that the home is a safe place for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a change in management since registration. The new manager is experienced and qualified. She is currently managing another home in the company, which is close by, and she has applied to dual register. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager. The new management team are ambitious and have a clear vision for the development of the home and staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a stable and committed group of staff in place who work well together. Staff are caring professionals who genuinely aspire to make a positive difference to the lives of children. However, staff are not yet meeting the aims and objectives, as set out in the statement of purpose, effectively. This means the desired outcomes for children have not been achieved successfully. The new manager is eager to rectify any shortfalls in terms of future assessments for children to ensure that staff can meet the children’s specific needs and improve outcomes for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The management team is a strong advocate for the continual development of the staff team. There is a comprehensive training programme in place, from induction to ongoing training, which allows staff to gain appropriate knowledge and skills. The manager has good oversight of the training completed, and this gives her the understanding of the Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 4 skills and knowledge of the team and helps them to meet the needs of children in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff morale is positive and staff said they now feel more supported by the new management team. They are receiving guidance and support in their roles. Staff are having regular supervision sessions that give them an opportunity to reflect and look at any areas for future development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are taking place regularly. This gives the manager and the team an opportunity to reflect and share their experiences and knowledge and to complete group discussions on the expectations and improve consistency for children. The staff are taking on additional responsibilities to help the manager in the smooth day-to-day running of the home. The staff said they feel more involved, and this helps them to have a shared ownership in the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager ensures that recruitment practice is safe. All necessary checks are completed before staff start work in the home. This helps to ensure that adults working in the home are safe to do so. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must only agree that children can move in when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s needs. 26 April 2025

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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— 26 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 6 that staff—

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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; 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular ,the registered person must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities in safeguarding children, especially when children are missing from home.

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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: 2793765 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2793765 8 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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