Children's Home run by Therapeutic Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 1 Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited 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

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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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: 2762097 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has lived here for over 18 months and has developed positive and trusting relationships with the manager and staff. The staff are committed, child centred and understand the child’s needs. The child is making progress in many aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to attend routine health appointments. They also educate the child on aspects of their health, such has the importance of physical health and a healthy diet. The child recently made the choice to not take their medication, and the staff supported this decision. However, staff did not consult with the prescribing health professional to see the effect this may have on the child’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child spends positive time with people who are important to them. Staff support the child in seeing family members even though they live a distance away. Staff also support the child in having regular phone contact with their mother, and they send her a weekly update, so she feels part of the child’s daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child now attends education each day. They find a formal education setting difficult, so the manager has worked with other professionals, and the child now attends a mixture of classroom-based education and vocational music clubs. This means that the child is engaging in their learning and gaining confidence in their abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child takes part in activities both at the home and out in the community. Staff encourage the child’s friendships and support them in spending positive time together doing activities. This is helping the child to develop their social skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child in developing age-appropriate life skills. Through staffs’ continual encouragement and support, the child is completing task such as personal hygiene, cooking, shopping and general tasks around the home. This is developing the child’s confidence and skills to become more independent.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s risk and vulnerabilities. There are clear risk assessments in place that give them guidelines on how to manage and minimise risk. Staff have built up a good relationship with other professionals, such as the local police community support officer who offers additional support to the child in understanding the risks when out in the local community.

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

The child said they feel safe at the home. They know how to raise any issues or concerns if they had any. The child is regularly consulted about their views on their day- to-day care. This ensures that the child feels listened to and that their views are important to the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 4 Staff support positive behaviour through the strong relationship they have developed with the child. They encourage the child to identify how staff can help them when their emotions are heightened. When consequences are used, they are appropriate, and staff speak with the child to ensure that they understand why any consequences were necessary. This helps the child to develop more positive ways to express their emotions.

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

Any incidents of the child going missing from the home are well managed. Staff are proactive in their response and follow the missing-from-home protocols, including searching for the child and working with other professionals to ensure the child’s safe return. Staff regularly speak to the child to help them understand the risks and their vulnerabilities. The manager ensures that the child has an opportunity to speak to an independent person on their return.

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

Staff support the child to take age-appropriate risk as part of their development towards independence. The child regularly goes out in the local community, and the staff complete regular welfare checks to ensure the child’s safety.

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

Safeguarding practice is good. When incidents have occurred, they have been well managed. Staff act appropriately to ensure that the safety of the child is paramount. The manager ensures that all appropriate professionals are informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is qualified, dedicated, aspirational, child centred and has high expectations of staff. She has clear systems in place to ensure that she has oversight of the day-to-day practice at the home. She also regularly reviews the quality of care and the progress the child makes. This ensures that she is continually looking at ways to improve the care provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed good working relationships with other professionals to ensure that the child’s needs are met. She is a great advocate for the child and will escalate any shortfalls in other services to ensure that everyone is working in the best interests of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a highly motivated core group of staff who have been at the home since it registered. They have an excellent understanding of the needs of the child and provide consistency of care. They share the same aspirations, and they said that they feel supported by the manager. The manager is keen to develop staff’s practice, and each staff member has taken on some responsibility for the day-to-day practice. This gives staff a feeling of shared ownership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training programme in place. The manager ensures that staff receive additional training to meet the needs of the child. Staff are supported in their learning and development by an in-house therapist who oversees the therapeutic model of care. Staff said that they value this support in giving them confidence in meeting the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 5 Staff have an opportunity to reflect on their role through regular supervision sessions, appraisals and team meetings. This enables the staff to share their knowledge and experience. It also gives them the opportunity to identify any further training and development that will help them in their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 6

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment, and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that if a child refuses to take medication, this has been discussed with the prescribing health professional so they can support the child in 16 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 7 understanding the effects this may have on their health and well-being.

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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: 2762097 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2762097 9 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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