Children's home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare 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

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to two children who may be experiencing social or emotional difficulties as a result of experiencing childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home, and the inspector spoke with both.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified and experienced manager is in post. The manager also manages another children’s home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Good 05/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/12/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, clean and well furnished. Photos of children’s experiences are on display; children’s toys are visible and accessible, and there was an abundance of Christmas decorations. These factors create a homely feel and contribute to children’s enjoyment of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home, and two children have moved into the home. Children’s moves are well planned. When children leave the home, staff support them to visit their new homes and to meet their new carers before moving. Children’s time in the home is celebrated and recorded in thoughtful and detailed memory books, which children take with them. This supports children to feel valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have moved into the home, they have opportunities to meet staff and visit before moving. This has enabled children to settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home and rate it highly. One child scored it an 8.5 out of 10, while another gave it a perfect 10. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff, who they describe as ‘lovely’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care. Staff regularly speak to children about important topics. These conversations are designed to help children be safer, to understand their own identity and the identities of others, to promote their education, and to develop the skills they need in later life. As a result, children are making progress from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children recognise the progress they are making and can talk about how their lives have improved. One child said, ‘My anger has improved… I don’t really attack anyone anymore.’ While another said, ‘I used to vape; I’ve stopped that. I have a better food routine and a better sleep routine. I didn’t go to school for three years before coming here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities of their choosing. They go on holidays, bake, engage in arts and crafts, go on trips out to play pool, bowling, trampolining and for walks. These activities build memories, relationships and bring children joy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made significant progress in their education, returning to school after two years away. Another child is not receiving their statutory hours of education and has not been in formal education for nine months. Staff have ensured that the child receives tutoring and structured activities. However, the manager has not challenged external professionals about the drift and delay to this child returning to formal education. Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 4

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

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff and feel safe living in the home. Therefore, safeguarding incidents are rare.

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

Children feel that staff listen to them and help them, and as a result, they rarely complain. When children do complain or make allegations, leaders and managers take them seriously. Investigations are prompt, and external professionals are notified. When staff practice has fallen short of the required standard, leaders and managers identify learning and implement support to prevent a reoccurrence.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks to children and benefit from clear guidance on how to keep them safe. However, one area of restrictive practice, the use of bedroom door alarms, is used as a blanket approach and is not regularly reviewed. This restrictive practice impacts on children’s right to privacy.

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

Staff are skilled in de-escalation when children become anxious or upset. This means that physical intervention is rarely used. When staff hold children, it is only ever to keep them or others safe. However, following the use of restraint, children are not always given the opportunity to speak to someone independent of the intervention. This reduces the effectiveness of management oversight and undermines important safeguards for children.

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

Staff appropriately challenge children when they are unkind to one another and are vigilant of any incidents of bullying. Consequences, when used, are natural and proportionate to the behaviour they are designed to dissuade. However, children are not always given opportunities to repair any damage or upset they have caused. As a result, opportunities for children to reflect and learn are missed.

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

Children’s achievements are celebrated and rewarded. This builds children’s self-esteem and supports them to learn skills they will need in later life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are child focused and have high aspirations for the children. They use a range of tools to ensure effective oversight of children’s care. This, in turn, is used to identify learning and improve outcomes for children. This promotes a learning culture within the home, which is supporting children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager builds effective working relationships with external professionals. Professionals speak highly of the manager, highlighting communication and advocacy as strengths. This joined-up approach to working means children receive support that is well planned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff benefit from regular formal supervision and team meetings. These provide staff with opportunities to reflect and learn. Staff feel Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 5 supported and speak positively about the manager, who they describe as hard-working and very supportive. Because of this, children are cared for by staff that know them well and are motivated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 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

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—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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")— has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children have an opportunity to speak to someone independent of the restraint about being restrained. This is restated from the previous inspection. 20 February 2026

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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; 20 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 7 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 authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers challenging partner agencies when children’s educational needs are not being met.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the use of bedroom door alarms is necessary, proportionate and kept under review. 20 February 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 8

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2515613 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2515613 10 regulates 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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