Children's home run by Exertive Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 1 Registered provider: Exertive Care Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is the only home owned by the provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were no children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post. The previous proposed responsible individual has left the organisation. The director has appointed another proposed individual.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged ‘inadequate’ at the full inspection on 20 January 2026. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued a notice suspending the registration of the home.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was completed on 16 March 2026, which established that the provider was complying with the notice suspending the home’s registration. However, progress to address the concerns was limited.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit was completed on 13 April 2026, and a subsequent case review established that there were ongoing shortfalls in leadership and management, and the provider was unable to demonstrate that the service could operate safely. A further notice suspending the home’s registration was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this inspection was to assess the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice and to evaluate any progress made. There were no children living at the home at the time of this visit. The provider continues to comply with the notice suspending the home’s registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 2 There are further concerns with the stability of the leadership and management of the home. Additionally, the provider could not demonstrate that progress has been made to ensure that children can live at the home safely. There were no staff present at the home when the inspector arrived. The new interim manager and deputy manager arrived at the director’s request.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management team has changed again, and the home still lacks a registered manager and responsible individual. The previous proposed responsible individual left the organisation following conflicts with the director. A new proposed responsible individual is now in post, but their recent appointment means they have had little opportunity to demonstrate positive impact. Additional staff, including managers, have been appointed, but their experience and knowledge of children’s residential care and the relevant regulations remain limited.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has introduced an electronic recording system to strengthen oversight and monitoring of staff practice, and staff have completed an induction in how to use it. However, the provider could not share any further information beyond what was seen at the previous visit, which means there is still no clear evidence that they have addressed the wider safeguarding shortfalls or improved essential management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has improved staff training, with the staff employed now completing safeguarding and physical intervention training. However, only 2 staff currently hold the qualifications required by the regulations, meaning the provider has not ensured a fully compliant and suitably skilled workforce.

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This monitoring visit

Several new staff have been recruited, and some have experience in residential childcare. However, the provider did not make recruitment files available for review, and safer recruitment shortfalls remain. Interview processes for managers and senior managers are still weak; questions were not consistently aligned with the home’s statement of purpose and a less senior staff member took part in a manager’s interview. These issues do not ensure that staff responsible for children’s care are safe, suitable or equipped with the required skills.

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This monitoring visit

The home is generally well maintained inside, but the exterior is neglected. Large weeds were present at the front and rear, and a pile of cigarette ends was found in the back garden. The shed door was left open and unsecured, and the main bathroom required a thorough clean.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the independent person continues to visit the home throughout the suspension period. This limits the external oversight to ensure that the provider is complying with the suspension notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2026 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 5 In particular, the registered person must ensure that they evaluate all known risks for children and provide staff with clear guidance to follow to reduce the risks. This includes consulting with medical professionals when required.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to de-escalate situations effectively, preventing children from causing harm to each other or staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that managers and staff have the skills to identify risks for children and take immediate action to address the risks. This includes continuously assessing and mitigating any risks in the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that managers and staff have the skills to implement clear routines and boundaries for children to ensure they are safe. Specifically, ensure that staff set clear expectations on the use of illegal substances by children, including keeping substances and related paraphernalia in their room. Additionally, ensure that staff have the skills to identify when bedroom searches need to be carried out and how to do this.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that managers and staff clearly understand and are able to implement professional boundaries and professional curiosity with children.

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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; 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 6 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; 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 the senior manager and managers have robust oversight of the home and identify and address shortfalls in staff practice effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the opportunity to access training essential to their roles without delay. This includes physical intervention and de-escalation training.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that managers carry out effective risk assessments and planning to ensure the safety of all staff. This relates to staff sleep arrangements in particular.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff members who are new to residential care are provided with sufficient development opportunities and supported by more experienced staff.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must thoroughly evaluate children’s risks before they move into the home to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to care for the children and that children can live together safely.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the number of staff caring for each child consistently reflects what is detailed in their care plan.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (the user), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 8 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (the authorised person)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents of physical intervention used by staff are recorded as required. Additionally, managers must carry out a robust evaluation of their use.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that all records are kept securely in the home and that only records for children they have provided care and accommodation for are retained.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff record information about children clearly and objectively. This relates specifically to the recording of incidents. 29 September

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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 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 9 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;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is personalised to reflect the children’s tastes and personalities. Additionally, ensure that the home is furnished and maintained to a high standard and any furnishings that are damaged are replaced or repaired quickly and are of high quality.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is cleaned and maintained to a high standard. This includes weeding and tidying the outside spaces and completing regular and thorough cleaning inside the home.

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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; 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 10 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

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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to support children to access learning opportunities, whether in formal or informal settings. Any barriers to children’s learning must be identified and addressed with consistency by staff.

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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; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 11 The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete thorough safer recruitment checks on all individuals working in the home to ensure that children are cared for by safe and appropriate staff.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 12

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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: 2843374 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exertive Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 25 Elsdon Road, Manchester M13 0TQ

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2843374 14 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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