Children's Home run by Thrive Childcare Services Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 1 Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This privately run home provides care for up to three children with emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

p.1

Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, there were three children living at the home, all of whom were spoken to by the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children's home

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

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 requires improvement to be good

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: 2679810 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2025 Full Good 21/02/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Two children have lived at the home for over two years.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have had mixed experiences while living at the home. Some aspects of care and support are positive, and children are positive about living at the home. However, shortfalls in risk management, staff skills and leadership oversight have negatively affected the quality and consistency of care that children receive. As a result, the progress that children make is variable.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children benefit from a wide range of activities, with staff providing plentiful opportunities for children to have fun and develop interests. Charity events, which children and staff participate in together, provide valuable experiences. These events help children to develop a sense of empathy and community involvement and a greater understanding of the wider world.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff and managers celebrate children’s achievements, both big and small. This helps to build children’s confidence and self-esteem. Staff promote a positive ethos, and there is a nurturing focus on recognising children’s individual strengths.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work hard to secure educational placements for all children. As a result, all children have allocated schools and colleges. Although attendance has been an area of difficulty for some children, transport and practical support are provided by staff to encourage this.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff help children to develop age-appropriate independence skills, which are helping to prepare them for adulthood. The manager ensures that tailored independence programmes are in place. Staff support and guide children in line with their individual level of need.

p.3

improvement to be good

A thorough and well-planned transition supported a child to move on from the home. Similarly, when children move into the home, the manager ensures that a detailed assessment of their needs is completed. These assessments consider the needs of the child moving in alongside those already living in the home, helping to maintain safety and stability for all.

p.3

improvement to be good

There have been some incidents of children self-harming. Despite some positive practices, there are serious weaknesses in the management of these risks. Staff have not consistently followed the agreed safety plan, resulting in a child coming to harm and Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 4 requiring medical attention. The manager did not identify this shortfall in practice or undertake a review of incidents to prevent reoccurrence. Risk management plans do not always clearly outline the actions that staff are expected to take, which undermines their effectiveness in keeping children safe.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff use physical intervention only when necessary and as a last resort. However, records do not consistently demonstrate whether interventions are reviewed and recorded by the manager within the required timescales. Additionally, it is unclear how staff attempt to engage children in post-incident debriefs, and staff are not consistently spoken to following incidents. This limits opportunities for reflective learning and improvement following incidents.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff respond with thoroughness and urgency. They make determined efforts to locate children, including instances where this has extended to a nationwide search. Records relating to missing-from-home incidents are detailed and key-work sessions take place afterwards to help children reflect on their experiences and understand the risks associated with being missing.

p.4

improvement to be good

Recruitment practices are safe, with all appropriate checks carried out before staff begin working in the home. This supports leaders in being assured that unsuitable individuals are not employed.

p.4

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

Managers’ oversight of children’s care has not always been of good quality. The systems in place to monitor staff practice have not been consistently effective. The manager has not always identified shortfalls in practice in a timely way. In one instance, a child became distressed because staff failed to communicate key aspects of their care plan clearly. At the time, the manager did not recognise the issue. This was a missed opportunity to address this with staff to ensure that there is effective communication to support children.

p.4

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

The last two quality of care reports were submitted outside the required timescales. A failure to ensure that reviews of the care being provided are undertaken promptly reduces their effectiveness in relation to the manager’s oversight and accountability.

p.4

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

The manager is dedicated and committed to the children in her care. She knows children well and is passionate about promoting their wellbeing and progress. Her relationships with children and staff are positive and grounded in genuine care.

p.4

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

Feedback from staff and professionals is consistently positive. Staff report feeling well supported both emotionally and professionally. This is reflected in the stability within the staff team, with minimal staff turnover. This provides children with continuity of care and has helped them to build trusting relationships. Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 5 Leaders and managers ensure that staff working at the home have a varied training programme. This supports staff to develop the skills they need to meet the individual needs of children. Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 6

p.4

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— that staff—

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are provided with clear strategies to manage risks to children and that staff work in line with children’s plans to manage risks. 27 October 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

p.6

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and 27 October 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 7 the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.6

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.7

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager has effective oversight of any incidents of restraint, including ensuring that staff and children are spoken to following any incidents.

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

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)(b) (2)(b)(h)) 24 November 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 24 November 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 8

p.7

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: 2679810 9

p.8

Children's home details

Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

p.9

Children's home details

Registered provider address: 11 Gatley Road, Cheadle SK8 1LY

p.9

Inspector

Chrisoula Contoyianni, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 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.

p.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10