Children's Home run by Rocksteady Care Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 1 Registered Provider: Rocksteady Care Ltd

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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 privately owned and provides care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since 24 April 2026. A new manager has been appointed, but they have not yet started to work in the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 22 and 23 April 2026, a full inspection was carried out at the home. During the inspection, serious and widespread concerns were identified regarding safeguarding arrangements and the leadership and management of the home. These failings significantly compromised children’s experiences, progress and safety, placing them at risk of harm. Following the inspection, the provider was issued with a notice suspending the home’s registration. Children are not permitted to live in the home while a suspension notice is in effect.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress since the full inspection and to monitor compliance with the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the threshold for suspension continued to be met because insufficient progress had been made following the full inspection. No children have lived in the home since the suspension notice was issued, demonstrating that the provider has complied with the requirements of the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection, the registered manager left the home. Investigations relating to the findings of the full inspection remain ongoing, particularly in relation to serious safeguarding concerns that were not identified or addressed by leaders Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 2 and managers. This is despite more serious concerns being raised about the safeguarding arrangements in the home following the full inspection. Safeguarding partners have requested that an independent investigation is carried out. However, the newly appointed responsible individual, who is also employed as a consultant, is leading this investigation. This compromises the level of independence regarding this investigation. Additionally, there has been a lack of urgency in progressing the investigation. This demonstrates weaknesses in the provider’s understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and their ability to seek external scrutiny of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The newly appointed responsible individual/consultant has worked with the provider for several months and is significantly involved in driving improvements in the home. This includes devising and delivering training, providing staff supervision and carrying out investigations. However, this individual is a disqualified person, and the provider has not sought written consent from the regulator for their involvement. Furthermore, the individual has not applied for written consent to work in the home. Despite this issue being identified at the full inspection, leaders have failed to address it. As a result, a disqualified person continues to work in the home. This raises further concerns about the provider’s safer recruitment practices and ability to work effectively with the wider professional network. This does not provide assurances that the provider can achieve meaningful and positive change.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team continues to have limited experience in residential childcare, and vacancies remain across the team. The provider has appointed an experienced deputy manager, although they have yet to take up their post. A trainee manager, who has previously worked in the home, has also been appointed and is due to start shortly. As a result, the team is not yet sufficient to provide good-quality and safe care for children, and the leadership arrangements continue to be unstable.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received training aimed at improving their knowledge and understanding of key areas of practice. Most of this training has been delivered in house by the directors and the new responsible individual/consultant. This is despite leaders remaining subject to investigations linked to the findings of the full inspection and having neither completed training nor identified learning to address their own shortfalls. This limits assurances that they have the skills and knowledge required to provide such training and drive sustained improvement.

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This monitoring visit

A new independent visitor has been appointed to drive greater scrutiny and challenge of the home. However, the provider has not submitted any of their reports to the regulator since before the full inspection. This continued absence of required monthly reporting limits external oversight and reduces confidence about the progress being made.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the full inspection were not fully considered during this visit and have therefore been restated. A new requirement regarding independent visitor reports has been raised. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/04/2026 Full Inadequate 01/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/04/2024 Full Good 30/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 4

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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 with 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

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)(d)) 26 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 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 5 promotes their welfare.

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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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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. 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 6 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 7 the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 26 August 2026

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 26 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 8 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)) 26 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 26 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 9 In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation. (Regulation 39 (1) (2) (3) (4))

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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

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to the HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a)) 26 August 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a return home interview following any incidents in which they have been missing from the home. Leaders and managers should challenge local authorities when these interviews are not provided. In particular, they should take account of the information gathered when assessing further risks and put arrangements in place to protect children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 10

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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 - monitoring visit: 2644283 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rocksteady Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 18 Wealden Avenue, Tenterden TN30 6NN

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Inspectors

Ben Wilson, Social Care Inspector Tash Williams, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644283 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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