Children's Home run by Utopia Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 1 Registered provider: Utopia Childcare Limited

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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 operated by a private company and registered with Ofsted in July 2023. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience emotional or behavioural difficulties. There were 3 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably experienced and qualified manager who registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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Inspection date: 30 March 2026

Date of last inspection: 4 November 2025

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Inspection date: 30 March 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors 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: 2720522 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home. No children have moved into or out of the home since the previous inspection. The inspection was undertaken in response to a significant increase in safeguarding concerns and serious incidents involving children since the last inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Leadership and management arrangements are weak. Leaders have not ensured that the manager and staff receive the support they require. Monitoring and oversight are inconsistent and have contributed to an increase in children’s vulnerability, compromising their safety and welfare.

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Findings from the inspection

Records relating to significant incidents are incomplete or lack meaningful managerial review. As a result, concerns about staff conduct and missed actions are not sufficiently explored or addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s plans are not consistently updated following safeguarding incidents. This means staff do not have the necessary and up-to-date guidance to meet children’s needs effectively, leaving children at risk.

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted has not consistently been notified in a timely manner of serious incidents affecting children’s safety. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight and scrutinise safeguarding arrangements.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff care about the children and want positive outcomes for them. However, they have not consistently maintained professional boundaries. Examples include sharing personal information and demonstrating conduct that falls below expected standards. This behaviour undermines children’s trust in the staff caring for them and weakens safeguarding arrangements, placing children at increased risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Requirements raised at the last inspection have not been met and are restated. In addition, 2 further requirements have been raised.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Good 06/01/2025 Full Good 26/10/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 3

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring staff receive good-quality supervision that promotes learning from incidents and improving understanding of children’s individual needs; ensuring that delays to referrals to specialist services, such as CAMHS, are escalated; monitoring systems are robust, and ensure the timely review of key documents for children that inform staff of the care children should receive. 11 May 2026

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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

that staff— 11 May 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 4 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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 mentally and physically fit to carry on the home.

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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)(c) (7)(b)) 11 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

other records (see regulation 37). (Regulation 38 (i)(j)) 11 May 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 5 This specifically relates to ensuring the storage of records in electronic form is safe and reliable and that information can be easily accessed. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Utopia Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Bedford Grove, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 2SR

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Inspectors

Becky Rutter, Social Care Inspector Sophie Coogan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720522 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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