Children's Home run by Affinity Childrens Care Ltd in Wakefield

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 1 Registered provider: Affinity Children’s Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home and the inspector spoke with both of them.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Inspection date: 13 January 2026

Date of last inspection: 3 November 2025

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Inspection date: 13 January 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 13 January 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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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 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: 2821080 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was brought forward to explore concerns received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

During the inspection we identified serious concerns, primarily in relation to when children go missing from home. Staff have not always followed plans in place to promote children’s safety. There has been a reliance on police support to return children home safely when they go missing. Staff have not always tried to locate children or report them as missing from home to the police in a timely manner. These shortfalls in staff practice mean that necessary action has not always been taken to safeguard children. On one occasion, a child came to harm while missing from the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager has not ensured timely and effective oversight of all significant incidents. This has resulted in delay in addressing concerns and ensuring that staff have fulfilled their roles and responsibilities to safeguard the children. The registered manager has now identified this issue and implemented actions to address it. Practice is now improving, but this is after such shortfalls compromised children’s safety and welfare.

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Findings from the inspection

The children are accessing education and are making progress from their starting points. For example, children that were initially not attending school now are and they have bespoke plans to support their learning. Staff also assist the children to have their health needs met. When staff experience challenges supporting children to access health services, they seek advice from a specialist nurse. This helps staff to develop an understanding of how to best meet the children’s health needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Both children said that they enjoy living in the home and have formed positive relationships with staff. The children feel able to talk to staff about any concerns and have access to advocate support.

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Findings from the inspection

Progress has been made by staff in helping children to understand risks related to exploitation and to better understand and manage difficult emotions. Additionally, staff have taken action to ensure that children know the home’s fire evacuation procedures. This support helps children understand associated risks and develop the skills and strategies to keep themselves safe.

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Findings from the inspection

On occasions, staff have needed to physically hold children. These actions are proportionate and necessary to keep children and others safe. Children are encouraged to talk about events in a manner suitable to their individual needs. Staff use sensitive de-escalation techniques to help children during difficult times. This has led to a reduction of significant incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager is making progress in ensuring that children's placing authorities provide all the required documentation about children. This work is Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 3 ongoing to ensure that they have all the information they need to best support children as their needs and plans evolve.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls remain in the protection of children and so a requirement raised under regulation 12 at the last inspection has been repeated. No new children have moved into the home and so the manager has not yet had an opportunity to demonstrate improvements in how they consider the needs of new children with those already living at the home to inform care planning decisions. One new requirement under leadership and management and a recommendation regarding the quality of record keeping have been raised. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff take action in line with children’s plans to reduce risks associated with significant incidents, including children being missing from home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 15 February 2026

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 15 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure timely and effective oversight of significant incidents, including missing from home and physical holds.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. The registered person should fully consider the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. This extends to keeping the compatibility under review where new information emerges. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) This recommendation was raised at the last inspection and has not been met and is restated.  The registered person should ensure that the home have all required updated records regarding the children. Additionally, take effective actions to escalate concerns if there is delay in staff having access to updated information that is relevant to inform the care offered to the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Affinity Childrens Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Azzurri House, Walsall Road, Aldridge, Walsall WS9 0RB

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821080 8 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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