Children's Home run by Embrace Care Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 1 Registered provider: Embrace Care Ltd

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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 owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to care for up to 3 children who may experience social or emotional challenges.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke with one child.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in place. The interim manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 29 December 2025

Date of last inspection: 11 November 2025

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Inspection date: 29 December 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 29 December 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2672566 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protections of children at this assurance inspection. Some of the requirements from the last inspection were not looked at during this visit and remain in place.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home have impacted on children’s safety and overall experiences.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not recognise risks associated with children being at risk of exploitation. Staff did not support one child who was known to be at risk of exploitation to understand their risks and how to keep safe. Managers and staff were not professionally curious with the child when concerns arose.

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Findings from the inspection

Action was not taken to ensure that children could not access items that pose a risk to them. This resulted in one child being able to take the home’s car keys and car on 2 occasions. Safety measures that were implemented following the first incident were not effective and were not sufficiently communicated with the whole staff team.

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Findings from the inspection

Staffing has been a challenge in this period, with one child saying that they ‘see a lot of new faces here’. The manager has been recruiting for a stable team, which is ongoing.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has sufficient space and was nicely decorated for the festive season. However, there is long-standing damage in areas of the home that has not been addressed. This includes a rotting window frame above a bed that staff sleep in each night and damage to one child’s bedroom, which the child stated had happened approximately a year ago. This does not provide children or staff with a safe or positive environment to live in.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have no consistent routines to support them to be successful in education or employment. Children regularly stay up all night and sleep throughout the day. One child is not receiving any education and has not been supported to obtain employment. One child was working part time but regularly missed work due to tiredness. Staff do not complete any educational activities with children during school time.

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Findings from the inspection

Both children who live in the home will be moving on in the next 6 months to live more independently. Staff and managers have not completed any meaningful work to help children develop their independent living skills. This means that children have not adequately learned about budgeting, time management, employment skills, meal planning and cooking, or relationship skills. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 3 Staff speak to children regularly about various topics. However, staff do not complete proactive or focused work to help children understand relevant risks and vulnerabilities. This means that children are not well prepared to keep themselves safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Records of children being missing from the home are of poor quality. This means that the manager is not always able to determine whether staff have acted appropriately to keep the child safe. Additionally, it is unclear whether somebody independent has spoken to the child when they return home.

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Findings from the inspection

Management oversight of the care being provided to children is poor. The manager reviews incidents that occur and identifies actions to be completed. However, management evaluation does not clearly identify what staff did well, what needs to improve or what can be learned. There is no follow-through to ensure that identified actions are completed, and learning is not carried forward to help staff improve their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

A case review was held following the inspection. The outcome of the case review was that there were serious and widespread concerns. Compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and Regulation 6, the quality and purpose of care standard. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/07/2025 Full Inadequate 20/08/2024 Full Good 17/04/2024 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 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

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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health and 8 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 6 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff actively support children’s knowledge in relation to fire hazards and take effective measures to reduce risks when children are known to have lighters in their possession.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all incident records are fully completed and followed up.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff complete proactive work with children to help them understand and reduce their risks.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is safe and well kept, and contributes to positive physical, mental and emotional health.

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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

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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; and 8 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the expectations of staff practice are clear and are consistently followed by both permanent and non-permanent staff members.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they maintain effective oversight of the care of children, staff practice and records in the home. Management evaluation of incidents must consider what worked well, what needs to improve and what learning can be taken.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(iv)(vi)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are fully prepared to live independently. 8 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and 8 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 8 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that where staff have been dismissed from previous roles, these are effectively explored and appropriately risk assessed.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children are not attending an educational setting, they are actively encouraged to engage in a structured routine that is regularly reviewed for effectiveness. 8 February 2026

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 8 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 9 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all statutory documents that inform children’s care plans are received in a timely manner. This includes pathway plans, statutory review documents and personal education plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations; or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) (5) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is reflective of the conditions in the home’s registration and that staff details are accurate. 8 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all documents are in the children records timely and support their planning. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 11.1 and 11.5) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 116 Duke Street, Liverpool, Lancashire L1 5JW

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Inspector

Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2672566 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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