Children's Home run by Gracewells Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 1 Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2026 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 2

p.1

Summary of findings

The child living in the home says they feel safe. Since moving into the home, risks for the child have reduced. However, they have not received consistent levels of care. The high turnover of staff has affected the child’s overall progress.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child is provided with a welcoming, clean and comfortable home environment. Their bedroom is personalised to reflect their individual preferences, including their choice of wallpaper and photos of their family displayed. However, not all identified maintenance issues have been addressed. For example, a crack in the bathroom window remains unresolved and requires attention.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff do not always ensure that the child’s health needs are met. An outstanding vaccination, identified before the child moved into the home, has not yet been addressed and remains outstanding.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child is not currently in education. Staff have supported the child in visiting potential education placements. However, they do not consistently establish appropriate routines and boundaries to promote engagement in education. Although an alternative daily planner is in place, its implementation by staff is inconsistent. As a result, the child does not always begin their day early, sometimes not waking up until lunchtime.

p.2

improvement to be good

Most staff members understand the child’s individual needs. However, the manager has not obtained a local authority care plan or education plan for the child. This limits staff’s ability to support the child’s care and health needs.

p.2

improvement to be good

High staff turnover has affected the child’s ability to form and maintain positive relationships with all staff. This lack of continuity has also led to inconsistencies in staff practice and approach, which may affect the child’s overall experience and sense of stability.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff provide a range of opportunities for the child to engage in activities that reflect their interests, including swimming and visiting the arcade. They understand the importance of the child’s relationships with people who are important to them. They support the child in spending time with their family when it is in their best interests.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child reports feeling safe in the home and can clearly identify trusted adults they can turn to for support. This has contributed to there being no incidents of the child going missing from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 3 Staff engage the child in direct work to help them understand most risks and how to keep themselves safe. However, direct work does not always take place following incidents to support the child’s understanding of risks and develop strategies to keep themselves safe.

p.2

improvement to be good

Risk management plans are not regularly reviewed and, in some areas, contain inaccurate information, specifically in relation to the child’s free time. They do not provide clear guidance for staff on how to respond to the risks associated with self-harm. Furthermore, the missing-from-home protocol lacks information and guidance for staff regarding when and how to report the child missing if an incident were to occur. These shortfalls expose the child to potential harm and leave staff without the direction they need to respond safely and effectively.

p.3

improvement to be good

Following incidents involving physical restraint, staff and the child are offered debriefs. When the child is spoken to following such incidents, this is always undertaken by someone independent of the event.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers thoroughly investigate allegations made by the child. Outcomes are shared with the child in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner. However, on one occasion, there was a delay in sharing information with Ofsted and the local authority following an allegation being made by the child.

p.3

improvement to be good

Not all staff demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding processes relating to allegations, which may place the child at potential risk.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practices to ensure that all necessary checks are carried out before staff begin working in the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who is child focused. He is committed to the child, knows them well and advocates effectively on their behalf. The registered manager has recently challenged a decision regarding the child moving on from the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a high turnover of staff since the home opened. This has affected staffing levels and has required the registered manager to work shifts. This creates a conflict between roles and responsibilities and reduces management capacity. As a result, the manager’s oversight in the home is not consistently effective. For example, the statement of purpose has not always been reviewed and submitted to Ofsted within required timescales.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have access to a range of training, both online and in person. However, neither the registered manager nor staff have undertaken specific needs-led training to meet the child’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 4 Not all staff are confident in their roles. This has led to inconsistencies in how staff respond to the child’s needs and has created an over-reliance on the registered manager for support. This affects the manager’s oversight of the day-to-day running of the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the registered manager. They benefit from regular supervision, which provides opportunities to reflect on practice and identify any additional training or development needs. However, staff do not always receive guidance and support when they report feeling overwhelmed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Systems are in place to review staff practice and identify patterns or trends in relation to incidents. While there is evidence that these monitoring systems are sometimes effective, they do not consistently identify shortfalls in staff practice, including weaknesses in recording of incidents.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. This is reflected in recent team meeting minutes and in an action plan implemented before the inspection to support the manager and enhance staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vii)(e))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s individual risk management plans are regularly reviewed and provide staff with clear, accessible guidance to support risk reduction, specifically in relation to self-harm and missing-from- home incidents.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that direct work is carried out with children following incidents. 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 6 Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff understand the home’s safeguarding policies, specifically in relation to allegations.

p.5

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding required to meet children’s needs and manage risks effectively. The registered manager and staff must undertake training that is tailored to children’s individual 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 7 needs, including areas such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and attachment.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Leaders and the registered person must ensure that appropriate staffing levels are maintained, enabling the registered manager to have sufficient capacity to lead and manage the home effectively. Staff practice must be consistent to meet children’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff’s welfare is considered following incidents and that staff are offered support and guidance when they express feeling overwhelmed.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that the registered person has consistent oversight of incidents, records and documents. Where shortfalls in staff practice are identified, action must be taken to address them.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that actions identified in children’s health assessments are addressed, specifically outstanding vaccinations. 30 June 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

p.7

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 8 The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

p.7

Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that allegations made by children against staff members are referred to the Local Authority Designate Officer without delay. The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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;

p.8

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;

p.8

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))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that when children are not attending an education setting, staff actively encourage them to engage in a structured routine that is regularly reviewed for its effectiveness. 30 June 2026

p.8

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 9 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they escalate concerns when local authority documents are not received and when professionals involved in the child’s care have not maintained contact with them in line with statutory guidance.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.9

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.9

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that Ofsted is promptly informed of any allegations made by children against a person working in the company. 30 June 2026

p.9

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.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to—

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that the statement of purpose is review when there is a change to staff. 30 June 2026

p.9

Recommendation

Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 10  The registered person should ensure that the home environment meets children’s needs, is homely, and is maintained to a good standard. Maintenance issues should be addressed promptly. In particular, action should be taken to remedy damage in the home and to ensure that all bathroom furnishings are well maintained and in full working order. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 14 and 15, paragraphs 3.3 and 3.9)

p.10

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: 2868100 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

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

p.11

Inspector

Michelle McGrath, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2868100 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12