Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 1 SC463188 Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, there were three children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 and 22 August 2025. The inspector identified serious concerns in relation to safeguarding practices, ineffective leadership and management and care planning arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, compliance notices were issued under The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 for regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, regulation 12 the protection of children standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider in meeting the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that they have taken sufficient action to ensure that they will have all of the necessary information about children before they move into the home. Furthermore, it is unclear what action will be taken to ensure that consideration is given to the competing needs of children living in the home against those moving in, and whether staff can meet those needs. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 2 Some staff have completed training on managing allegations. However, leaders and managers have not demonstrated that sufficient action has been taken to ensure that all allegations made by children will be appropriately investigated. This includes ensuring that there are clear recordings of discussions with children, and staff are directly removed from caring for children while investigations are ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

Information contained in some risk assessments relating to children going missing from the home is inaccurate and does not provide staff with clear and detailed guidance on how to respond effectively to missing-from-home incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that sufficient action has been taken to ensure that there is effective management oversight over the quality of care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have put systems in place to ensure that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents without delay. This ensures that Ofsted has early oversight of incidents and how they are being managed.

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This monitoring visit

In response to previous shortfalls identified, staff have completed missing-from- home and risk management training. Training on managing allegations has been completed by most staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have used team meetings and supervisions to revisit child protection and safeguarding protocols with staff and to reflect jointly on safeguarding incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Following the visit, a case review was held and it was determined that although some progress has been made, the provider has not taken sufficient action to meet the steps in the compliance notices. The requirements were not considered at this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2025 Full Inadequate 10/10/2024 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with 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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that risk management plans are available that accurately reflect children's risks and guide staff on how to respond effectively to these.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that allegations are investigated thoroughly. Furthermore, where an allegation of abuse has been made against a staff member, staff should not be allowed to directly care for the child while the investigation is taking place.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that information about allegations is accurately shared with external safeguarding partners, such as the local authority designated officer. 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 4 *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—

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there are procedures in place that allow for the reporting of significant incidents to Ofsted without delay.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that safeguarding incidents are thoroughly evaluated and scrutinised. Where shortfalls in practice are identified, there should be a process of reflection and learning with staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that where shortfalls in staff practice are identified, additional training is considered. 23 October 2025

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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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 5 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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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—

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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.

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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

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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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

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(ix)(xi)) 23 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 6 serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children's home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that, in the absence of a court order, children are allowed to move freely in and around the home.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children's home's premises; and

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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 intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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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(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the supervision of children is appropriate and not intrusive. 23 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90 King Street, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 1JB

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC463188 9 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 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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