Children's Home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 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

This home is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Inspection date: 1 July 2026

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Inspection date: 1 July 2026

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: 1227335 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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Summary of findings

Since moving into the home, the child has made notable progress. There has been a reduction in missing-from-care incidents, and there has been no police involvement.

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Summary of findings

The child has successfully reintegrated into education, with staff attending school alongside them each day to ensure that they remained engaged and supported. This enabled the child to take their GCSEs. This level of commitment has contributed significantly to the child’s stability and improved outcomes. As a result, the child has secured a place at college.

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Summary of findings

Staff are committed to their roles and demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding and supporting the child. On occasions when the child has been missing from care, staff proactively searched for them and ensured that they were warmly welcomed back. The child said, ‘I felt like staff wanted me to come home and be safe.’

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Summary of findings

The child speaks positively about their time in the home and says they enjoy living there. The social worker provided highly positive feedback about the home, noting the good quality of support, guidance and care offered to the child. Staff report that they are now consistent in ensuring daily routines for the child.

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Summary of findings

The child’s religious background is not fully considered by the manager and staff. Although the child currently chooses not to follow or actively participate in all elements of their religion, further work is required to explore how their faith and identity can affect their health and wellbeing. Staff require guidance and training to ensure that they can support the child sensitively and consistently in line with their religious needs and personal preferences.

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Summary of findings

Leadership in the home has improved, with the previous responsible individual returning to the post. However, the home remains without a registered manager. The appointed manager has introduced changes that have strengthened oversight and contributed to a more settled environment.

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Summary of findings

Staff participate in regular supervision and team meetings, where they are actively consulted about the daily care provided in the home. This ensures consistent communication, shared decision-making and a reflective approach to supporting children.

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Summary of findings

All staff have received extensive core training and can access additional specialist training to meet the individual needs of each child. A strong induction plan is now in Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 3 place, enabling new staff members to feel confident and supported in their roles. Overall, staff report feeling well guided, informed and equipped to provide safe and nurturing care.

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Summary of findings

Some records require further development to ensure that they fully reflect the child’s journey and clearly demonstrate how staff support the child to manage their behaviour. In particular, documentation relating to the use and effectiveness of consequences needs to be strengthened to provide a more robust account of behaviour support strategies. In addition, risk management strategies, specifically in relation to window restrictors and children’s curfews, are not clearly documented.

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Summary of findings

Despite improvements in other areas, poor recruitment practices remain an area of concern. Gaps in staff recruitment checks persist, and some recruitment records were not readily available for review. Although work has been carried out to improve recruitment processes, further action is required to ensure compliance and consistency in this area.

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Summary of findings

Most of the requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. However, the completion and submission of the quality of care review report, in accordance with regulatory requirements, remains outstanding. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Inadequate 20/05/2025 Full Good 27/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/11/2024 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 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 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

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

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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) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that monitoring and review systems are used to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided for children. 29 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or 29 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 6 a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that safer recruitment practices are adhered to and that all staff, including casual staff, have attained the required qualifications to carry out their roles within the necessary time frames.

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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

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”). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(c) (3)) 29 July 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to provide care that meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, specifically children’s religion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)  The registered person should ensure that any restrictions on, or locking of, windows and doors are only used where necessary and as part of the home’s normal routine. Measures should be risk assessed, with a clear rationale recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.62) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 7

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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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Inspectors

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1227335 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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