Children's Home run by PCS Services Limited in Medway

Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 1 Registered provider: PCS Services 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 registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home is run by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection since it was registered in October 2025. The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 2

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Summary of findings

Children experience inconsistent outcomes in this home. Some children benefit from improved school attendance, positive relationships with staff and increased support to maintain family relationships. However, safeguarding practice is not consistently effective. Allegations and online safety concerns are not always responded to appropriately or consistently managed. Leaders do not ensure that staff are always suitably prepared to meet children’s needs. Weaknesses in planning, supervision and information-sharing reduce the overall effectiveness of care and safeguarding arrangements.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with staff. Children are increasingly able to seek support from staff they know and trust, which helps them feel cared for and contributes to their safety.

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improvement to be good

Children have moved into and out of the home without sufficiently careful planning. Staff have not always had the skills and knowledge required to meet children’s individual needs. Leaders and managers have not always paid sufficient attention to ensuring that the full extent of children’s needs is understood before they move into the home. As a result, some children have experienced abrupt endings to their care, which has affected the stability and consistency of their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are not consistently well understood or fully met. This means that some children do not receive the coordinated and informed support they require to promote their overall health and wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

There have been some recent improvements in children’s experiences. Children who were not previously attending school are now attending daily. This reflects staff’s increasing focus on promoting the importance of education and supporting children’s routines.

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improvement to be good

Children’s relationships with their families are improving because staff are committed to promoting and supporting family time. Staff recognise the importance of maintaining children’s family connections and work to facilitate this. Feedback from families is positive; they value the care provided to their children.

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improvement to be good

Children have not been consistently supported to celebrate and understand important cultural events. One child was unaware of a recent event that is celebrated within their culture. This represents a missed opportunity for staff to provide nurture, promote children’s understanding of traditions and celebrations and help children experience a sense of belonging and inclusion in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 3

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improvement to be good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individual interests and preferences, helping children to feel comfortable and valued in the home.

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improvement to be good

On at least one occasion, when a child made allegations of harm, staff did not follow the home’s child protection policy or escalate the concern immediately. The local authority designated officer was not initially consulted in decision-making and the records were not sufficiently accurate to assist with clearly determining the next steps. The concern was later reported, however, the safeguarding responses were not sufficiently thorough or timely.

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improvement to be good

When children make disclosures, staff provide good practical and emotional support. However, there are missed opportunities for staff to help children process and understand their experiences, reflect on risk and develop strategies to help keep themselves safe in the future.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond promptly when children go missing from the home and take appropriate action to locate them and support their safe return. Children’s individual risk management plans are not consistently understood by staff. This reduces staff’s ability to respond in a fully informed and consistent way to known risks.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always sufficiently proactive in reducing risks for children who self-harm. This means that strategies to safeguard children and respond to escalating concerns have not always been consistently implemented.

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improvement to be good

For children whose vulnerability relates to online safety and sexual exploitation, staff responses have not always been appropriately rigorous. As a result, children are not consistently protected from potential online risks and harms.

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improvement to be good

Most behavioural incidents are well managed. Staff are beginning to build positive relationships with children and maintaining clear boundaries, which has contributed to reducing the number of incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is passionate about delivering good care to children and demonstrates insight into the existing shortfalls. She is reflective about practice and shows commitment to improving children’s experiences and driving improvement in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not always ensured that staff have the appropriate experience, skills and knowledge to care for the children in the home and to meet children’s individual needs effectively. This has affected the quality and consistency of care provided to some children. Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 4 Staff supervision is not taking place regularly enough and the quality is inconsistent. Supervision records show missed opportunities for professional reflection, challenge and learning to help staff develop their practice and improve outcomes for children. This also extends to the supervision of the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Other systems that could potentially support staff, such as team meetings, do take place. However, discussions are brief and there is little reflection with staff about their practice and the impact of the care they provide for children. This is another missed opportunity for leaders to truly understand the impact of what is happening day to day in the home and to identify strengths and weaknesses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Information is not always shared promptly with children’s social workers. As a result, emerging patterns of concern and risk for some children are not consistently recognised, fully understood or responded to in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are effective. Appropriate checks are undertaken, helping to reduce the risk of unsuitable adults caring for children. Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 5

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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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)) 31 May 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 31 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 6 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)) 31 May 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—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) 31 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 7 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(v)) 31 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(b)) 31 May 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children understand what cultural or religious celebrations are taking place, support them to celebrate relevant occasions and encourage them to participate in activities in the community and beyond if appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.6)

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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: 2841176 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCS Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 72 The Base, Dartford Business Centre, Victoria Road, Dartford DA1 5FS

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Inspector

Alexia Hosker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2841176 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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