Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 1 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home but was away when the visit took place.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted, and her fit-person interview took place during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as requires improvement to be good in April 2025. An assurance visit carried out in July 2025 did not identify any serious or widespread weaknesses.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the current management arrangements and assess the actions taken by staff in response to the 2 recent safeguarding incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not worked in the organisation for several months, and the responsible individual, the operational manager and the chief executive officer have all recently resigned. Despite this instability, the acting manager, who has extensive and relevant experience, has applied to become the registered manager. She has overseen significant improvements in the home and ensured that the child receives adequate support for his health, education and overall wellbeing.

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This monitoring visit

The child living at the home was away during this visit celebrating his birthday with staff and family members. The manager has a good understanding of the child’s needs and has ensured that staff have received specific training in relation to them. The child is making good progress, and incidents, although rare, are managed well. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 2 Care planning is clearly grounded in the organisation’s therapeutic model, strengthened by additional research that the manager has sourced independently. Staff and the manager demonstrate a strong grasp of this model and can apply it meaningfully to the child’s individual needs and day ‑ to ‑ day care.

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This monitoring visit

On two occasions, the child attempted to leave the home without permission at times when he was at risk of harm. Staff and the manager responded promptly and managed both incidents effectively, ensuring that the child was located quickly and returned safely. Following each incident, the manager carried out learning reviews to identify improvements and strengthen staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

The property provides a spacious and homely environment for the child. At the time of this visit, the child’s bedroom was being redecorated due to damage they had caused. The home is located on the edge of a canal and adjacent to a static caravan park. However, these environmental hazards are not identified in the location risk assessment or the review of premises. Although the manager is confident that these factors do not pose a risk to the child currently living at the home, the absence of any recorded mitigations means it is unclear how she reached this conclusion.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and recommendation raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/04/2024 Full Inadequate 11/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 4

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they review the appropriateness and suitability of the home’s location and premises at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing them. The registered person should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malthouse Business Centre, 48 Southport Road, Ormskirk L39 1QR

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Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Leah Kelly / Catherine Anderson

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Helen Humphreys, His Majety’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2630446 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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