Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Bath and North East Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in December 2024 and is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties and may also have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 3

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Summary of findings

Children live in a nurturing home where they feel safe, cared for and settled. Staff build positive, trusting relationships and support children to make progress with their health, education, independence and family relationships. Safeguarding practice is effective, with staff and managers understanding risks and responding appropriately. Leaders and managers provide clear oversight, reflect on practice and are committed to continuous improvement. While there are some areas for further development, these do not detract from children’s overall positive experiences, which are supported by a committed and caring staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled in the home and speak positively about their experiences. They say they feel safe and enjoy living there. One child described feeling loved and cared for and said this is the ‘best place’ they have lived in. This reflects the strong relationships staff have built and the nurturing environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in regular activities in the community that reflect their interests. Children engage in a range of hobbies, including going to the golf range, playing padel tennis and attending a youth club. Staff actively promote positive family relationships and support children to spend time with people who are important to them. Children are also encouraged to develop independence and life skills. For example, one child regularly cooks meals for everyone in the home, which they enjoy doing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warm, positive and respectful relationships with staff. Staff speak kindly to children and there is a relaxed atmosphere, with laughter and shared enjoyment. Professionals and families provide positive feedback about the staff and manager, highlighting good communication, consistent support and the nurturing approach of the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported when they move into the home. Staff provide a clear and child ‑ friendly guide to help children prepare for their move. Children are invited to visit the home beforehand to meet staff and other children, which helps to reduce anxiety and supports them to feel welcome and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend education regularly and are making progress. They are able to talk about their aspirations for the future. Education professionals confirm that staff are proactive in promoting engagement and attendance. However, one child is currently not accessing education and staff are not consistently providing educational activity while a suitable provision is being identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 4 Staff support children and meet their health and wellbeing needs. Children attend routine and specialist health appointments as required, and staff work in line with individual care plans to ensure children receive appropriate support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally welcoming and homely. However, standards of maintenance and cleanliness are not consistently applied throughout. Some furnishings are damaged and areas of the home require improvement to ensure that the environment is consistently safe, comfortable and well maintained for children.

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

Leaders, managers and staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to keep them safe. They know the children well and respond appropriately to changes in behaviour or emotional presentation. Staff work proactively with children through structured sessions that help them understand risk, express their feelings and make safer choices. Progress is reviewed regularly by the manager, with additional targets set with the therapist’s input to ensure a coordinated approach.

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

The manager oversees safeguarding practice. She provides strong leadership and advocates effectively for children, raising concerns promptly with relevant agencies when risks escalate. Learning from incidents is used to strengthen safeguarding practice. Although physical restraint had previously been used frequently with one child, this has reduced significantly over time, demonstrating positive learning and improvements in how staff support the child.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff understand their responsibilities and respond appropriately. Incidents are managed effectively and receive strong management oversight. Children’s plans are robust and detailed, providing staff with clear guidance about children’s needs and routines and the support required to keep them safe.

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

Concerns about staff are addressed promptly. Leaders and managers report concerns to appropriate safeguarding professionals and seek external advice when required. They complete reflection setting following incidents, which supports improvements in staff practice.

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

Managers and staff ensure that children have access to learning about staying safe online. They monitor internet use appropriately and ensure that parental controls and firewalls are in place to reduce risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide effective leadership, ensuring children’s safety, stability and development. They know the children well and have high expectations for their progress. These expectations are reflected in staff’s everyday practice and in the support Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 5 children receive. Leaders and staff advocate effectively for children and ensure that their welfare remains central to decision ‑ making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths of the home and areas for further development. They confidently identify what works well, including the strong nurturing and child ‑ focused culture, and use reflection and learning to strengthen the quality of care. This demonstrates a clear commitment to continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the home as well led and say they feel supported. They highlight clear communication, approachability and management visibility. Supervision sessions are regular, reflective and up to date, with a strong focus on staff wellbeing as well as the quality of care and practice. Team meetings are purposeful and reflective, supporting staff’s ongoing development and a shared focus on what helps children thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training supports staff to carry out their roles effectively and meet children’s needs. Training reflects children’s individual needs and emerging risks and helps staff feel confident and well equipped. While not all staff have completed ligature training, there is a clear plan in place to ensure this is completed within appropriate timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the children and work well together, building positive and trusting relationships. Despite staffing changes and some use of bank staff, the core team has provided stability and supported new staff effectively, minimising disruption for children. Leaders and staff recognise the importance of continuity and understand the impact that change can have on children. They continue to work to reduce this whenever possible. Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 6

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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 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children’s learning through educational activities during periods when they are not attending education. 29 May 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a home environment that meets high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Repairs and routine housekeeping tasks should be completed promptly to prevent slippage in standards. This includes maintaining clean floors in the home and ensuring that curtains are hung correctly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 7, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of staff turnover effectively. This should be used to help leaders and managers to identify and address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19) Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 7

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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: 2815302 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Freemans Way, Harrogate HG3 1DH

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2815302 9 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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