Children's Home run by Invigor Adolescent Care Limited in Wigan

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 1 Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent 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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector(s) 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: 2724379 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home. Staff were unable to meet one child’s needs, and the other child experienced an abrupt ending because they felt an allegation they made was not dealt with appropriately. Neither child experienced a positive ending to their time at the time.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers commission a therapeutic service to support staff to meet the children’s individual needs. The children can also access support if they want to. Reports from the therapeutic service are not always shared with the staff and managers promptly. This means that any recommended strategies for staff are not incorporated into the children’s plans in a timely way.

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Findings from the inspection

Incidents of children going missing from home are managed appropriately. Staff actively search for children and ensure that the relevant professionals are informed. Staff use online applications to support the safe return of children to the home in a timely way.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff practice is inconsistent when managing risks for children. For example, staff do not always complete room searches when there are concerns about children using electronic cigarettes. This is unsafe practice and does not provide children with clear boundaries.

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Findings from the inspection

Complaints from children are not managed consistently. On one occasion leaders and managers dealt with a complaint as an allegation. This led to the child leaving the home and refusing to return. Furthermore, leaders and managers did not follow the appropriate procedures for managing the allegation and ensuring that staff were safe to return to work.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been changes in the management at the home since the last inspection. The responsible individual is spending more time at the home following the departure of the registered manager. A new manager is in post who has a good understanding of the children’s needs, strengths of the home and areas for development.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have identified shortfalls in the management oversight of staff practice. For example, there was no management oversight for an incident when the police were called to assist staff and no evidence of any practice learning. Leaders and managers are now taking steps to address shortfalls in staff practice and provide them with learning and development opportunities.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff say that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported in their roles. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 3 Not all requirements set at the last inspection have been met. Requirements under 12, the protection of children standard, and 13, the leadership and management standard and 14, the care planning standard, are reinstated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/01/2025 Full Good 15/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children's plans include all the actions staff need to take to ensure children are safe. 30 April 2026

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child; 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 6 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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities when caring for children. In addition, there should be effective monitoring and review systems in place to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child's relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the planning for children moving in and out of the home is child focused, 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Warren Bruce Court, Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LB

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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 8 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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