Children's home run by Forte Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 1 Registered provider: Forte Care 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 owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager in post. The manager was not present during the inspection due to being on annual leave. The inspection was led by the responsible individual.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. The child raised several significant concerns in respect of the care they receive from staff. In addition, poor leadership and management systems have increased the child’s vulnerabilities and left them at potential risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not provide care that is tailored to the child’s individual needs. The staff used to frequently support the child are either temporary or staff from a different home. Consequently, they do not know the child. Staff do not consistently demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the child’s needs or risks. This lack of knowledge and insight compromises the staff team’s ability to provide safe, effective and responsive care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Overall, the child’s parents provided positive feedback, stating that communication is good and that their child is making some progress. However, they expressed concern regarding the child’s lack of educational progress. Although some external factors have contributed to the disruption in education, staff and leaders have not taken a robust or proactive approach to addressing these issues. Interim educational arrangements have been poorly planned, insufficiently structured and have not ensured that the child receives the support to which they are entitled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not plan or take meaningful action to develop the child’s independence skills. At the time of the inspection, the child was preparing to move to semi-independent accommodation. However, a lack of action and support has not provided the child with the necessary skills or confidence to live with reduced staff support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child has made some progress in respect of their health and wellbeing. Staff have supported the child to engage with specialist health services. However, this progress is limited due to some staff failing to maintain professional boundaries with the child, frequent staff changes and a high reliance on agency workers, with whom the child feels unable to build relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have worked hard to keep the child connected to their family and friends despite the distance from their home area. They have supported the continuation of an important friendship for the child from their hometown. The home environment is personalised to the child and includes photos that reflect positive memories and experiences. The child’s bedroom is tailored to their preferences and provides a space that feels individual and familiar to them.

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

Staff have some understanding of the risks relating to the child and the support required to keep them safe, but this is not applied consistently. When incidents occur, it is not Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 4 always evident that emerging risks are consistently shared with the wider staff team or that staff practice adjusts in response. For example, despite three serious incidents over a short period of time, the registered manager did not ensure that staff were made fully aware of the heightened risk.

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

Staff responses to the child’s needs are inconsistent. They vary depending on who is supporting the child and the number of agency staff present. This inconsistency, combined with staff not adhering to appropriate professional boundaries, has resulted in the child adopting a staff-like role in the home. Consequently, the child has identified and raised concerns about staff practice, rather than the manager identifying and addressing these issues through effective management oversight.

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

Staff demonstrate a lack of professional curiosity regarding the child’s use of social media and their mobile phone. Staff do not have a clear understanding of what the child is accessing or who they are communicating with, leaving potential risks unexplored and unassessed. This lack of oversight and understanding has led to an increase in the child’s risks and was highlighted to managers by the child themselves during the inspection.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to escalate or act on complaints and concerns raised by the child regarding inappropriate staff practice. They did not notify the required external safeguarding bodies, resulting in a lack of timely protection and oversight. This failure has led to the child feeling anxious about the potential impact that the staff member may have on other children. These concerns were only addressed by leaders during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are clear in theory about their ambitions for the child, but these are not being translated into effective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although the child has made some progress, this has recently been undermined by insufficient managerial oversight, limited direct involvement from the manager and frequent staff changes, including reliance on temporary workers. In addition, there has been no progress in relation to the child’s education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The care provided to the child is confusing and lacks a clear, structured plan. Staff and the registered manager do not implement consistent boundaries, and there is little day-to-day structure in the home. As a result, staff do not support the child’s social, emotional or developmental needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision for staff is not completed regularly or in a timely manner. Also, inexperienced staff, who are on probation, are frequently left working alongside agency workers without any managerial oversight. Leaders and managers do not ensure that inexperienced staff are supported or that day-to-day practice is monitored effectively. Consequently, staff do not provide the child with consistent care, which has an impact on the child’s well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 5 Senior leaders have not exercised effective oversight of the home, the staff team or the managers. They do not consistently monitor the quality of care being provided to the child. This lack of strategic oversight has allowed poor and unsafe practice to develop and continue without being identified or addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff and leaders are not delivering care as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Although leaders and managers had identified some weaknesses in practice, they were unaware of the wider and more serious concerns. As a result, these concerns were not acted on, further demonstrating ineffective leadership and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External agencies report that communication is generally good and that the child has made some progress. However, one professional said that they feel the registered manager has fostered a level of dependence on her which needs addressing to support the child's independence. However, this had not yet been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is some evidence that leaders and managers challenge other services when responses are delayed. However, this challenge is not always sufficiently timely or robust to secure improvements for the child. Staff and leaders promote tolerance and respect for diversity, and staff have supported the child well in relation to their gender identity, helping them to feel more comfortable and confident in this area. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 8 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 7 In particular, leaders and managers must review the staffing arrangements in the home and ensure that staff are supported to develop so that they have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of the child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must implement systems to regularly review staff practice and ensure it remains child centred. Specifically, staff and managers must understand the importance of maintaining professional boundaries with the child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular, reflective supervision. This should support their reflection on individual and team practice and help them identify areas for development.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that staff understand and apply strategies from the child’s plans to keep the child safe. They must ensure that they are identifying any concerns in respect of staff practice, and that they are not reliant on the child to do this.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must listen to and respond appropriately in a timely manner to all allegations, concerns and complaints made by the child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must also review previous complaints and allegations raised by the child to ensure that all concerns, in relation to staff, are appropriately reviewed and addressed.

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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; 8 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 8 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

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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand, and act on, any increase in risk in respect of the child. The registered person must also ensure that plans are updated to reflect any increasing risks for the child.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c) (7)(a)(b)) 8 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 8 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 9 that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the child preparing to move on from the home has been fully supported and prepared for their transition into independence.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children who are not attending education and/or training post compulsory school age have a clear plan to address this, and that staff support children with this plan effectively. 8 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2798010 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 213 Station Road, Stechford, Birmingham B33 8BB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Chinchen

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Inspector

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2798010 11 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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