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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home and all were spoken to during the visit.

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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: 28 January 2025

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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: 1214266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good 12/09/2023 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistent, nurturing care that helps them to feel secure and valued. They are supported by staff who understand their needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress and having positive experiences. Memories of activities and special events are captured in individual albums and journals. This provides a valuable record of children’s time in the home for them to keep.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff, who understand children’s experiences and know them well. Children are regularly consulted about the care they receive. They say that the staff listen to them and respond to their requests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is well supported. Staff maintain regular contact with schools and encourage good attendance for children. As a result, children are making progress in their learning. In addition, staff provide opportunities for children to take part in hobbies and community activities, which develop their self-esteem and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can remain in contact with people who are important to them. Staff work in partnership with professionals to ensure that family time is a positive experience for children.

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

Children feel safe in the home and staff are attentive to their welfare. Risks are well understood by the team, and staff are alert to changes in behaviour that may indicate worries or anxieties. Risk management plans are in place and regularly updated.

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

Staff demonstrate a calm and thoughtful approach to behaviour management. They provide clear boundaries while promoting positive choices. Incidents of challenging behaviour are managed appropriately, with staff reflecting on what has happened to reduce the likelihood of repetition.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When children do go missing, staff know what action to take. They are proactive in searching for children and assess when to contact the police, as detailed in each child’s care plan. Staff make detailed records of the steps that they take to help children return home safely. This enables the manager to maintain oversight of practice and evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken to safeguard the children.

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

Bedrooms are fitted with door alarms that are used to monitor the children’s movements following bedtime. This measure is not routinely reviewed to ensure that it is still proportionate to safeguard the children. Consequently, children may be subject to unnecessary surveillance. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 4 Action is required to improve fire safety at the home. The fire extinguishers on the ground floor in the home have been moved from their recommended storage space. This compromises the staff’s ability to respond promptly in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a knowledgeable registered manager who provides clear leadership. She has a strong commitment to improving the lives of children and supports staff to share this vision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe a positive team culture in which they feel well supported. Regular supervision and access to training mean that staff have the knowledge and skills required to meet children’s needs. Leaders monitor practice effectively and take steps to address shortfalls. However, three members of staff have not completed the relevant residential childcare qualification, despite having clear timescales. The managers acknowledge this and have a plan in place to progress this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended by the staff. They are reflective in nature and provide a platform for staff to explore and review children’s progress. There is a strong focus on providing consistency in the care and support that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good working relationships with partner agencies, including schools, health services and placing authorities. These relationships ensure that children’s wider needs are addressed and that they receive coordinated support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The physical environment of the home requires attention. Although children’s bedrooms are personalised and staff work hard to maintain a homely atmosphere, the garden and several communal areas are in need of decoration and repair. This reduces the overall quality of the living environment and does not reflect the otherwise positive standard of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 5

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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

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 28 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should consult with an appropriately qualified and experienced person to ensure that fire extinguishers are appropriately located in the home. 28 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph 3(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 28 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 6 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment is nurturing and homely, to meet the needs of children. This specifically relates to ensuring that the home and garden are well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1214266 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lisa Walsh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1214266 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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