Children's Home run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 1 SC028905

p.1

Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority-managed home that provides care for up to four children who have experienced childhood instability which has resulted in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager started in February 2025 and has applied to register. The manager was not present during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A new responsible individual was appointed in September 2025. Their suitability is yet to be assessed by Ofsted. The responsible individual led the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. They were present and spoken to during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 2 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: SC028905 3

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of the child at this assurance inspection.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the agency team of staff supporting the child. While this was necessary to safeguard the child, leaders have not ensured that there was a well-planned, co-ordinated and safe transition. Consequently, agency staff have not been adequately prepared to support the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, agency staff have not been integrated into the staff team and there is a lack of clarity around their roles and responsibilities. This has led to inconsistency, a lack of teamwork, and inaction from staff. These shortfalls have impacted on the child’s safety, experiences and progress and led to a significant increase in incidents. The child said they are ‘unhappy’ and ‘do not feel safe’ living in the home.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Staff and leaders do not always assess and respond to the child’s risks effectively. For example, when the child has been in crisis and at risk of harm, there have been delays in some staff responses and, on occasions, some staff have refused to intervene. This has led to high-risk incidents and an increase in police call outs to support the staff to manage the child. This does not reassure the child that staff have the experience and skills to safely care for the child. Also, it can lead to the child potentially being criminalised.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Poor staff practice has led to the child coming to harm and compromised their safety. For example, on one occasion, the child was able to access medication. This led to the child needing medical treatment and requiring surgery. Leaders and managers have reflected on this and are making changes to prevent this from happening again.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers do not ensure that all staff are spoken to after physical interventions. This is a repeated shortfall from the last inspection and does not support the manager to have effective oversight of the child’s incidents. Also, staff are not provided with opportunities to learn from incidents and improve their practice.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Leaders do not ensure that important information about the child’s needs and safety is shared effectively with professionals and Ofsted. This does not ensure that the multidisciplinary team supporting the child and Ofsted have up-to-date information about the child’s risks and safety. In addition, staff do not get the support that they need from other agencies to enable them to care effectively for the child and keep them safe. Poor communication and a lack of joined-up working have the potential to compromise the child’s safety and well-being.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Managers do not support staff to develop their practice effectively. They have not ensured that all staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the child’s needs. For Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 4 example, there are gaps in ligature, mental health, and whistle-blowing training. Additionally, staff do not consistently receive regular supervision, in line with the frequency stated in the home’s statement of purpose, and managers do not complete or have oversight of agency staff supervision.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, managers have reviewed the child’s written plans. Risk management plans are now more succinct and provide staff with clearer guidance on how to meet the child’s specific needs. However, these plans do not include recommendations from professionals. For example, professional assessments from psychologists, and speech and language therapists, which provide guidance on how to meet the child’s needs, have not been recorded effectively. Consequently, staff do not have the relevant information they need to care for the child.

p.4

Findings from the inspection

Leaders and staff have made improvements to the home’s physical environment. Areas of the home, including the child’s bedroom, have been redecorated and there are more soft furnishings and pictures around the home. This has made the environment more homely and welcoming for the child.

p.4

Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to secure the necessary improvements to the quality of care that the child receives. Four requirements raised at the last inspection have been restated, and one additional requirement has been raised. As a result of this inspection, two compliance notices have been issued against regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

p.4

Findings from the inspection

The home’s responsible individual is new into post. They are reflective and have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and development needs. They have started to address some of the shortfalls and are in the process of completing a full review of the service to improve the quality of care the child receives. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 5

p.4

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 6

p.5

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 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—

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

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff take effective and immediate safeguarding action when they become aware that the child has items that they can use to harm themselves.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that: 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 7  managers and staff have the skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective care to the child;  all staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities to keep the child safe and protected from harm;  that staff have the information they need to safely care for the child and that the child’s plans must reflect information from professional assessments.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that there is effective, timely monitoring and oversight of the quality of care the child receives and that more progress is made on repeated requirements raised.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that the manager and all staff working in the home have the knowledge and skills to deliver safe and effective care to the child and the model of care as outlined in the statement of purpose.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Leaders are managers must ensure that permanent and agency staff work collaboratively to meet the child’s care needs and protect them from harm.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that incidents are properly reported, investigated, and professional curiosity used to identify shortfalls in care. Where learning is identified from incidents, this must be shared with staff to support improvement and minimise the risk of the same thing happening again.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.8

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.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)) 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 9 Leaders and managers must ensure that all records of physical restraint are recorded consistently in accordance with the regulation. The manager must ensure that staff are spoken to following any physical intervention in a timely manner. The managers must review all incidents requiring the use of physical intervention to ensure, when used with the child, it is reasonable, proportionate and justified.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.9

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff, including agency staff, receive regular supervision in accordance with the frequency stated in the home’s policies and procedures.

p.9

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 30 November

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the child receives well-coordinated, effectively planned care from a multidisciplinary team and that staff are supported by external agencies to deliver safe and effective care. 30 November

p.9

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2DH

p.10

Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC028905 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.

p.10

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 .

p.11

Inspector

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.11

Inspector

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

p.11

Inspector

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

p.11