Children's home run by Emplace Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 1 Registered provider: Emplace Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2025. This was the first inspection after registration. The home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children with special educational needs. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and was in the process of moving out.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. They are suitably experienced and hold a relevant leadership and management qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 2

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved into the home since it registered. One child has moved out and another child moved out during this inspection. The experiences of children moving out of the home are mixed. One child experienced a positive planned move and had the opportunity to spend time at his new home and meet staff who would be caring for him. However, another child experienced a sudden, unplanned move, which disrupted their sense of stability and security.

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improvement to be good

Managers have identified shortfalls in assessment processes when considering new children moving into the home. They have reviewed systems to improve this process to reduce the risk of children leaving in an unplanned way in the future. However, this has not yet been fully embedded into practice.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records do not always contain up-to-date information. For example, one child’s placement plan did not hold information about their sleep pattern, despite this being an area of concern. This affects staff’s ability to fully understand and respond to the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s health needs and help children to attend routine health checks. For example, one child’s skin condition has improved due to receiving effective treatment and care.

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improvement to be good

Staff speak positively about children and acknowledge their strengths. One child was spoken with during the inspection and said they had enjoyed their time living at the home and could identify trusted adults. This creates an environment where children can talk to staff about their feelings or any worries they may have.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a welcoming environment. Children have access to games and books. This supports informal learning and recreation. Opportunities to engage in community-based activities are available, and one child recently enjoyed a trip to a satellite centre. These experiences support children’s enjoyment while nurturing their confidence and independence.

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improvement to be good

Both children remained enrolled with their existing education providers after moving into the home, helping to maintain a sense of stability and routine. Staff support school attendance. For example, they take one child to and from school each day, helping to maintain continuity in the child’s education and daily routine. As a result, the children’s learning remains uninterrupted despite changes in placement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 3

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improvement to be good

Incidents are not always managed well. Staff do not consistently follow the agreed behaviour support strategies within a child’s plan. For example, staff do not always encourage the child to participate in physical exercise on the trampoline or play with water. Furthermore, children’s behaviour support plans are not regularly reviewed to ensure that staff have up-to-date information to be able to respond to children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Some staff do not have the skills and confidence to manage unwanted behaviour safely. At times, staff have escalated situations instead of calming them. There is a lack of understanding of one child’s complex behaviours and sensory needs. For example, one child was asked not to spit water in the garden as part of water play and this escalated their behaviour. Although the manager and staff have identified this as part of their reflection, there has been an escalation in incidents and risks for one child.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Children’s plans do not give staff clear procedures to follow if a child goes missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment processes are not fully implemented. The employment history for one member of staff had not been sufficiently explored prior to them commencing their role. This lack of professional curiosity has the potential for children to be cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to stay safe online. When there are risks, they speak with the children and use interactive work booklets to support their learning. This helps the children to understand the risks and make safer choices.

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improvement to be good

Individual incentive reward charts are used at the home. This gives children the opportunity to earn extra money and promotes positive behaviour and independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. They are confident in raising concerns and understand how to escalate concerns should they need to, including using the whistle-blowing procedure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are in place to review the quality of care that children receive. However, these are not always effective. Leaders do not always identify missing information in children’s records that are crucial to helping staff support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals is mixed. One professional said they would be happy to work with the home again and that communication is good. However, another professional raised issues about unrealistic goalsetting for one child, and staff’s understanding of the child’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 4 There have been missed opportunities to engage effectively with multi-agency partners to support one child’s emotional well-being and behavioural needs. This limits managers’ ability to develop care plans that reflect a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs. Additionally, managers do not challenge concerns regarding the accuracy of the child’s referral information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a wide range of training that supports them in their roles. Training includes trauma-informed practice, and mental health and well-being. However, this has not been effective in preparing staff to meet one child’s needs and manage their risks consistently. Managers do not ensure that temporary staff are trained in the home’s behaviour support model. This affects their ability to support children appropriately during incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff regularly attend team meetings. These meetings provide staff with an opportunity to reflect and discuss each child’s plan and seek advice. The manager sets tasks for staff to complete research in relevant areas. For example, staff researched augmentative and alternative communication , which helped to improve their understanding and staff’s communication with one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers are committed to children’s success and encourage a positive ethos among staff. Team members feel supported and valued, contributing to strong morale and a shared sense of purpose. One staff member said, ‘I feel valued and supported by all of the management team.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 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

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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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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have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager should ensure that staff fully understand children’s risk reduction plans and consistently implement agreed strategies to keep them safe. This includes having clear procedures in place for responding when a child goes missing from the home. 9 October 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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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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; 9 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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 and

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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In particular, monitoring systems used by managers are effective in improving the quality of care children receive and ensure that records about children are regularly reviewed and updated.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff have the relevant skills and experience to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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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 and

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that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)) 9 October 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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The registered person may only— 9 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 7 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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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,

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if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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the individual is of integrity and good character;

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

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the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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In particular, the registered person should ensure that safer recruitment processes are robust and all reasons for leaving previous employment are fully explored.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that concerns are escalated and that services are sought to meet each child’s needs. 9 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 8

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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: 2816808 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Emplace Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Wedgwood Big House, 1 Moorland Road, Stoke-on- Trent ST6 1DJ

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Inspector

Kirsty Truesdale, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2816808 10 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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