Children's home run by Priority Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 1 Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 22 October 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children were spoken to as part of this inspection.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a well-maintained and welcoming home that provides a warm and nurturing environment. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms in line with their individual preferences, allowing their personalities and sense of identity to be reflected in their living spaces.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong emphasis on the importance of education. Children are well supported to attend education and to engage in learning in the home. Children are currently preparing for important examinations and demonstrate ambition and aspiration for their futures.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they feel safe and settled in the home and have developed trusting relationships with staff who care for them well. All children can identify staff they can speak to should they have any worries or concerns.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively encouraged to maintain and develop relationships with people who are important to them. One child highlighted how well staff help them to sustain these relationships, which they said are particularly important to them. Children feel comfortable inviting friends to the home, supporting continuity in peer relationships and social development.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are consistently valued. They feel listened to and are confident in expressing their feelings and views to staff. As a result, children report feeling respected. Staff provide reassurance and create a safe, supportive space where children are encouraged to talk openly about matters that are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities, inside and outside the home, based on their interests. This supports children’s self-esteem, confidence and emotional wellbeing. Children speak with pride about the activities they enjoy and the opportunities available to them.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of online safety and the risks children may face, including substance misuse. Children are supported in understanding why staff may have concerns about their behaviour and are encouraged to reflect on how they can keep themselves safe.

p.3

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

When children go missing from home, appropriate actions are taken, and relevant agencies, including the police, are informed promptly. Staff search known locations and contact individuals where children may be. Following missing-from-home episodes, Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 4 children are offered opportunities to reflect with staff, enabling them to share their reasons for going missing and for staff to explain why they are concerned.

p.3

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

Individual risk assessments for each child are generally clear and provide guidance for staff actions. However, for one child, there is conflicting information across documents regarding reporting times when they are missing. The risk assessment does not clearly reflect differing curfew times or when staff should report the child missing.

p.4

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

Incidents of concern are managed effectively. Staff respond calmly and consistently, helping children to regulate their emotions and feel safe. Children are provided with opportunities to reflect following incidents and to express their feelings. Staff work with children to identify strategies and support systems to help prevent reoccurrence.

p.4

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

When physical intervention is used, it is appropriate, proportionate and employed for the shortest possible duration. Children are spoken to afterwards to assess their wellbeing and to explore how the intervention made them feel. Staff also discuss how they can better support children in the future.

p.4

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

Staff’s use of consequences following negative behaviour from children is not yet consistently proportionate. At times, it appears punitive rather than restorative. Care practice does not yet reflect the use of restorative approaches to manage children’s behaviour. In addition, records do not always show that the duration of consequences is reviewed or reduced where appropriate.

p.4

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

The responsible individual reviews incidents involving the manager, providing independent oversight. However, there is a recurring shortfall in management oversight, particularly in the evaluation and analysis of incidents. This is especially evident in relation to physical interventions, where management oversight does not consistently evidence whether interventions were appropriate and proportionate.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel well supported by managers and describe a cohesive, motivated group of staff who are focused on achieving consistently good outcomes for children. Feedback gathered from staff is highly favourable, highlighting the manager’s ongoing support and their strong commitment to meeting children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive appropriate training to equip them with the skills and knowledge required for their roles. All mandatory training, including safeguarding, is up to date. Staff have also received training to meet children’s specific needs. Ongoing learning and development opportunities ensure that staff’s skills remain current and responsive to children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care report does not currently meet the requirements of the regulation. The report lacks sufficient analysis and evaluation of the quality of care provided to children. It fails to assess practice effectively, identify patterns or themes, or Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 5 demonstrate how learning from the monitoring process is used to improve outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings are held and are valued by staff. The inclusion of an external psychotherapist provides staff with reflective space to consider children’s needs and to explore effective strategies for support. Staff and managers also receive regular supervision, during which children’s progress, strengths and areas for development are discussed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management demonstrates a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Where improvements are identified, they are shared with the staff team to promote continuous learning and improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that management oversight is consistent and effective. This includes regularly reviewing incidents, including physical interventions, to assess whether appropriate actions were taken and to identify any learning that can be used to improve future practice. 30 January 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

p.6

Requirement Due date

any punishment involving the consumption or deprivation of food or drink;

p.6

Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on— 30 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 7 a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends;

p.6

Requirement Due date

visits to the child by the child’s parents, relatives or friends;

p.7

Requirement Due date

a child’s communications with any persons listed in regulation 22(1) (contact and access to communications); or a child’s access to any internet-based or telephone helpline providing counselling for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the use or withholding of medication, or medical or dental treatment; the intentional deprivation of sleep;

p.7

Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation;

p.7

Requirement Due date

withholding any aids or equipment needed by a disabled child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

any measure involving a child imposing any measure against another child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, consequences should be restorative in nature. Written records should clearly set out the duration of any consequences and specify when they will be reviewed to ensure that they remain proportionate and appropriate.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 1 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

p.7

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

p.8

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, such as being missing from home, all relevant details are in risk assessments, including details on when children should be reported as missing, in line with their care plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

p.8

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: 2778324 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 297 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 5QJ

p.9

Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 10 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.9

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 . 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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10