Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in East Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024 and is suitably qualified.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector met and spoke with all four children living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a warm, welcoming and well-maintained home that provides a nurturing and family-like environment. The home is spacious and furnished to a good standard. There are personal touches, such as children’s artwork and photos, displayed throughout. Children have the freedom to personalise their bedrooms, which ensures that their living space reflects their individuality and preferences. However, the visibility into the office from the front of the house means that the home does not always present as a family setting from the exterior.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in all aspects of their development. One child who had not engaged in education for two years before moving to the home is now attending full-time education. Another child has made significant progress in managing their complex health needs and has become more mobile since living at the home. Staff work effectively with external agencies to ensure that children receive the right support to meet their individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children express that they feel happy, safe and well cared for. Observations of interactions between children and staff demonstrate warm, trusting relationships. Children speak positively about the staff and describe feeling ‘comfortable’ in their environment. Staff have an in-depth understanding of each child’s needs and strengths, and they speak about them with genuine warmth and commitment. Relationship-building is prioritised, and staff adopt a child-centred approach to care, ensuring that children receive consistent and thoughtful support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are tailored to children’s individual needs. The sessions are well planned and focus on addressing the specific challenges faced by the children. This ensures that children receive meaningful and reflective support that promotes their development and well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Staff supervise family time where appropriate, which helps children to feel secure and connected to their loved ones.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive and well-supported moves when it is time to leave the home. Staff take time to ensure that children feel valued and cared for throughout the process. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home. In both instances, the children received high levels of support to help them move smoothly to their next placement. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 4

p.3

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

Staff have a clear understanding of children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Behaviour support plans are reviewed regularly, ensuring that most assessments are detailed and reflective of each child’s needs. While some assessments are comprehensive, a small number require further updates to ensure that all information remains current and tailored to the child’s specific circumstances. This will further enhance risk management and safeguarding practices.

p.4

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

Children understand how to raise concerns and complaints. A well-established complaints procedure is in place, and the leadership team ensures that all complaints are investigated thoroughly and in a timely manner. Children are consulted throughout the process, and records demonstrate that they are satisfied with the outcomes of their concerns.

p.4

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

When allegations are made, they are managed with sensitivity, urgency and a clear commitment to safeguarding the child and staff involved. The home ensures that all appropriate procedures are followed, and children and staff receive the necessary support throughout the process.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is used appropriately and only as a last resort to protect children and others from harm. The frequency of such incidents has significantly reduced for one child, which demonstrates the effectiveness of proactive behaviour management strategies. Incident records contain relevant details; however, improvements in using child-friendly language in reports would further support children’s understanding and reflections on these events. The manager has acknowledged this as an area for development.

p.4

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

The promotion of positive behaviour is a strength of the home. Staff use a range of de- escalation techniques and creative strategies tailored to the needs of each child. When restrictive practices are used, they are necessary, proportionate and in line with regulatory requirements.

p.4

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

There has been only one missing-from-care episode since the last inspection. There are clear systems in place to manage and reduce the risk of children going missing from the home. Staff respond appropriately and follow established procedures to ensure children’s safety. These responses are clearly documented in each child’s plan, which provides a structured approach to safeguarding.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a passionate and committed manager who demonstrates dedication to the children and the staff team. The manager is approachable and consistently available, fostering a well-organised and smooth-running home. She is committed to improving outcomes for children and ensuring that the home provides a warm, welcoming and supportive environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 5 Staff speak positively about the leadership team, highlighting their knowledge of children’s care needs and risk management strategies. Staff say they feel well supported in their roles and appreciate the guidance and encouragement they receive. Their enthusiasm and dedication to the children are evident, and they demonstrate genuine care and passion for their work.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team have established strong relationships with external professionals, receiving positive feedback regarding communication and the quality of care provided. One social worker said, ‘They have been great. They have worked with [name of child] well. The support they have given means [name of child] has settled and is making progress.’ Another social worker commented, ‘I am always able to get hold of them. They are good at keeping me informed, providing weekly reports and ensuring I have all the information I need.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision discussions, team meetings and professional development opportunities. The leadership team provides both support and challenge to ensure continuous improvement in practice. The emotional impact of the work is well recognised, with staff well-being prioritised, contributing to a positive and resilient team culture.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a strong focus on continuous improvement. The manager regularly reviews practice and identifies areas for development, ensuring that children receive high-quality care. There is a clear commitment to learning and development, with staff encouraged to reflect on their practice and implement best practice approaches. This proactive approach ensures that the home remains a safe, nurturing and effective environment for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This strong leadership ensures that children receive high-quality care in a nurturing and stable environment. By fostering a culture of professional development, open communication and reflective practice, the leadership team continues to drive positive change and ensure the best possible outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments are updated in line with the needs of the child. 29 April 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. In most cases, children’s homes are homely, domestic environments. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a non- stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.6

Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 7

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: 1214266 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Platform Childcare, Suite 2 Millennium Court, First Avenue, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2WH

p.8

Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 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

Inspector

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

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9