Children's Home run by 5ab Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 1 Registered provider: 5ab Care Ltd

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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 owned by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may exhibit complex behaviours due to childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in January 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. All the children were present during the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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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: 9 December 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/12/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 3

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improvement to be good

Two of the children have lived in the home for over a year, and one child had been living at the home for seven weeks. During the inspection, one child moved out to live with a family member, as planned.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not taken enough action to ensure the home is cleaned and maintained to a good standard. For example, the summer house was full of broken furniture, which meant that children could no longer use this space. Areas of the home need cleaning and the garden was untidy and overgrown. This does not provide a welcoming environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently support children with their education. One child has a college place; however, two children did not have a school place for the new academic year. The manager had not planned effectively and liaised with the local authority to ensure that education was in place before the start of term. This uncertainty has affected one child’s emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. When they do so, for some however, this is not always taken seriously. For one child, they were not always informed of the outcome of their complaint. This does not ensure that children’s voices are heard and that any learning is applied.

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improvement to be good

Children’s physical health needs are met. One child has been helped by staff to lose weight, in line with their care plan. For some children, who need support with their mental health, this is not always shared with appropriate agencies. This means that they do not receive the specialist help that they need. As a result, one child’s emotional well- being has deteriorated.

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improvement to be good

The home’s model of care is not followed in line with its statement of purpose. Staff have not had access to therapeutic consultation since April 2025. This should be provided monthly. One child has not been able to access therapeutic support in line with their needs. During this time, the child’s emotional well-being has been negatively impacted, and this has resulted in an increased number of incidents in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children receive support from staff to see their families. One family member said that they feel welcome when they come to the home. Staff know children well and, despite challenges, staff say they ‘do not want to give up on children’. They speak to children about expectations of appropriate behaviour. However, consequences are not always restorative. For example, on one occasion, a child was stopped from seeing their friend as planned. This was a consequence imposed after the child had gone missing for 20 minutes. The manager did not provide appropriate oversight to ensure that this was proportionate. Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 4 Staff support children to ensure that moves into and out of the home are smooth and successful. The manager advocated for a child’s wish to return to live with family. This resulted in a transition plan for them to return to their family’s care. Staff continue to

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improvement to be good

see children after they leave the home, in line with their wishes.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been 179 incidents of restraint. When restraint is used, it is appropriate to protect the children and those around them. There has been an increase in the use of restraint for one child since the last inspection. This is connected to a decrease in this child’s emotional well-being. The manager has requested that staff receive refresher training in physical intervention. However, there has been no multi- agency liaison to consider how to reduce the frequency of interventions or review the strategies in place to support the child.

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improvement to be good

When children make allegations against staff, managers do not always take effective action to address these. Appropriate safeguarding procedures are not consistently followed, and children are not asked if they want to make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

One child said that they had been impacted by another child’s behaviour. This has resulted in them wanting to spend less time downstairs in the home. As a result, this child said that they avoid spending time in communal areas of the home, to avoid witnessing incidents. Staff speak to children when they witness incidents involving other children, however, not enough action has been taken to protect children from the impact of witnessing incidents and other children being restrained by staff.

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improvement to be good

When children self-harm, staff take appropriate immediate action to keep them safe. Staff have provided two children with appropriate support around their emotional well- being and as a result, incidents of self-harm have reduced. However, for one child, incidents of self-harm have increased and there has not been a proactive response to address this. On one occasion, a child attempted to seriously harm themselves and although staff intervened to stop them, they did not complete a record of this incident. It is not clear if the child needed medical attention or if staff sought any. The manager has not shared the increased risks of self-harm with the appropriate agencies.

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improvement to be good

Children receive some support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely, through regular key-work sessions. However, when a strategy has been identified to help a child, this is not always implemented. For example, one child is helped to calm by using a story-box toy. This toy was in the staff office rather than the child’s bedroom. Staff were not clear on the reason for this removal and how long the child has not had access to the toy. There was no plan for when this would be returned to the child. This does not help children’s emotional well-being. Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 5 Individual risk assessments are regularly updated. However, the manager does not have effective oversight to ensure that they are accurate. As result, some of the assessments are contradictory and guidance to staff on how to support children and keep them safe is not clear. One child’s plan stated that they must not be allowed to use social media. It

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improvement to be good

then went on to state social media sites that the child could use. Another child was able to chat to friends via an online game and staff were not aware of this. This does not help children to stay safe online.

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improvement to be good

Children have gone missing on six occasions, usually for a short period of time. When they go missing, children receive a well-coordinated response. Staff search for children and contact police, in line with their risk assessments. Urgent action is taken by staff to reduce the risk of harm. However, the manager does not always challenge the local authority when they do not offer a return home interview.

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improvement to be good

Children are given opportunities to express their views during monthly meetings. The children said they feel safe in the home and that they can speak to staff about their worries.

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

The manager completes regular audits of the home; however, these do not identify all the shortfalls. The manager did not have a plan to address the requirement made at the previous inspection. She acknowledged that she had lost sight of this. Action is not always taken to address areas of concern once they are found. The responsible individual does not have sufficient oversight of the home. This does not ensure that improvements are made to the care children are receiving.

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

The manager does not ensure that plans for children comprehensively identify their needs. The manager does not have sufficient oversight of risk assessments and incidents. This does not help staff to ensure that children’s needs are met and that they are kept safe.

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

The manager does not report all significant incidents to the appropriate authorities. For example, appropriate safeguarding procedures have not been followed when children make allegations against staff and relevant external professionals have not consistently been informed. This does not ensure that the necessary action is taken to keep children safe and prevents external oversight of the home.

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

Staff in the home feel well supported. Morale has remained high in the staff team, despite frequent incidents. Staff said they feel proud to work at the home and that they are well led. They receive regular reflective supervision. The manager has tools in place to ensure that supervision takes place regularly.

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

Monthly team meetings take place for staff. These meetings are used by staff to reflect on recent incidents and their practice. However, staff do not currently have access to consultation with a qualified therapist as specified in the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 6 Staff receive appropriate training relevant to the specific needs of children living in the home. The manager has effective tools to track this. The manager ensures that staff complete their qualifications within statutory timescales. Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 7

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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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)(d)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager’s monitoring systems identifying where there are shortfalls and taking appropriate action to resolve them. This also relates to the manager ensuring that the home is adhering to its statement of 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 8 purpose. The registered manager should also ensure that the home is maintained to a high standard.

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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— that staff—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that when children make allegations, appropriate action is taken. This also relates to ensuring that children’s risk assessments reflect their needs and risks and that arrangements are made to reduce the risk of harm. 23 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 9 help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should advocate effectively and plan for children to have access to educational provision in a timely way.

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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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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

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 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 10 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 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that they challenge effectively and act when the statutory requirements for looked after children are not met. This also relates to the registered manager sharing all relevant information with the placing authority to ensure that children receive support for their emotional well-being.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used with children are restorative in nature and help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2703722 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Devonshire Business Centre, Unit 27 Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1GJ

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Inspector

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2703722 12 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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