Children's Home run by Therapeutic Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 1 Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

p.1

Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children were spoken with during the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/05/2025 Full Good 25/02/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children are making progress from their starting points. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff support children to engage in education and support their learning. Staff encourage children to access specialist services to promote their emotional wellbeing. Children are supported to see people who are important to them, including family members. The home benefits from a stable manager who is child focused and has high aspirations for the children living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. Prior to the child moving in, the manager completed a robust assessment, which included gathering additional information to ensure that the child's needs, risks and vulnerabilities were fully understood. The child moved into the home quickly, but this was done sensitively and in the best interests of the child. Another child has remained living in the home. Both children are making positive progress from their starting points.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children's education and take a proactive approach to supporting their learning. They work closely with education providers to ensure that children are engaged in learning opportunities that are tailored to their individual needs. As a result, children are participating in education and working towards recognised qualifications via practical, skills-based courses completed in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health needs are understood by staff. Children are supported to access specialist services to promote their emotional wellbeing and support them to make sense of their life experiences. In addition, staff benefit from consultations with the organisation's therapist. This strengthens their understanding and enhances the consistency of care offered to children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is actively supported and encouraged in line with children's wishes. Staff work with children's families and professionals to ensure that children spend meaningful time with people who are important to them. This helps to strengthen children's sense of identity and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in a range of hobbies and activities that reflect their individual interests, including boxing, airsoft and bowling. Children also benefit from an annual holiday, either in the United Kingdom or abroad. This provides valuable and shared experiences and helps to create long-lasting, positive memories for children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop age-appropriate life skills. In addition, staff have meaningful conversations with children about their plans and moving on to independence. Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 4

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff develop trusting relationships with children. As a result, children can identify staff who they can talk to and say that they can raise any worries without feeling judged.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers complete individual risk management plans that are regularly updated. The plans are comprehensive and guide staff practice in relation to the action they should take if there is an increase in the identified risk.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff respond promptly and effectively to incidents of self-harm and suicidal ideation. They ensure that children receive medical attention and further specialist support as required, including from external agencies.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When concerns are raised about staff practice, leaders and managers take concerns seriously and make referrals to the relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer. However, for one allegation, leaders and managers only partly explored the concerns. Sufficient professional curiosity was not demonstrated in relation to possible inaccuracies in the recording. As a result, important factors were not fully understood or addressed.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing from the home, staff manage this well. Staff actively search for children and collect them when they are ready to return home.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When a medication error was identified, prompt action was taken, including seeking medical advice and professional discussions with the staff members involved. Further learning was also shared in team meetings and all staff members completed additional training on medication management.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed who is currently working towards their level 5 qualification. The manager is child focused and has high aspirations for the children living in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and professionals working with the home value the support they receive from leaders and managers. One member of staff said, '[The manager] is always approachable and I feel comfortable asking her for support or guidance whenever needed.'

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear monitoring systems in place. This allows them to have good oversight of the home and practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. They provide an opportunity for the staff to discuss the care being provided to children, safeguarding issues and staff development. Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 5 Staff have access to appropriate training, and the manager encourages additional training aligned to children's individual needs. However, one member of staff is out of timescales for completing their qualification and some staff have not completed training on understanding self-harm or suicidal ideation.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision where they can talk about children and their own development. Staff also have annual appraisals, which consider their performance. However, they do not consider the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member. Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

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; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when incidents are evaluated, they consider any learning outcomes that can be put in place to support staff and service development.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive specialist training and complete appropriate qualifications to provide them with the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children they are caring for. 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should include the views of the children and other professionals when completing appraisals with staff. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.5)

p.7

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: 2793765 8

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider: Therapeutic Care Limited

p.8

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Therapeutic Care Ltd, Errigal House, Avroe Crescent, Blackpool FY4 2DP

p.8

Children's home details

Responsible individual: Joanne Whitehead

p.8

Children's home details

Registered manager: Laura Murray-Thompson

p.8

Inspectors

Ruth Mortimer-Jones, Social Care Inspector Shauna Morley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2793765 9 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.8

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 . 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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9