Children's Home run by Icare Solutions Stockport Limited in Warrington

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 1 Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport 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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for one child who may experience emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2024. There is currently no registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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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 this inspection, the inspectors 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: 2779064 2

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Findings from the inspection

An assurance inspection was undertaken on 4 March 2026. This visit was undertaken in response to concerns in relation to safeguarding practices and leadership and management.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Ineffective leadership and management.  Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe and protecting them from harm.  Staff do not recognise the risk of child exploitation.

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Summary of findings

The child is not protected from harm, and leaders, managers and staff consistently fail to follow plans, manage risk or work effectively with partner agencies.

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Summary of findings

Staff care for the child using plans that outline known concerns. However, the child is subject to police bail conditions across two police forces. Leaders and managers contacted professionals to request a change so the child could attend a camping trip with staff. They were advised that this trip could be agreed, but all future trips must be discussed with community youth justice and the police. Despite this, leaders and managers arranged a further overnight stay without clarifying the arrangements with these key agencies. As a result, the child breached their bail conditions.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff do not take effective action to reduce the known risks associated with substance misuse. The child is known to use substances, including cannabis. Despite this awareness, leaders and managers have not identified or addressed gaps in staff practice. When staff suspected substance misuse within the home, there was a delay in completing a room search. This lack of timely action meant that risks to the child were not managed appropriately, and the child was exposed to avoidable harm.

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Summary of findings

Procedures designed to minimise risks associated with missing-from-care incidents are not consistently followed. The child is known to go missing from home, and although the frequency of incidents has reduced, staff practice is not robust. The child has left the home without staff knowledge on several occasions, and staff have not followed identified triggers or implemented the increased supervision required at key times, such as bedtime.

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Summary of findings

Following supervised family time, staff dropped the child off without knowing who they were meeting or what their plans were. The child was later alleged to have been involved in an incident involving knife crime, was stopped and searched by Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 3 police, found with a quantity of money, and subsequently returned to the home. Despite this serious concern, staff again dropped the child off the following day without establishing their plans, which was not in line with the child’s agreed arrangements or safety plan. These repeated failures to follow established procedures and safety measures place the child at an increased level of risk.

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Summary of findings

The child receives a weekly allowance that is managed by managers and staff. When the child was later found to have additional quantities of money, leaders and managers stated that this was part of the child’s savings. However, records do not support this, and no further exploration took place to understand how the child accessed the extra money or what risks may be associated with this. As a result, opportunities to ensure the child is appropriately supported were missed.

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Summary of findings

Opportunities to help the child maintain a healthy lifestyle are being missed. The child has access to vapes, and staff are aware that vaping is occurring within the home. However, leaders, managers and staff report that they do not understand how the child is obtaining these items. Further work has not been carried out to understand this risk or to take steps to minimise it. As a result, the child is not being fully supported to stay healthy.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are regularly present in the home, and the interim manager attends daily. Despite this level of presence, shortfalls in staff practice have not been identified or addressed. As a result, practice remains reactive and continues to expose the child to significant, unmanaged risks. There is limited professional curiosity to understand these risks or to take steps to reduce them, which affects the child’s ability to experience positive outcomes in a safe and supportive environment. Overall, management oversight is weak and ineffective.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not share accurate information with professionals, including the placing authority social worker. Reports provided in multi-agency meetings present overly positive progress that does not reflect the child’s lived experience or the quality of care. Professionals have raised concerns about a lack of transparency.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers informed the placing authority social worker that waking night staffing ended on a specific date. This was inaccurate, as the intervention had been withdrawn several days earlier. This lack of openness undermines trust and does not align with the home’s statement of purpose, which states that waking night staff are in place. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2026 Full Inadequate 24/06/2025 Full Inadequate 30/10/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to safeguard children effectively and show professional curiosity during incidents, complete accurate records, verify children’s accounts and make appropriate enquiries when there are indicators of potential risk. 5 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 6 *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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is clear oversight of incidents and children’s records to review the quality of care and address and identify shortfalls. Leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive training that is specific to children’s needs and evaluate the effectiveness of this on staff practice. 5 July 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 5 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that assessments of children’s suitability to live at the home are carefully considered alongside the staff’s skills, experience and ability to meet their needs.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and 5 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 8 the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to leaders and managers ensuring that attention is given to maintenance and redecoration in the home so that the home is maintained to an appropriate standard. 5 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and 5 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 9 retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must maintain an accurate copy of the staff duty rota, detailing all relevant information of persons working in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation is subject to any monitoring or surveillance requirements imposed by a court. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2)) 5 July 2026

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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

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

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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

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. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(d)(3)(a)(5)(6)) 5 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 10 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 101 Wellington Road North, Stockport SK4 2LP

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Inspectors

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2779064 11 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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