Children's Home run by Core Children Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 1 Registered provider: Core Children 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

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have adverse childhood experiences that can lead to associated trauma and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2023 and is appropriately qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children spoke to the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 3

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improvement to be good

The manager’s poor responses to allegations raised by children have affected the experiences of some children living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. The move was well planned and followed the child’s care plan. Staff and managers made sure the transition was paced according to the child’s needs. Staff continued to offer support to the child for several months after the move. This thoughtful care planning helped the child to feel supported, contributing to their progress and positive life experiences.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. Before the move, managers carefully reviewed documents to understand the child’s needs and how they would fit in with the other children living in the home. The team also made sure to listen to the other children’s views. A child-centred plan was created for the child, considering their views, wishes and past experiences. Managers arranged several visits and explained the home’s routines and rules to help the child feel comfortable. This approach reduced the child’s anxieties and helped them settle in and build positive relationships with the staff, which has led to positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are dedicated to helping children to develop their identities. They ensure children have safely assessed family time to help them maintain important relationships. This supports children’s emotional well-being and strengthens their sense of self. Additionally, children have valuable opportunities to engage in activities that match their individual interests, such as attending Premier League football matches and meeting celebrities and influencers. These experiences help children feel a sense of belonging, boosting their confidence and overall well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers are committed to supporting children’s educational outcomes. All children have made educational progress since moving into the home. Managers ensure that each child has the right education placement to meet their needs. One child has progressed to attending a mainstream school with a personalised curriculum, leading to excellent attendance and positive engagement with learning.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are dedicated to supporting children’s health and well-being. Children are encouraged to maintain good physical health through a balanced diet and regular exercise. As a result, one child has successfully reached their target weight by joining the gym, participating in daily activities and following a healthy diet. This has boosted the child’s confidence and helped them feel more positive about their future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 4

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improvement to be good

Managers have not taken prompt and appropriate actions to investigate concerns and allegations raised by children, professionals and family members. Managers do not always follow their own child protection policies to investigate concerns appropriately. There have been delays in sharing information with external professionals, such as social workers and the local authority designated officer. Managers do not always ensure that children are given the opportunity to speak to someone independent from the home to share their concerns. This practice leaves children vulnerable to harm and does not help children to feel listened to or valued.

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improvement to be good

Managers do not always notify Ofsted of serious incidents or allegations made by children. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of what is happening in the home.

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improvement to be good

Each child has a detailed plan to offer staff guidance on how to support children’s behaviour and manage risks. These plans are updated regularly, but they do not always reflect children’s current circumstances. Some records of incidents do not contain important details, such as dates and what actions were taken to address the concerns. Missing information from records weakens the effectiveness of risk management plans, leaving children vulnerable to harm.

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improvement to be good

Strong relationships between staff and children help children to feel settled and secure. Consequently, children are able to manage their emotions better. This means that staff have not used physical intervention to manage children’s behaviours since the last inspection. Additionally, the positive relationship with staff and clear boundaries have contributed to one child, who previously would be regularly missing from home, having no missing incidents since living in the home. Both children told the inspector they liked living at the home and they identified staff who care for them and keep them safe. One child excitedly said that it was agreed by the court and their social worker that they can live in the home until they reach 18 years old.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to develop safe and positive friendships through shared activities and interests. Children are also educated to manage conflicts without harming each other. On the rare occasion when altercations occur between children living in the home, staff respond promptly to address any concerns identified. Children are supported to repair their relationships. This helps children to feel safe and supported in the home.

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good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the team. The manager is supported by a child-centred and conscientious trainee manager. Both managers are actively present in the home, and they both have an ambitious vision for the children Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 5 and the staff. The managers are supported by a responsible individual who has a strong presence in the home.

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good

Managers and leaders have a variety of monitoring and reviewing systems to help them to maintain oversight of all areas of the home. The systems in place have not been effective in identifying and taking prompt action to address the shortfalls identified during the inspection. Ineffective oversight leaves children vulnerable to harm.

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good

Professionals and parents are positive about the care their children receive from staff and managers. Professionals and parents comment on the progress children make because of the staff commitment and the positive relationships children have with them.

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good

Managers and staff receive monthly practice-related supervisions. This gives them an opportunity to reflect on their well-being, development and any practice issues they may have. Team meetings are used effectively as a space for reflection and an opportunity to upskill the staff team so it can appropriately meet children’s individual needs. Comprehensive annual appraisals are also completed for the managers and staff. This ensures that any areas of development are identified and supported to ensure that children are cared for by staff who can keep them safe and meet their needs.

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good

Staff and managers complete mandatory training and additional training suitable to children’s unique circumstances. For example, one child is awaiting an assessment to determine whether they have needs relating to their neurodiversity. Staff and managers have completed training to ensure they can appropriately support the child. This practice ensures that children’s individual needs are met, and they make progress from their starting points.

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good

Senior leaders have accepted the shortfalls and are committed to addressing the shortfalls imminently. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 6

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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—

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person taking appropriate action to investigate and safeguard children when concerns are raised.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the managers and staff ensuring that children’s risk management plans appropriately reflect children’s current circumstances and provide clear guidance for staff to follow to reduce any risk to children. 31 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 7 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they have oversight of safeguarding incidents and ensure any shortfalls with practice are addressed promptly. Additionally, when incidents are reviewed, the actions taken to resolve children’s concern are clearly recorded. 31 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person notifying Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating 31 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 8 to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that safeguarding incidents are recorded on children’s file and records have the correct dates. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2731377 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Glades, Festival Way, Festival Park, Stoke-on- Trent, Staffordshire ST1 5SQ

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Inspector

Nateisha Cardoza-Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2731377 10 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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