Children's Home run by Arnfield Care Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 1 SC020133 Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned privately and provides care for up to eight children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 15 October 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2024 Full Outstanding 13/02/2024 Full Outstanding 10/10/2022 Full Outstanding 15/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from warm, nurturing and individualised care within a welcoming and child-focused home. The home environment is maintained to a very high standard, with thoughtful décor and children’s artwork celebrated throughout. This creates a homely atmosphere that reinforces children’s sense of pride and belonging. Mealtimes are calm and inclusive with children and staff eating together in a spacious dining area. A dedicated cook ensures nutritious, well-prepared meals that further enhance the family- style setting. While statutory signage makes a small number of areas appear more institutional, this does not detract from the overall warmth of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children present as settled, content and confident in their surroundings. They speak positively about staff and describe feeling listened to, supported and valued. They engage well with education and a wide range of enjoyable activities. Although some children express frustration with certain boundaries, such as handing in mobile phones at night, they also recognise that staff explain decisions clearly and take their views into account. This helps foster a culture of trust and open communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Relationships between staff and children are a key strength. Interactions observed are characterised by genuine warmth, appropriate humour and a clear understanding of individual needs. These strong relationships promote emotional security and significantly contribute to children’s progress and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make sustained and meaningful progress during their time here. Education is prioritised and celebrated with all children actively engaged in learning. Staff have high aspirations and provide consistent support, enabling children to achieve well. One child recently completed a Level 2 English qualification, expanding their future opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care planning, including unplanned moves, is managed thoughtfully and with sensitivity. Staff show a strong commitment to promoting stability and emotional well-being, ensuring that moves are handled in a predictable and supportive way. The meaningful and lasting relationships formed here are notable. Children who have left the home maintain regular contact for advice or reassurance. They call the staff, seeking out those trusted relationships. These enduring connections highlight the positive and lasting impact of children’s experiences at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Direct work with children is embedded in daily practice. Staff carry out planned sessions as well as responsive work following incidents, helping children understand their experiences, develop emotional resilience and reflect on their actions. This ensures they receive timely and effective support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The approach to behaviour management is fair, consistent and well understood. Staff explain the rationale behind expectations and consequences, helping children learn and Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 4 reflect. Leaders are reviewing some written language to ensure it aligns fully with the nurturing ethos that is evident in practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Overall, children experience high-quality care that supports them to grow emotionally, socially and academically. The strong, meaningful relationships they form with staff have a lasting positive impact, helping them to feel safe, confident and well prepared for the future.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Children know how to make a complaint and feel confident that their views will be taken seriously. Complaints are rare, and records show that concerns raised are usually addressed in line with policy and with clear regard for the child’s welfare. However, on one occasion, a response was not completed in a timely manner, which meant the child’s concern was not resolved as promptly as expected.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Allegations are managed rigorously and sensitively. Staff act in accordance with statutory guidance, ensuring thorough investigation, timely communication and appropriate support for everyone involved. Records demonstrate clear accountability and a strong focus on safeguarding children’s emotional and physical well-being.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Responses to missing-from-home incidents are highly effective and firmly rooted in good safeguarding practice. Staff follow procedures diligently and keep detailed, analytical records that demonstrate persistent and creative efforts to locate and maintain contact with children during periods of absence. Strong partnerships with families, safeguarding professionals and the local community ensure well-coordinated multi-agency responses, particularly for children missing for extended periods.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

When children return, staff provide reassurance, comfort and a safe space to reconnect. Return home discussions take place promptly and are conducted with curiosity and sensitivity, helping children feel understood and supported while reducing future risks. Leaders maintain strong oversight to ensure responses remain trauma informed and proportionate.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Consequences following missing episodes are used thoughtfully to promote safety and reconnection. Although some terminology in documentation does not fully reflect the nurturing ethos of the home, practise itself remains supportive. Leaders are addressing this to ensure written records reflect the child-focused approach.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Physical intervention is extremely rare and only used when necessary to prevent harm. Records are comprehensive, capturing what occurred before, during and after incidents. Children’s views are actively sought and reflected in recordings, helping inform learning for both children and staff. Management oversight is robust and reflective.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff respond sensitively and effectively to incidents involving self-harm or suicidal ideation. They take clear, well-judged actions, such as removing harmful items, and use calm, skilled de-escalation techniques. Follow-up discussions are meaningful and Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 5 reassuring, helping children understand their emotions and feel supported. While some language in written consequences appears more punitive than intended, practise is protective and clearly focused on children’s safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Overall, children are helped and protected through proactive, skilled and child-centred safeguarding practice. Staff know children well, respond to risks with confidence and sensitivity and work effectively with partners to ensure children remain safe and feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides strong, insightful leadership that places children’s experiences, needs and aspirations at the centre of practice. His detailed understanding of each child, combined with the skill and experience of the deputy manager, results in a cohesive and motivated leadership team. Their shared values promote a culture of warmth, ambition, and reflective practice, ensuring children’s welfare and progress consistently drive decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals consistently praise strong communication, reliability and collaborative working. Staff demonstrate a proactive approach in their partnership with external agencies and provide effective support for children during family time, helping maintain and strengthen important connections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Families also speak highly of the staff team, describing them as approachable, supportive and committed to children’s needs. This positive engagement fosters trust and promotes a collaborative approach to care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff know children extremely well and speak confidently about risks, needs and support plans. They demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures and apply these appropriately in practice. Staff report feeling well supported by leaders and by each other, contributing to a stable and reflective team culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision is regular, reflective and developmental. The additional ‘toolbox’ supervision provides ongoing learning opportunities, strengthening staff skills and enhancing the overall quality of care. Monthly team meetings are described by staff as supportive and focused on continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is some inconsistency in external 44 monitoring. The independent visitor does not consistently engage with children or gather external feedback, which limits their ability to fully evaluate safeguarding arrangements. The manager is already addressing this, and a recommendation has been made to strengthen this aspect of monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Overall, the home is led with skill, integrity and unwavering commitment. Leaders create a culture of high expectations, reflective practice and continuous improvement, ensuring children receive high-quality, nurturing care that enables them to make strong and sustained progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 6

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Recommendations

 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)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise and that these concerns are responded to in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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 children’s home: SC020133 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Generate Business Hub, 13 Bernard Street, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 7AA

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Inspectors

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Chloe Harvey, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 8 and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report children’s home: SC020133 9

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