Children's Home run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 1 SC028905 Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a local authority and provides care for up to 4 children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspector did not speak with the child during this visit.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed and took up their role on 5 January 2026. They have not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

On 22 October 2025, Ofsted carried out an assurance inspection. This inspection identified serious and widespread failures. As a result, 2 compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 4 December 2025, Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit to review the progress made against the steps set out in the compliance notices. This visit identified that progress had been made in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, which was deemed to be met. However, shortfalls remained in relation to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and this notice was reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to evaluate the actions taken by leaders to bring about improvements in relation to the compliance notice steps. The requirements raised at the last visit were also reviewed as part of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 2 Leaders are proactive in ensuring that staff develop the skills and knowledge needed to meet the child’s needs effectively. All staff, including external agency workers, have completed the home’s new behaviour management training, which promotes a consistent approach for the child. Leaders also provide refresher sessions for external staff so that they can access the same advanced level of training as permanent staff.

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This monitoring visit

Additional training opportunities, such as self-harm awareness and advanced first aid, are offered to further enhance staff competence. However, not all external staff take up these courses, despite leaders arranging extra training days and funding travel to support their attendance. Leaders mitigate the impact of this by ensuring that the daily staff team caring for the child always includes a sufficient number of fully trained staff, which ensures that the child is safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Managers recognise the home’s reliance on external agency staff to help provide day-to-day care for the child. They ensure that the external workers used are consistent and familiar with the child’s needs. This continuity supports the development of trusting relationships and contributes to a stable care experience for the child.

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This monitoring visit

The home now benefits from a stable management structure, with a new manager, responsible individual and 3 deputy managers providing consistent oversight. The newly appointed manager has introduced systems to monitor and review the quality of care for the child currently living in the home. These systems are in the early stages of implementation and are not yet fully embedded. Despite this, leaders have not completed or produced an up-to-date quality of care report with effective actions to demonstrate the improvements planned to the quality of care for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Despite leaders’ efforts to provide clear guidance, some staff do not consistently follow the required strategies to keep the child and themselves safe. This has contributed to several significant incidents, including occasions that resulted in police involvement and the use of restrictive physical interventions. Records do not always show what follow-up actions were taken or how learning from these incidents informed future practice. These shortfalls in practice negatively impact on the child’s experiences.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, the compliance notice raised under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, has been met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 4

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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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard the child and follow the guidance provided to them to reduce risk. 22 March 2026

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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.

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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— 22 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 5 the quality of care provided for children;

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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

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

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”).

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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

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they prepare and complete a quality of care report that reflects the relevant timeframe and includes effective actions to bring about improvement.

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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: SC028905 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2DH

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Inspector

Kevin Brammer, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 7 and inspects 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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