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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 1 Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 6 July 2026. Inspectors returned to gather additional evidence (GAE) on 15 July 2026, in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection date: 6 July 2026 and 15 July 2026

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the compliance notices issued at the full inspection and restated following an assurance inspection on the 13 May 2026. A case review was held on the 13 July 2026 and compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13 had not been met. They have not been restated.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The child has previously used substances, such as ketamine. Staff raised concerns about significant weight loss, appearing tired and unwell and the onset of incontinence. Staff suspected the child had also sold a game console and had access to cash from an unknown source. Despite these indicators, staff failed to demonstrate professional curiosity and did not explore whether the child’s presentation, missing from home episodes and emerging behaviours were linked to ketamine use or exploitation. This was a missed opportunity to identify and respond to escalating risks, leaving the child vulnerable to ongoing harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 2 The child has been missing from home for several days. The child had not been seen by staff caring for them for 4 days. The child was arrested and a hearing arranged at court to consider breaches of a court-imposed exclusion zone. The hearing was

p.1

This monitoring visit

unable to go ahead; however, staff spoke with the child who disclosed ketamine use and risks associated with peers looking for them at their home address who had a ‘bounty on his head’.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have attended at multi-agency meetings with professionals, such as social workers and police. Information has been shared that raises serious risks for the child. This includes the child previously being exploited and moving substances, such as crack cocaine concealed in their mouth, across an area that is now a court directed exclusion zone for the child. Despite this, staff have dropped the child off at a location in close proximity to this and known to be high risk for children who are exploited. This places the child at risk of significant harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not recognise risk for children. Practise and decisions are reactive with no evidence of actions taken to try and mitigate risks for the child. Leaders and managers have attended at multi-agency meetings each week due to significant risks. They have been made aware that the child had previously concealed crack cocaine in their mouth to transport this across the exclusion area. Despite these, leaders advised that staff could not attend at addresses due to staff safety that were deemed safe by the local authority. As a result, staff saw the child for 5 minutes and spoke to them at the doorstep. This inaction places children at risk and does not evidence proactive responses to safeguarding children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The child is at high risk of child criminal exploitation, missing from home and substance misuse. There are multiple risk plans in place, however, documents contain conflicting information. As a result, it is unclear what actions staff need to take to manage children’s risks and behaviours.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff are not routinely making attempts to search for and locate the child. Often staff go to bed when the child is missing overnight. This places the child at risk of significant harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The child has a court directed exclusion zone in place due to the high level of risk for the child. On one occasion, staff were made aware that the child was at a location within the exclusion zone. The child had been missing from home for 2 days. No immediate action was taken to attend at the location. Action was delayed due to staffing sufficiency with leaders advising that staff needed to remain at the home should the child return while waiting for the acting manager to arrive. Due to this delay the child, when made aware staff were travelling to the location, left and continued to be missing from home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The child on another occasion told staff they were going out. Staff were curious and suggested giving the child a lift. The child was then dropped off at a location unknown to the staff member, who recorded the postal address without Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 3 understanding if this was safe. This places the child at risk and does not evidence staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The child is known to use substances, such as cannabis. The child had been missing for 2 days. Despite a window being left open in the child’s bedroom there was a strong smell of substances. Room searches have not been completed, when there have been suspicions of this use. On one occasion, no action was taken when staff reported there to be a smell of substances within the home.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The child has alleged that staff are smoking cannabis with them and taking them to shish cafes. The manager has spoken to staff and referred this to the local authority safeguarding office. The allegation has not been considered further as the child had not returned home following this disclosure.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have been attending weekly meetings with professionals, such as the police, social workers and community youth justice. Risk plans have been updated to reflect the actions staff need to take when the child is missing from home this includes completing a ‘before free time’ document. This sets out that vague responses should not be accepted by staff, such as ‘going out’, ‘meeting mates’.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not identified shortfalls in staff practise, where this is frequently happening. Shortfalls in actions such as staff only searching areas for short periods and, on one occasion completing the weekly shop, have not been identified. This means that oversight of safeguarding practices is not sufficiently robust.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Plans are detailed and appear to have been created using artificial intelligence. Leaders and managers advise this is a tool used by some staff, built into internal electronic systems, who have dyslexia. This prevents leaders and managers from having a detailed understanding of the staff skills, knowledge and ability to perform their role or for safeguarding practices to improve.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not followed their recruitment processes to ensure that staff have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and understanding of working within a residential children’s home. Leaders and managers have not obtained references to reflect the role that has been applied for, instead, requesting a reference for a lower position. Leaders and managers have not verbally verified references in line with their own policies and documents have been falsified.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers had sent to the regulator an agreement of candour. Leaders and managers accepted that they had not been open with the regulator and agreed they had been dishonest. During the inspection, records were in draft form and not available for inspectors to review. Documents provided in paper form did not accurately reflect electronic records, when access was given. This was an opportunity to change and amend documents and did not capture real time. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 4 Professionals such as social workers do not have confidence in the setting and have been actively searching for alternative provision. Senior leaders raised concern in relation to the lack of information-sharing and responses to safeguarding matters and lack of action to search for and locate the child.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have actively been dishonest with the regulator. Leaders and managers have limited understanding of regulation. Artificial intelligence is used to record information that is overly detailed. Information shared with the regulator and professionals, such as social workers, is misleading. Actions agreed have not been carried out and the child has been placed at significant risk of harm. Due to the identified failures the regulator has taken immediate higher enforcement action and suspended the setting.

p.4

This monitoring visit

The compliance notice issued under regulation 14 the care planning standard has been met. Compliance notices under regulation 12 and 13 were not met and have not been restated. Requirements made at the full inspection have not all been considered during this monitoring inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 5

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/03/2026 Full Inadequate 24/06/2025 Full Inadequate 30/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

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))

p.6

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. 23 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 7 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.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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

p.7

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))

p.7

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. 23 August 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 23 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 8 that staff—

p.7

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

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

p.8

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;

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; and

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 23 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.8

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))

p.9

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.

p.9

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—

p.9

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.9

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. 23 August 2026

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

This regulation is subject to any monitoring or surveillance requirements imposed by a court. 23 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 10 (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2))

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.10

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.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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)) 23 August 2026

p.10

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.

p.10

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Icare Solutions Stockport Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

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

p.11

Inspectors

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Kitty Wiper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2779064 12 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.

p.11

Inspectors

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 .

p.12

Inspectors

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

Inspectors

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

p.12

Inspectors

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

p.12