Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 1 Registered provider: Roundhouse Care

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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 provider and can provide care for up to 4 children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been in post since March 2026 and is yet to be registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home, the child was spoken to as part of the inspection.

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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: This is the first inspection since registration with Ofsted.

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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: 2830536 2

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Summary of findings

One child’s progress, experiences and safety were compromised because staff were not equipped to recognise the risks he faced or respond appropriately to keep him safe.

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Summary of findings

Recent changes in management have contributed to instability and ineffective oversight. A new manager is now in post and is providing clear leadership, ensuring the team are working effectively and meeting children’s needs.

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Summary of findings

The child living in the home has positive relationships with staff and is making good progress. Staff are responsive to their needs, invested in their education and support them to take part in activities they enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Senior leaders have not always fully understood or evaluated children’s needs before agreeing for them to move into the home. As a result, one child moved into the home without staff having a clear picture of the level of support and risk management required. This contributed to one child experiencing further unplanned moves, resulting in instability and disrupting their progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences in the home are varied. One child has developed positive and trusting relationships with staff, which has helped them feel settled and supported. In contrast, staff were unable to build effective relationships with another child. This lack of connection contributed to increased risk of the child going missing and being exposed to potential exploitation. Because the child was unable to talk openly with staff, they were less able to participate in safety planning to reduce risks and keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home is making progress in their education. Staff nurture the child’s learning through activities, such as writing and reading. This has helped the child rebuild his confidence and enjoy learning. Although, they previously faced difficulties in attending school, now they now attend daily. The child is also supported to build new interests through activities, such as ice skating and visiting theme parks.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are well supported by staff. Their persistence has ensured that one child’s health concerns were explored, assessed and diagnosed without delay. This consistent practice, combined with predictable daily routines, has contributed to improved health outcomes for the child. Individualised learning opportunities have further contributed to the child developing their independence and confidence in their personal care skills. The confidence developed in this area has a positive influence on other aspects of the child’s life. Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 3 Staff support the child’s relationship with family members. Respectful practice within the home allows families and staff to build strong relationships, giving children the opportunity to observe healthy interactions and positive relationships in action.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and provides ample space for children. There are several communal areas that children can use to relax and engage in activities. Children's bedrooms are decorated according to their preference. This provides children with a space that promotes their identity. Children's pictures are displayed throughout the home, further developing a sense of belonging. Children are supported to display family pictures, with one child choosing to decorate their room with a handknitted blanket, which holds great significance.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always understand how to manage risks or have the support they need to manage risks effectively. This has resulted in an incident that left one child at risk of harm. For example, on one occasion, staff members locked themselves in an office because they were unable to de-escalate the situation. As a result, the child caused damage to the home, presenting risk to both themselves and others.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff act promptly taking a coordinated approach and notifying relevant safeguarding agencies. However, professional curiosity is not consistently applied following incidents, room searches were not always completed in line with safety plans and opportunities for reflection and learning have been missed. In addition, managers did not understand their role in following statutory guidance surrounding the completion of return home interviews. These shortfalls have limited opportunities for reflection, learning and developing practice that helps to safeguard children effectively.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rarely used. When physical intervention has been used this has been the least restrictive. Discussions are held with staff to reflect on practice, and children are spoken to about their experiences.

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improvement to be good

The risks for the child currently living in the home are clearly understood. The appointment of a new manager has led to a period of reflection and learning that is further strengthening safeguarding practice.

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

Inconsistent leadership since registration has resulted in poor and ineffective oversight of significant incidents. Leaders and managers do not consistently demonstrate professional curiosity or apply critical reflection to identify shortfalls in practice. As a result, opportunities to address concerns at the earliest stage are missed. This had a significant impact on one child’s experiences, safety and progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 4 Staff supervision and team meetings take place on a monthly basis, however, the practices have lacked detail and reflection. The emotional impact of the work on staff has not been recognised and managed in a timely manner, resulting in staff not being adequately supported. The new manager is working to improve consistency and ensure staff are appropriately supported in their role.

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

Mandatory training is in place, however, staff do not always receive training that is specific to the needs of children they care for. For example, staff did not receive child exploitation training in a timely manner , reducing their ability to recognise risks and provide effective support.

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

The current manager has been in post since March 2026 and is yet to be registered with Ofsted. The current staff team is stable, contributing to continuity and consistency for the child. Staff speak positively of the manager, the child and the progress they make. The current manager is ambitious and has a clear vision for improvement. New training is in the planning stage to upskill staff and support children more effectively. Professionals and family members speak positively of the care and support provided and the positive impact this has had on the child’s progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 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 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 (2) requires the registered person to-

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual having monitoring tools in place to oversee the work carried out within the home and support provided to the registered person. 4 September 2026

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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

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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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 4 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 6 or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered persons responsibility to challenge the local authority in their response to missing episodes. 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.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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 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.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children experience well planned moves into the home. In addition, the registered person must ensure they challenge the placing authority when children’s needs change and require review. 4 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 7 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff having the appropriate training in order to manage and respond to children's emotional needs, along with known and emerging risks. 4 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: 2830536 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: c/o Phil Beasant ltd, 14 Clytha Park Road. Agincourt House, Newport NP20 4PB

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Children's home details

Manager yet to be registered with Ofsted: post vacant

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Inspector

Salma Ahmed, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2830536 9 regulates 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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Inspector

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