Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in February 2025. A new manager has now been appointed. She applied to register with Ofsted but has since withdrawn her application.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of inspection. All children spoke with the inspector.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be 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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/06/2024 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/03/2023 Full Good 02/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and two children have moved out of the home. Leaders and managers do not fully take into account the needs of children when they move into and out of the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Poor planning and an abrupt transition resulted in one child staying in the home for only five days. Staff failed to provide effective support to meet the child’s needs. Another child requested to leave the home early, expressing they did not feel supported by the staff or the manager. Again, staff failed to offer the necessary support. Both children left the home in an unplanned way. This did not align with their care plans.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home vary. Not all children have positive experiences. For example, three of the children received inconsistent care that did not align with the home’s statement of purpose, leaving the children feeling disappointed and frustrated. One child said that they are fed up with the constant changes in the staff and management, and they are upset because all the staff they trusted and got along with have left and no longer work at the home. Some children also said that they have no relationships with the current staff working in the home, with one child saying they feel that ‘nothing is done’. In contrast, another child spoke positively about their experience of living in the home, saying they have strong, trusting relationships with the staff, commenting, ‘I love it, I love everyone, it’s like a big family.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Not all children receive adequate educational support. The three children living in the home are making good progress. However, one child who recently moved out of the home missed several months of school and the manager did not support or advocate for the child’s return to education. Prolonged disruption to education creates gaps in foundational knowledge, which hinders children’s learning, progress and overall attainment. This does not promote children’s educational outcomes.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support some children’s health needs by helping them attend medical appointments. However, staff delayed referring two children to specialist services, and the manager failed to follow up on these referrals, leaving both children’s health needs unmet.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is decorated to a high standard and is a welcoming and warm environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their individuality and interests.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff do not always receive clear guidance from the children’s care plans. For example, one child’s missing-from-care plan did not clearly specify when staff should notify the Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 4 police. During a missing-from-home incident, it was unclear whether the child was reported missing to the police promptly and in line with their assessed risk. When children return from going missing from care, staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity to understand why the children went missing, nor do staff always educate children about the risks involved. Failing to teach children about the dangers of going missing undermines their safety and well-being, leaving children unprepared to assess risk and limits their ability to make safe decisions.

p.3

improvement to be good

Allegations and complaints are not always managed effectively. Information is not robustly recorded. Staff do not always speak with children to help them understand the process. In addition to this, children are not updated with the outcomes. This undermines children’s trust and transparency in the leaders. One child said, ‘When I am worried about something, I do not always want to talk to the staff about this.’ This does not encourage children to report concerns or help them to feel safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not complete the required training to keep children safe. For example, not all staff have completed their professional boundary and whistle-blowing training, leaving them without the specialist knowledge and skills needed to report serious incidents promptly and safeguard children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Physical intervention is used after staff have exhausted all de-escalation techniques. However, following the use of physical intervention, children are not spoken to or given the chance to talk about what has happened. Additionally, staff are not consistently spoken to following incidents of physical intervention. This absence of oversight and evaluation means that managers fail to identify whether restraint practices are proportionate, safe, or effective and restricts opportunities for staff to learn.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff and children participate in regular fire drills. Children have personal evacuation plans to help staff understand the level of support they require to evacuate the home safely. This keeps all those living and working in the home safe in the event of a fire.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home are ineffective, and this has had a detrimental impact on the safety and welfare of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager has been in post since February 2025. She is the third manager for the home since the last inspection. The home’s responsible individual is also the third responsible individual for the home. Management changes caused uncertainty among the children and staff. Staff say the constant changes in the management have negatively impacted on the children and unsettled the staff. One child said he was sad, as, ‘There has been so many staff changes, I don’t like it, I am used to it.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ systems for monitoring and review are ineffective. There are several gaps in recording practices. Children’s incident reports are often unclear and inaccurate, and children’s documents are not consistently updated. Managers lack Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 5 professional curiosity when reviewing and evaluating incidents and fail to identify shortfalls in staff practice. Managers do not take the necessary actions to ensure that children are safe and well cared for. This has led to failings in the quality of care and the protection of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to identify any learning following serious incidents. This has led to repeated mistakes, leaving staff demoralised and children vulnerable to harm. This lack of accountability has compromised the safety and well-being of children and the staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not always notify Ofsted and external professionals about serious incidents. For example, when a child brought illegal substances into the home, staff failed to inform the police. The decision hindered the child’s accountability and limited the regulator’s ability to oversee and respond to concerns about the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are not consistently supported in line with their required staff ratios. This has led to insufficient supervision, delayed responses to children’s needs and reduced opportunities for individual attention. This has impacted on the quality of care delivered to the children and undermined their trust in their caregivers.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the interim manager has been in post, practice has improved. However, the practice has only been in place for eight weeks and is not fully embedded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s missing-from- care plans are clear about when children are to be reported missing to the police in line with their current risks.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.7

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

p.7

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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive training specific to children’s needs, and the home’s monitoring systems are clear and effective.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 8 The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

p.8

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority.

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(e)(i))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s transition in and out of the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 30 May 2025

p.8

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.8

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 9 that staff help each child to—

p.8

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.9

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all necessary referrals are made in a timely manner to support the children’s emotional needs and promote their overall well- being.

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.9

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.9

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.9

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 10 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v) (b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children and staff involved in physical interventions are spoken to within timescales and that this is recorded.

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

p.10

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.10

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

p.10

Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

p.10

Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(d))

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s records are up to date, that records are signed and dated, and that all information recorded is clear and factual. 30 May 2025

p.10

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: 2565231 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke-on- Trent ST4 6NW

p.11

Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2565231 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.11

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.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12