Children's Home run by Surety Care Limited in Derbyshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 1 Registered provider: Surety Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

Pre-admission documentation is of a poor standard and fails to demonstrate that children’s needs are carefully considered before they move into the home. Records do not show how the compatibility of children has been assessed, nor do they evidence any consideration of the staff team’s skills and experience in meeting the specific needs of new children. This represents a significant weakness in the care planning process.

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Findings from the inspection

For one child, leaders state that limited information was provided by the placing local authority. However, a transition plan was in place that identified known risks following the child’s first visit to the home. Despite this, and despite clear indications that the child’s needs presented significant challenges, the decision was made to proceed with the placement. This demonstrates poor professional judgement and a failure to act in the best interests of children living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

As a result of this inadequate assessment and decision-making, a child moved into the home whose needs the staff team was unable to meet. This led to a marked increase in serious incidents, including assaults on staff and significant property damage. The other child in the home was directly affected by this instability, with a deterioration in their own behaviour and increased levels of risk. The placement of the new child ended after only two weeks, following the issuing of immediate notice. This abrupt ending had a negative impact on the child’s emotional well-being and sense of security.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not being kept safe. There are serious and widespread failures in risk assessment, behaviour management and staff practice that place children at significant risk of harm. Leaders and staff do not demonstrate the skills or understanding required to identify, assess and manage risks effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments are of poor quality. They do not provide clear, detailed or practical guidance for staff on how to manage or reduce risks. Although some documents include brief updates following serious incidents, these lack essential information about how staff intervened, how children were kept safe or what action should be taken if similar behaviour occurs again. This leaves staff without the necessary direction to respond effectively to emerging risks.

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Findings from the inspection

In one example, the risk assessment for a child who regularly goes missing from care instructs staff to ‘follow the child for as long as possible’. However, it provides no guidance about what actions staff should take while following the child, how to maintain the child’s safety or how to protect themselves. As a result, staff have, at times, become passive observers of unsafe situations, inadvertently being complicit in the child’s risk-taking behaviour. On occasion, staff have observed children Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 3 consuming alcohol or associating with others using drugs but have failed to intervene. The lack of clear direction in risk assessments, combined with insufficient staff understanding, means that children are not being protected from harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the admission of another child to the home, one child’s missing-from-care episodes have significantly increased. This change was not adequately risk assessed before the child moved into the home. The increased frequency and seriousness of incidents have included the child travelling to different cities, maintaining contact with older peers and engaging in substance misuse. These behaviours have escalated into aggression towards staff and members of the public, leading to frequent police involvement.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been multiple incidents where children accessed restricted areas by taking staff keys, including gaining access to controlled medication and car keys, and attempting to drive a vehicle. Such incidents demonstrate serious failings in supervision and a lack of awareness of basic safeguarding practices.

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Findings from the inspection

Leadership and management of the home are ineffective. The home has been without a registered manager since 1 July 2025. The acting manager, who has now resigned, stated that he does not have the skills or experience required to fulfil the role effectively. Despite this lack of management stability and expertise, leaders made the decision to admit a new child into the home. This demonstrates poor judgement and a failure to prioritise the welfare and safety of children already living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not possess the necessary skills or experience to manage complex or crisis situations. They lack confidence in making decisions to keep children safe and are unsure about when and how to intervene when children display risky behaviours. This lack of competence has resulted in unsafe practice and inconsistent responses to children’s needs. The responsibility for these failings lies with leaders, who have not ensured that staff receive adequate training, guidance or supervision.

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Findings from the inspection

Feedback from external professionals highlights significant concerns about the capability of the staff team and the way it manages children’s behaviours. Professionals report having to repeatedly chase staff for incident reports and describe delays in the sharing of important information. They have expressed concern about the seriousness of incidents that have taken place in the home and the apparent lack of robust managerial oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

Feedback from family members reflects similar concerns. While one family member spoke positively about the acting manager and the responsible individual, they also stated, ‘Some of the staff team were really poor; some were very poor at any basic de-escalation skills.’ Such comments highlight a widespread lack of competence and consistency within the staff team.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to establish effective oversight, ensure accountability or promote a culture of learning and improvement. The absence of stable and experienced management, combined with an inexperienced staff team, Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 4 has led to serious and widespread shortfalls in the quality of care and the safety of children. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff are equipped, supported or guided to provide safe and consistent care. As a result, children have been placed at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

As a result of this inspection, the regulator has issued two compliance notices and a restriction of accommodation notice, preventing any further children from living at the setting. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that staff have a clear understanding of children’s risks and how to manage these. This also relates to ensuring that staff identify and respond appropriately to risk. 16 November

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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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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— 16 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring there is consistent and appropriate oversight of the home to ensure that children are receiving quality care. This also relates to ensuring the staff in the home have the knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that new arrivals to the home are adequately risk assessed against the needs of the child living in the home and that when a child leaves the home, this is a positive experience for them. 16 November

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 16 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the reactions of staff to children’s behaviour are appropriate and that staff have the skills to form and sustain meaningful relationships with children in order to support them with their behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring a suitable manager is appointed and applies to register with Ofsted in the appropriate timescales. 16 November

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring the responsible individual is effective within the home. 16 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 9

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surety Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Surety Care Limited

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Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2817732 11 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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