Children's Home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 1 SC479230 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to 3 children who may have experienced trauma that has resulted in social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2026. However, a new manager has taken over and is in the process of submitting their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

During the inspection, the inspector spoke with 2 children living in the home.

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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: 4 November 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Good 28/01/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 16/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff and are making progress from their individual starting points. Staff support children’s overall wellbeing and help them to achieve positive outcomes. However, shortfalls in safeguarding practice have resulted in poor experiences for some children. These weaknesses have reduced the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements and mean that children have not always received the safe and consistent care to which they are entitled.

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improvement to be good

Overall, children have made progress since the last inspection. However, weaknesses in safeguarding practice and management oversight mean that some aspects of the service require improvement.

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improvement to be good

Children have trusting relationships with staff and speak positively about their experiences of living in the home. Children said that they feel well supported by staff. One child described the home as ‘lovely’ and rated their experience of living there as ‘8 or 9 out of 10’.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported in developing the skills they need for greater independence. Since the last inspection, one child has progressed towards semi-independence in line with their care plan. This move was carefully planned with the child and relevant professionals to ensure that the child was well prepared for this significant transition. The child was encouraged to contribute to the planning arrangements and said they felt supported throughout the process and are happy in their new home. This reflects the home’s commitment to helping children make successful moves when they are ready.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational needs are understood and promoted by staff. Staff and managers work effectively with education professionals to support children’s attendance, learning and achievement. Children are making progress from their individual starting points and are supported to access education that meets their needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs, including their emotional wellbeing, are understood and promoted by staff. Children attend routine and specialist health appointments in line with their assessed needs. Staff work with relevant professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need, which informs the care they receive. Staff have a clear understanding of children’s individual needs and provide consistent support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 4

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improvement to be good

The registered manager, who has recently left the home, decision-making and understanding of safeguarding thresholds are inconsistent. On some occasions, concerns and allegations made by children have been shared promptly with relevant safeguarding agencies. This has enabled appropriate action to safeguard children and reduce potential risks.

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improvement to be good

However, this practice is not consistent. Following an incident in which a child sustained an injury, the manager failed to follow safeguarding procedures and take appropriate action to ensure the child’s immediate safety. In addition, the manager did not notify the local authority or Ofsted of factual information concerning the allegation. This reduced external scrutiny and left the child at risk of further harm. These shortfalls were not identified through the organisation’s internal monitoring and review processes, including the subsequent investigation. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of management oversight and the systems in place to safeguard children. These weaknesses demonstrate that safeguarding practice and management oversight require improvement.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, staff have not consistently escalated safeguarding concerns relating to children living in the home. This has delayed appropriate action and means that children’s views and experiences have not always been fully considered. Leaders and managers have identified these shortfalls and have taken steps to address them through additional training and support for staff. However, these changes are not yet fully embedded in practice and their effectiveness is not yet demonstrated.

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improvement to be good

Incidents requiring physical intervention are rare. However, staff have used physical restraint inappropriately. Staff have not consistently followed children’s individual support plans or used agreed de-escalation strategies before resorting to restraint. As a result, children’s emotional needs have not always been addressed appropriately, and they have not consistently been supported in line with their assessed needs. Leaders and managers have identified these shortfalls and have taken action to address them through additional training and support for staff. However, it is too soon to determine the impact of these actions.

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improvement to be good

Despite the shortfalls identified, staff have responded appropriately when children have been at risk of exploitation. Staff and managers work proactively with safeguarding partners, sharing relevant information and attending multi-agency meetings to support effective risk management. Joint working arrangements and targeted support plans help to reduce risks and promote children’s safety. As a result, children benefit from a coordinated approach to managing identified vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that children are protected through effective recruitment and vetting procedures. Staff are subject to the necessary checks and assessments to ensure their suitability to work with children before they are appointed. These arrangements help to reduce the risk of unsuitable adults working with children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 5

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

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the home’s leadership team. The registered manager has left the organisation, and the deputy manager has been appointed as the home’s manager. Leaders and managers are committed to developing the service and improving outcomes for children. However, monitoring and oversight arrangements have not consistently been effective at identifying and addressing shortfalls in practice. As a result, opportunities to make timely improvements to the quality of care and safeguarding arrangements have been missed. Consequently, children have not consistently benefited from safe and effective care.

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

Some staff have not achieved the required qualification in residential childcare within the prescribed timescales. This is a recurring shortfall identified during the last inspection. Since then, leaders and managers have implemented systems to monitor staff’s progress towards achieving the qualification. However, these arrangements have not been effective in ensuring that staff complete the qualification within the required timeframe. As a result, leaders and managers have not demonstrated sufficient oversight of this aspect of workforce development.

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

The management team and staff maintain positive and effective relationships with families and professionals involved in children’s care. Professionals speak positively about the support provided to children and the quality of communication with the home. One professional said: ‘Staff could not do any more for (the child) than they already do. We have excellent communication between us. I could not request any more support for (the child). They are amazing.’ These effective partnerships help to ensure that children receive coordinated care and support that meet their individual needs.

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

Staff speak positively about working in the home and feel well supported by the manager. Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings, which promote reflective practice and help to ensure that children receive consistent, therapeutic care. Staff are committed to the children in their care and feel well supported to meet their needs.

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

The management team ensures that the home is suitably staffed. Staff have worked hard to cover gaps in the home’s rota. In addition, staff retention is good. As a result, children receive care from staff who know them well. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 6

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand the importance of the home’s child protection policies and children’s support plans and ensure that children are protected and safeguarded at all times.

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Requirement Due date

Also, leaders and managers must ensure that staff recognise safeguarding concerns for children and escalate immediately to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing.

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Requirement Due date

Also, leaders and managers must ensure that staff support children to make complaints about the support and care that they receive and that this is taken seriously and acted upon to ensure that children are safeguarded. 8 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 7 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—

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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; 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring and review systems used are effective in identifying shortfalls in the care that children receive, ensuring that these are supported so that children remain safe.

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Requirement Due date

Also, leaders and managers must ensure that incidents are properly reported and investigated to identify shortfalls in care.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the leaders and managers must ensure that staff working in the home have the skills, experience and knowledge to provide safe and consistent care to children. This specifically relates to staff completing appropriate qualifications in timescales which will enhance the care children receive. 8 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); and

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 8 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 8 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the skills to assess when restraint is legally required to support and safeguard children and others.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’)

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 8 September 2026

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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: SC479230 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2WE

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Inspector

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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