Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 1 SC458115

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Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run and operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to 7 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties, and who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The main building provides accommodation for up to 6 children. In addition, there is a separate building close to the home that provides accommodation for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, 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. Inspectors have 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: SC458115 2

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have identified that the main home needs to close as it requires significant renovation. The management and staff team of the home have remained stable, although some staff have moved on to their new areas of employment due to the impending closure of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

When children have moved out of the home these have been well planned. The children’s individual needs are a priority and at the forefront of the decision making. This results in children having positive experiences prior to and during their move.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has made improvements relating to her oversight and monitoring of the home. There are systems in place to audit and oversee the running of the home. This supports the manager in identifying areas of good practice and areas for improvement. When shortfalls have been identified the manager has responded and dealt with these appropriately.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use more child-centred therapeutic language when referring to children in written documents. Managers have also been creative by designing more child friendly documents to capture children’s wishes and feelings. These now contain pictures for those children who are unable to verbalise their wishes. Staff have responded positively in that they are now more able to record children’s views.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has a new robust system of monitoring staff training and supervision. All training is fully up to date and staff have received regular and meaningful supervision sessions.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are safe and while there have been no safeguarding concerns during this period, staff are responding to children in a more therapeutic manner. Staff know the children well and this has helped the children to make continued progress.

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Findings from the inspection

When children have been physically held by staff, this has been proportionate to ensure the child’s and staff’s safety. However, the recording of these incidents lacks clear detail about the actual physical hold used, and which staff were involved.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been no new staff recruited since the last inspection. The requirement relating to safer recruitment has therefore not been reviewed and will be reinstated.

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Findings from the inspection

The changes made by leaders and managers have led to most of the requirements being met. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/04/2024 Full Inadequate 21/11/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 31 May 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge, and in particular to the specific details of the restraint itself. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone St, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspector

Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 7 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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