Children's Home run by Gracewells Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 1 Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited

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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 run by a private company. The home provides care for up to 4 children who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 4 children living in the home. The inspectors spoke with one child.

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This monitoring visit

At a full inspection on 10 and 11 March 2026, the home was judged as ‘inadequate’. Compliance notices relating to regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, and regulation 6, ‘The quality and purpose of care standard’ were issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken to meet the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the same 4 children remain living in the home. The children shared no concerns and one child said, ‘Staff keep checking on me.’

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This monitoring visit

There has been a significant improvement in the home environment. Leaders and managers have taken appropriate action to ensure that maintenance issues have been addressed, that the home is free from hazards and that all areas of the home are clean. New systems have been implemented to ensure the home environment is well maintained.

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This monitoring visit

There is sufficient staffing in the home to meet the children’s needs. All children are receiving the required level of care. Direct work has been carried out with children with regard to helping them develop their independence skills and keep safe online, and with the risks associated with substance misuse. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 2 Leaders and managers have reviewed and updated children’s risk assessments. These are reflective of children’s vulnerabilities and known risks. However, children’s risk assessments were not clear on when bedroom searches should be carried out.

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This monitoring visit

Staff mostly take appropriate action to safeguard children. However, bedroom searches are not always conducted following safeguarding incidents, potentially putting children at risk of further harm. For example, when a child self-harmed, and when alcohol was found in a child’s bedroom, no bedroom searches were carried out to ensure that the child had no further access to potentially hazardous items.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have benefited from a therapeutic recording and reporting development session delivered by the home’s therapist. They were able to identify strengths and areas of development of the staff team, resulting in further training being arranged. The home’s therapist provides guidance to staff around direct work when they are struggling to engage a child.

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This monitoring visit

New systems have been implemented by the registered manager to review and monitor the quality of care in the home and in staff practice. The manager’s oversight has improved with regard to incidents. The evaluation of these is now reflective. The manager has identified shortfalls in staff practice and has taken prompt action to address these. However, on 2 occasions, the manager did not identify that staff did not complete bedroom searches when a child self-harmed and when alcohol was found in a child’s bedroom.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 14 May 2026. It was deemed that sufficient action has not been taken to meet all steps in the compliance notices. The decision was made to issue additional requirements under regulations 12 and 13. Regulation 6 has been met.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the last full inspection have not been considered during this visit. They remain in place and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/03/2026 Full Inadequate 19/12/2024 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 4

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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 with 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 located so that children are effectively safeguarded; and 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 5 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff take action to safeguard children at all times, specifically relating to incidents of self-harm and alcohol concerns/misuse.

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 6 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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all incidents are reviewed and that all shortfalls in staff practice are identified, and that action is taken to address these. This is specifically relating to incidents of self-harm and alcohol concerns/misuse.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 7 (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that a quality care review is completed and shared with Ofsted.

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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: 2577168 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Stables, Blackburn Farm, Ribby Road, Wrea Green, Preston PR4 2PA

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Inspectors

Michelle McGrath, Social Care Inspector Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2577168 9 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

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