Children's home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private company and provides care for up to 2 children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. Both were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024. She is dual-registered and manages another small home in the organisation.

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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

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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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: 1280210 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 09/05/2023 Full Good 17/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home, and 2 children have moved in. Children report feeling safe and settled. One child said that they do not want to leave and would like to stay ‘forever’, while another said that staff ‘do everything they should to keep me safe’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff support children’s moves in and out of the home effectively. One child said, ‘I came here very quickly, I was worried, but I felt okay and part of the home.’ In addition, the registered manager assesses children’s needs well, which helps to promote stability and develop positive relationships within the home. For another child, who had expressed a wish to move on, staff listened to their views and the registered manager ensured that their wishes and best interests were reflected in planning and decision-making. The transition out of the home was carefully planned, and the child was well supported throughout the process to promote their emotional security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in education, and attendance is well embedded within the home’s daily routines. Staff support children to attend school consistently. Education professionals report excellent communication with the registered manager and staff, which enables barriers to learning to be identified and addressed promptly. One school professional described staff as ‘very caring and hands-on’ in their support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good day-to-day health. Staff support children to access routine and specialist healthcare. They implement routines that promote healthy sleep and mealtimes. Children sit together with staff for meals and benefit from the positive social element of shared mealtimes. A therapist visits the home regularly to provide emotional support to children, promoting their wellbeing and emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities both in the home and in the community. Staff listen to children and support them to make choices in their day-to-day lives, including decisions about their leisure activities and where they would like to go. Both children enjoy playing football, and staff actively support this by taking them to training sessions and matches.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a spacious and welcoming environment. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms and encourage them to take pride in their personal spaces. This support helps children to feel valued and settled in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children and respond to them in a warm and enthusiastic manner. As a result, children choose to spend time with staff and seek their support. However, staff do not consistently maintain appropriate contact with children’s families about their care, where this is necessary and where families have requested Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 4 updates. This limits effective partnership working and does not fully support a coordinated approach to children’s care.

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

Children feel safe living in their home. Safeguarding incidents are rare because children have positive relationships with staff and feel able to make decisions about their lives. Children know how to make a complaint and raise concerns. Since the last inspection, one complaint has been made and the child was fully informed of the outcome, with their views listened to and taken seriously.

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

Children are supported appropriately following incidents of self-harm. Staff provide reassurance and emotional support. Medical attention is sought when required, in line with safeguarding procedures and individual care plans. Where physical intervention has been used, it has been appropriate and proportionate and used as a last resort.

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

The children currently living at the home are settled and risks are low. Staff manage risk effectively to ensure children remain safe. However, while recorded risk assessments are updated in response to incidents of children going missing from the home, they do not consistently demonstrate sufficient professional curiosity or robust consideration of wider risks, including child exploitation. As a result, children’s assessments do not always fully reflect children’s vulnerabilities or inform staff practice as effectively as they should.

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

Staff attend children’s statutory meetings and maintain regular contact with professionals. However, they do not consistently ensure that statutory case records for each child are fully up to date. Accurate and current statutory records are essential to ensure that children’s needs, risks and plans are clearly understood and appropriately responded to. This shortfall reduces the effectiveness of information-sharing and limits how well children’s care and protection are supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well led. The registered manager demonstrates a strong understanding of the children’s individual needs and risks. She has a clear and accurate grasp of the home’s strengths and is reflective in identifying areas where further improvement is required. She is ably supported by the home’s responsible individual. Together, their support and oversight of practice contribute positively to children’s safety, stability and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that supports their wellbeing and professional development. The organisation has effective arrangements for staff training, and staff say that their induction and ongoing training equip them well for their roles. The manager is proactive in sourcing additional training linked to individual staff development and children’s specific needs. This learning is further strengthened through reflective discussion in team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 5 The registered manager ensures that staff receive regular, reflective and purposeful appraisals. These consider performance, training needs and the impact of staff’s practice on children. This supports continuous improvement and helps to ensure that children receive safe, high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who do not regularly work at the home demonstrate a good understanding of the risks to children and their individual needs. They report feeling welcomed, supported and part of the staff team, and confirm that expectations and safeguarding arrangements are clearly communicated. This supports continuity of care and stable relationships for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working at the home and describe a strong, supportive team culture. This positive staff culture supports stable care, strong relationships with children and a nurturing environment within the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 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

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they have children’s up-to-date statutory records. 20 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge, skills and training to support them to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm from exploitation. Specifically, staff should be supported to exercise professional curiosity. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance in maintaining positive working relationships with the important people involved in children’s lives. Specifically, staff should ensure that children’s family members, where appropriate, are kept up to date in relation to their child’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 7

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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 for children’s home: 1280210 8

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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

Sharonpreet Kaur, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1280210 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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