Children's Home run by Bedspace Resource Ltd in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 1 Registered provider: Bedspace Resource Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 6 December 2024. He is appropriately qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was present for some of the inspection and the inspector was able to spend time with them.

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Inspection date: 18 March 2025

Date of last inspection: 2 December 2024

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Inspection date: 18 March 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 18 March 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The same child has continued to live in the home since the last full inspection. There are warm and affectionate relationships between staff and the child. Staff support the child to take part in a range of activities that they enjoy and involve them in their local community. The child enjoys cooking with staff, and staff consult with the child about all aspects of their care. The house is warm and homely, and the child’s bedroom is personalised to their taste. This inclusive approach makes the child feel valued and encourages the child to be involved in decision-making about their own care.

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Findings from the inspection

Social workers are positive about the care the child receives. Staff support the child to attend care planning meetings and to share their views. Managers and staff communicate effectively, and they work in partnership with the child’s social worker to ensure that the child is safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Although the child has a school place, they are currently not attending. Managers and staff work closely with relevant agencies, including the virtual school. They attend meetings and implement strategies to overcome the child’s barriers to learning. Staff recognise the importance of education, and they support the child to maintain an interest in learning, through good routines. This includes the child visiting the school every day to maintain their connection and familiarity with it.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s risk management plans, written with therapists, give staff the guidance they need to understand and support children’s complex behaviours. Staff know the individual therapeutic strategies to use to support the child when they are upset or angry. Strong routines and boundaries help the child to feel safe and contained. Restraint has not been used since the home’s last inspection. This demonstrates that the strategies identified are being used and are effective.

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Findings from the inspection

The child does not go missing from the home. Staff are knowledgeable about the child’s protocols should they go missing or attempt to go missing. As an added safeguard, managers share information with the local police.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff support the child to take age-appropriate risks. They carefully assess risks in the local area. They educate the child about the risks and enable them to have unsupervised time away from the home. The child safely spends time in the local community, which increases their self-confidence and independence.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing. Five staff have left and four have joined. Managers acknowledge that these changes have had an impact on the child and have worked hard to ensure that the child receives consistent care. Shortfalls in staffing have been covered by managers and core staff. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 3 Since January 2025, agency staff have rarely been used. Staff say that despite these changes, they feel well supported by managers and morale is good.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have met some aspects of the requirements from the last inspection. Staff now have clear and effective guidance when lone working and have received training in safeguarding. Managers have developed additional monitoring and review systems to oversee all aspects of the child’s care. However, shortfalls remain in updating risk management plans and the safe recruitment of staff. An additional requirement in relation to regulation 13 and a recommendation have also been made.

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Findings from the inspection

Systems to ensure the safe recruitment of staff are not yet effective. Managers are not yet sufficiently vigilant to identify discrepancies in information. Additionally, managers do not record relevant information when there are safeguarding concerns about new staff. Therefore, managers do not have an evidence trail to inform their decision-making and support accountability.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers’ monitoring is not always completed in a timely manner. On one occasion, managers did not monitor effectively an incident of emerging high-risk behaviours by the child. They did not critically evaluate staff practice or update the risk assessment with clear guidance for staff to follow. This has left staff without guidance to manage any future similar incidents, which places the child and staff at risk.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have not ensured that systems are in place to support the independent visitor to gain the views of parents and carers. This is a missed opportunity to gain valuable feedback and further develop the quality of care for the child.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/07/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 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

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— that staff—

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that risk management plans are updated with guidance for staff when new risks emerge. 22 March 2025

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they monitor incidents effectively and promptly when children display high-risk behaviours. 20 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 5 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).

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that recruitment practice for all staff employed to work in the home is safe. 20 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. Specifically, managers should support the independent visitor to acquire feedback from children’s parents, including their corporate parents, and carers. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bedspace Resource Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bedspace, 473 Chester Road, Manchester M16 9HF

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689205 7 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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