Children's Home run by Capstone Therapeutic Care (Midlands) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 1 Registered provider: Capstone Therapeutic Care (Midlands) Ltd Full inspection 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 organisation . It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties .

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 2 January 2026, at the same time as the home was registered.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home. The child spoke to the inspector and shared their views.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 2

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Summary of findings

Staff have built positive, trusting relationships with the child and know them well. They use their knowledge and understanding to provide the child with individualised care and support that meets their needs. As a result, the child living in the home is settled and making good progress.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand how to respond to risk and keep the child safe. Partnership working between staff, professionals and the child’s family is effective, and managers have good oversight of the home. Managers are continually striving to develop the quality of care, and staff benefit from tailored training and support, which helps to ensure that they have the necessary skills and understanding for their roles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since it opened. The move was well planned. The manager met the child and gave them information about the home, including photos of the staff and a chance to ask questions. The child also visited the home and chose how they wanted their bedroom to be decorated. This helped them feel prepared and less anxious. As a result, the child settled into the home quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive, trusting relationships with the child and know them well. They use their understanding to provide the child with tailored support. The child said, ‘I really like it here; they really care for me.’ They spoke about the progress they are making and said they feel well supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings contribute to a homely and nurturing atmosphere. Staff put photos of the child on display around the home, and the child’s room is personalised, reflecting their interests. Staff have helped construct raised plant beds for the vegetables the child is growing. This helps create a sense of belonging for the child and supports them to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a range of activities that enhance the child’s experiences. The child has enjoyed trips to a sea life centre, theme parks and to see sports cars and has joined a local football league. These activities provide a sense of enjoyment and promote the child’s self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers place a high priority on education. The child has a place at a local school, and school staff report good communication and collaborative working with staff at the home. A bespoke timetable is currently in place, and teachers attend the home. This arrangement is regularly reviewed, and there is a plan for the child to return to the classroom when ready. As a result of effective partnership working and a tailored approach, the child is making good academic progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 3 Managers and staff have advocated for the child to ensure that their health needs are properly assessed. As a result, their health needs are better understood, and they are in good health. Staff ensured the child has access to the glasses they need; however, there is no clear plan for how they should be supported to wear them. As a result, the child does not always wear their glasses. The manager is aware of this area for development

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and has clear plans to address it with the team.

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

Staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities and risks well and safeguard the child effectively. Clear plans provide staff with appropriate guidance to ensure the child’s safety and support them to reach their goals. The child said that they feel happy and safe living in the home.

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

Physical intervention is used only as a last resort to keep the child safe. Staff are trained in how to de-escalate incidents. The staff and the child are routinely spoken to after any incident, and these discussions provide opportunities for reflection. This helps to ensure that the child’s voice is heard and learning is identified. As a result, incidents have reduced.

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

While incidents are well managed, staff records of incidents are not always clear. Staff have not always used child-centred language. This is a recording issue and has not affected the child’s experiences. The manager has a plan to provide staff with further training to improve their recording.

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

The child is subject to high levels of restriction to keep them safe. Managers ensure that restrictive practice is regularly reviewed and proportionate. Staff understand the child’s plans and supervise the child effectively. There have been no incidents of the child going missing from home, despite this being a high risk. This demonstrates that staff practice is effective.

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

Staff regularly hold important conversations with the child to aid development. These conversations are supported by targeted resources, such as worksheets, and promote the child’s understanding of health, wellbeing and risk. This effective support helps to ensure that the child develops the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy choices and keep themselves safe.

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

The organisation has a qualified therapist who provides oversight, support and guidance to staff on how to work therapeutically. They provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on practice and contribute meaningfully to the child’s plans, providing strategies for staff to use to support the child when they experience distress. This helps ensure that staff understand how to provide attuned care and keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recently returned after a period of necessary leave. This transition has been well planned. There has been no impact on care, as suitable arrangements were put in place for the oversight of the home in her absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are child focused and advocate strongly to ensure the child receives what they need. They are aspirational for the child and staff and understand the strengths and areas for development well. They have good oversight of the home. Regular audits take place, which inform clear action plans and help to ensure that the home and care for the child are continually developing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have developed positive relationships with external professionals, who consistently describe communication as effective and collaborative. This partnership working helps to ensure that the child’s needs are well understood and met through a coordinated approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers complete thorough evaluations following incidents and analyse patterns and trends to identify areas for development. These effective monitoring systems enable concerns to be identified promptly, and they support continuous improvement in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel well supported and listened to by managers, whom they describe as approachable and understanding. They describe enjoying their jobs and speak fondly of the child with warmth and affection. Regular supervision provides staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice. Managers use these discussions to identify training needs and develop staff through scenario-based learning exercises.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a comprehensive programme of training, including learning tailored to meet the specific needs of the child. This helps to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a strong understanding of staff development needs and actively support staff’s ongoing progression. They create individual development plans that assess staff competency, identify clear actions for improvement and are reviewed regularly to monitor progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children. This includes supporting children with visual impairment to wear the glasses that they need. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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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: 2863193 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Therapeutic Care (Midlands) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Capstone Foster Care, Office 2, Greenbox, Westonhall Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Debbie Tomlinson

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2863193 7 and inspects 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 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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