Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 1

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities. The home registered with Ofsted in August 2024, after children, the manager and staff moved to the home together following a planned closure of another home within the organisation.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, two children and one young adult were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 18 and 19 November 2025, Ofsted carried out a full inspection of the home. Serious shortfalls in leadership and management were identified, and the home was judged to be inadequate. As a result, a compliance notice was issued related to Regulation 13 with clear actions that needed to be completed. On 8 January 2026, Ofsted completed a monitoring visit to review the actions taken and consider whether the compliance notice was met. We found that progress had been made with some of the required actions, however, not all actions had been completed.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some improvement in the staffing of the home. The manager is no longer working excessive hours to cover shifts, and this is being monitored by senior managers. There are sufficient staff to meet the children’s needs but there continues to be a reliance on staff support from the provider’s other homes and agency staff. This has been increased by some staff leaving the home, as well as the manager being suspended for a short period of time, pending an investigation and now working reduced hours. New staff have been recruited and are waiting for safer recruitment checks which should relieve the staffing issues once they start work.

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This monitoring visit

There have been some improvements to the home environment. Children’s bedrooms have been personalised with pictures and artwork, and walls that were previously heavily marked, have been repainted. Some areas still require improvement including the window in one child’s bedroom, which is still dirty; broken Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 2 drawers that are waiting to be replaced; and one child’s blind has been pulled down and not yet replaced. The outstanding work has been booked in with the maintenance team.

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This monitoring visit

Recording of children’s behaviour and incidents has improved. Previously, records were inconsistent and contained information related to incidents that had not been followed up. New recording systems have been implemented which help staff to clearly record children’s experiences. All staff have updated reporting and recording training and have taken part in discussions with the responsible individual to ensure that they understand recording expectations. Only two incidents have occurred since the full inspection; both were recorded clearly with good oversight from managers. This requirement has now been met.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff now have an improved understanding of behaviour management and the use of physical intervention. All staff have completed refresher training and have detailed discussions with the responsible individual to reflect on their practice and ensure that they understand the correct processes to follow. No physical intervention has taken place since the full inspection. However, staff demonstrated a good understanding and are confident to take the correct action if required.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff now have a clearer understanding of the deprivation of liberty order for one child. At the time of the full inspection the manager was not aware that the order was in place, which hindered their ability to implement the required safety measures. The order is now in the child’s records, and the manager and staff understand the restrictions and how they are implemented in the home. The appropriate consents are now held from all placing social workers for the restrictions that are in place.

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This monitoring visit

Staff demonstrate increased awareness of how to reduce the risk of children going missing. Improved locks and door sensors are now in place on all external doors and staff understand the importance of maintaining supervision levels in line with children’s plans. All staff have also refreshed their risk assessment training. There have been no further missing incidents since the full inspection. However, staff understand their roles if a child does go missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

There is insufficient evidence of oversight of the management of the home. During the full inspection, shortfalls were identified in the manager’s practice and there was a lack of oversight of their work by senior managers. There is minimal evidence provided of how this has been addressed, other than a plan for increased supervisions, which has not yet started. This means that senior managers have not sought to review the manager’s practice or address any shortfalls so that the necessary improvements can be made.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to take action to identify and review any previous incidents that may have been missed due to poor monitoring. Managers were asked to complete a full review of children’s files to ascertain if any incidents have not been Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 3 followed up with management oversight. This work has not been completed meaning that staff practice during incidents has not been reviewed to ensure that children are receiving good care.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to review a missing incident that was considered during the full inspection. Despite evidence of shortfalls in staff practice during the incident, managers have not felt that an investigation was necessary. They were asked to review this incident to identify shortfalls in practice and learning that they could use to improve practice in the home. This piece of work remains outstanding, meaning that any shortfalls in practice have not yet been identified or addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, a significant complaint has been received about the leadership and management of the home. As a result, the manager was suspended pending investigation, and an external investigation was completed. The quality of the investigation report is poor and does not demonstrate how all the concerns raised have been fully explored. Most of the concerns were unsubstantiated, and the remaining ones were judged by the provider not to be serious enough to warrant a continued period of suspension. The manager has now returned to work.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of aspects of the compliance notice not being met, together with some mitigating factors, a decision was made to reissue the notice with the outstanding actions. Progress towards these actions will be assessed through a further inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/11/2025 Full Inadequate 11/03/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 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, 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 with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare

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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

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have a full understanding of any risks related to a child prior to them being admitted to the home, together with any court orders that are in place to keep children safe. In addition, they must also ensure that they and staff have the skills 22 February 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 6 needed to be able to identify when a child may be at risk of missing from home and take effective action to prevent harm. Furthermore, they must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities when children go missing from the home and they have a clear understanding of the processes to follow. Additionally, the registered person must ensure that children's bedrooms are homely, safe and adequately furnished, that they are kept clean and that any damaged items are replaced without delay.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. *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

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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have good oversight of children's plans in order to promote their welfare. Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that investigations take place after significant incidents, including a full review of the practice leading to the incident and of the measures needed to avoid recurrence. 22 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 22 February 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 7 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and understanding to administer medication safely, including the recording of any medication given to a child. In addition, they must ensure that all medication that is prescribed to a child is given in line with the prescription.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 155 Bromford Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 8DJ

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Inspector

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2722944 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 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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