Children's Home run by Dial4care Recruitment Ltd in Bedford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 1 Registered provider: Dial4care Recruitment Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home contributed to the inspection. The registered manager is on extended leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and feels like a family home. It is nicely decorated to reflect the child’s interests. Photos of the child with family and staff are displayed throughout the home. This creates a warm and friendly feel. Managers and staff have created a sensory room. Colourful resources have been used to meet the child’s individual needs, which gives the child a calm and personalised space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good progress with their independence and self-care skills. Staff help the child to achieve planned goals. They celebrate achievements with certificates when the child reaches milestones. As a result, the child’s confidence and motivation have increased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from a bespoke education plan. The child’s timetable is composed of home tutoring and two alternative education provisions. The child enjoys outdoor learning and engages well. The child’s participation has increased due to good progress. The child has developed trusting relationships with teachers. This is down to the consistent support and encouragement from the home’s staff who attended with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of family time. Support is given to the family and child to enjoy time together in the community and at home. This helps to maintain strong family relationships. One parent said that they feel involved in everyday life for the child due to the helpful staff and manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported with their health. When a medical professional reduced a prescribed medication, the staff noted a change in the child’s behaviour. They informed the professional, who increased the medication to the original dose following the review. This has improved the child’s well-being.

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

Staff provide consistent routines that help the child feel secure. This is an important factor for the child, who relies on predictable routines and clear expectations to help them to feel safe.

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

Staff use proactive behaviour management strategies to reduce situations that can increase the child’s anxiety. Staff have a good awareness of potential triggers and combine this with effective de-escalation approaches to minimise difficult incidents. The staff encourage positive behaviour. Plans are written in collaboration with other Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 3 agencies to fully understand the child’s individual needs. Plans detail consistent strategies to support them.

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

When physical intervention has been used, it has been necessary and proportionate. Following an incident, the child receives a debrief that has been designed with their specialist professional. All incidents have management oversight. Any learning from the incident is shared with the staff team. The number of physical interventions has decreased since the last inspection.

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

The appropriateness of the location of the home has not been reviewed by the manager. There has been no recent consultation with other agencies about the safety of the local area. This reduces the effectiveness of the home’s area assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been on extended leave. Currently, the home is managed by an interim manager. The interim manager is child focused and proactive. This has given the staff and child consistency and stability in the registered manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager leads by example. He invites the staff to be reflective and innovative through team discussions. This encourages staff to participate in developing new ways of working to improve the care they provide as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good professional relationships with external agencies. Placing authority and education providers are complimentary about the quality of care and communication between them and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong focus on meeting the individual needs of the child. Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive training to build their skills and knowledge around supporting the child effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe leaders and managers as ‘supportive’. They are confident in the manager’s ability to lead the team. Staffing arrangements provide a stable support structure. This helps to retain staff, which provides continuity of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been away since September 2024. An interim manager was appointed from the company in September 2024. This was not notified as is required. Therefore, Ofsted was unaware of the management arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence.

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Requirement Due date

Except in the case of emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must—

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Requirement Due date

specify with the respect of the proposed absence—

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Requirement Due date

in the case of the absence of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made.

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Requirement Due date

If the absence arises as a result of an emergency or is unforeseen, the registered person must give notice of the absence—

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Requirement Due date

within one week of the beginning of the absence. (Regulation 48 (1) (2)(b)(v) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that HMCI is informed when the registered manager is absent for a continuous period of 28 days or more. 8 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 7 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 5

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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: 2801411 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dial4care Recruitment Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Offices, 22 Grove Place, Bedford MK40 3JJ

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Inspector

Sarah Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2801411 7 and inspects 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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