Children's Home run by Mayden Support Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 1 Registered provider: Mayden Support Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2025 and is owned by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may experience complex social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. They did not directly contribute to the inspection. However, the inspector observed the child being supported by staff.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 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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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: 2790151 2

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Summary of findings

The child is making mixed progress. They are progressing in education and have begun to engage with therapy. Staff actively support the child in spending time with people who are important to them. However, there is a high use of consequences to manage missing-from-home incidents and cannabis use. There are no clear strategies in place to monitor the effectiveness of these consequences. In addition, staff are not consistently able to engage the child in discussions that support their understanding of the associated risks. The manager and staff team care about the child and have aspirations for them. However, the manager’s monitoring systems have not identified shortfalls.

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improvement to be good

The child’s overall progress and experiences of living in the home are mixed. While there has been progress in certain areas of their life, they have not consistently received the help and care they need. Support from staff to help the child better understand and reduce risks such as smoking cannabis, going missing from home and engaging in antisocial behaviour is minimal.

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improvement to be good

The child has lived in the home for 3 years, and staff demonstrate genuine care for them. The child has recently begun to engage with a therapist, and an increased sense of stability and security has supported this process.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean and tidy, with spaces available for socialising. The child’s bedroom, while minimal, has been painted in a colour of their choice and furnished with items they have selected. This provides a sense of ownership of their surroundings. There is also a celebration tree in the living room displaying positive messages, which helps to recognise achievements, build connections and promote self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

The child is provided with opportunities to participate in activities they enjoy, such as go- karting and dining out with staff. These opportunities enable the child to have fun, socialise and develop their social skills.

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improvement to be good

The child is now attending school after a long period of not being in education. Education professionals said that staff communicate regularly to ensure that the child’s specific needs are met through ongoing planning. This supports the child to make progress in their education.

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improvement to be good

The child is able to spend regular time with important people in their lives, including when they live outside the local area. Arrangements were also made for the child to attend a special family celebration. This support helps children to remain connected to those who matter most to them and create lifelong memories. Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 3

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff generally respond effectively when the child goes missing from the home. They inform relevant agencies and search for the child. However, measures to minimise or prevent missing-from-home incidents are not consistently utilised. Short discussions take place with the child when they return, accompanied by informing them that their free time on the following occasion will not take place. These conversations are also descriptive and lack curiosity. At such times, the child is less likely to engage in conversations regarding their pull towards the community. As a result, opportunities for reflection to promote the child’s safety and wellbeing may be missed.

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improvement to be good

Direct work to help the child understand and reduce risks is minimal. During one conversation about healthy relationships, the approach was not in line with the home’s therapeutic approach. This led the child to feel judged and upset. The staff continue to receive ongoing support and guidance from the therapist.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have established positive relationships with local police and placing authorities. When risks increase, multi-agency meetings take place. Following one meeting, action was agreed to monitor an area of concern; however, no plan was put in place. Consequently, the risk was not communicated to staff effectively, nor was it adequately monitored or assessed. As a result, information required to keep the child safe may have been missed.

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improvement to be good

A high number of consequences have been used to manage behaviours such as cannabis use, going missing from home and returning late. These consequences have not been effective, as the behaviours have continued and increased, leaving staff unable to manage the associated risks. This has implications for the overall safety and welfare of the child.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions have significantly reduced and only take place when necessary and as a last resort. While this progress for the child is acknowledged, it is recognised that the child spends considerable time away from the home and not in the care of staff. Following a physical intervention, the child is not offered an opportunity to make a complaint. Additionally, the manager oversees discussions with the child after incidents in which she has been directly involved, which does not allow for independent scrutiny.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s ability to safeguard effectively is hindered by plans that lack relevant and accurate information. Plans are not always updated with all necessary details, such as where a child was last located when missing. This compromises staff’s ability to provide safe and consistent care and reflects weak management oversight.

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

Managers and leaders have monitoring systems in place. However, the issues identified during this inspection demonstrate monitoring systems are not always effective. This lack Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 4 of oversight compromises the child’s safety and wellbeing and undermines the quality of care provided.

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

The registered manager knows the child well, speaks of them in high regard and shares aspirations for their future.

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

Most members of the staff team are qualified, and there has been good retention since the last inspection. Staff morale is high, and they said they feel well supported. New staff members say they are welcomed into the team and able to access support and advice from more experienced staff members.

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

Regular team meetings take place and are attended by a therapist. These meetings create an opportunity for learning and reflection. This helps to develop and improve consistency in staff’s skills and practice.

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

An independent visitor undertakes monthly external monitoring of the home. The visitor does not consistently engage with the child, staff or family members to seek their views. As a result, external monitoring lacks the depth and insight needed to drive meaningful improvements in the quality of care and safeguarding practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the guidance provided to staff to mitigate risks and safeguard children is thorough, accurate and regularly reviewed; that actions arising from strategy meetings are implemented; and that regular conversations are held with children to support their safety. 7 August 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

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— 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 6 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that effective monitoring and reviewing systems are in place to identify shortfalls in practice and drive continuous improvement in the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff and children have opportunities to discuss incidents with a person who was not involved in the intervention and that children are provided with the opportunity to raise concerns and make a complaint. 7 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 7 if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent visitor regularly speaks to children, staff and relatives during their visits.

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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: 2790151 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Brulimar House, Jubilee Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 2LX

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Inspector

Emma Hutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2790151 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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