Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 1 SC403895 Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council 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 the local authority. The home provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There is a registered manager in post who is experienced and suitably qualified. The manager is also registered for another of the local authority's children's homes.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, there were 2 children living in the home. Both children spoke to the inspector. No children have moved in or out since the last inspection.

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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: 23 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Good 14/01/2025 Full Good 16/04/2024 Full Inadequate 23/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from stable care and trusting relationships. Staff know them well and support them to develop a strong sense of security and belonging. Children make progress from their starting points and are supported by staff who have high aspirations for their education, health and growing independence.

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Summary of findings

Children feel safe. Leaders and staff understand their individual vulnerabilities and respond sensitively to their changing needs. Experienced leaders maintain a child- focused culture, although improvements are needed to independent monitoring, staff recording of safeguarding incidents and opportunities to broaden children's social and leisure experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have lived at the home for a long time. This has supported them to build positive and trusting relationships with staff who know them well. This continuity provides children with stability and predictability in their everyday lives. Consequently, children feel settled and have a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children's education and support them to make progress. One child has attended school regularly and secured a college place in their chosen career pathway. When the other child's formal education was disrupted, staff maintained their learning through alternative approaches and provided consistent support, enabling progress. Managers have advocated effectively for one child to secure education that meets their assessed needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and support children's individual health needs. They help children understand healthy choices and how to look after their health, including developing greater independence where appropriate. Staff also work creatively with health professionals to address specific health needs and prepare children for specialist care. This ensures that health support is tailored to children's individual needs and circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children's identity and understanding of their life experiences. Managers advocate to resolve important identity matters, while staff support connections with culture, language and faith. Personalised life-story and memory books capture important experiences and achievements, helping children understand their histories and recognise the progress they make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to participate in a range of activities that they enjoy, including swimming, cycling and day trips. These activities reflect children's individual interests, preferences and assessed safety needs. For one child, increasing access to Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 4 sporting and social opportunities remains an area for development. Expanding these experiences would help to broaden the child's interests, build confidence and resilience, and support the development of social relationships and community involvement.

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

Children feel safe and have trusted relationships with the adults who care for them. Staff understand children's individual risks and vulnerabilities and use this understanding to keep children safe. As risks have reduced, children have experienced greater independence while appropriate safeguards remain in place.

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

Staff know children well and recognise changes in their mood, behaviour and emotional presentation. Children seek support from familiar adults who understand their history and needs. Staff respond calmly and sensitively when children are worried or need reassurance. These relationships provide children with emotional security and help them feel protected and cared for.

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

Staff engage well with therapeutic consultation to understand what may be behind changes in children's presentations. They consider current events in children's lives alongside their experiences. This helps staff look beyond the presentation and consider what the child may be communicating or need from the adults around them. Staff adapt their responses to provide children with consistent, attuned and sensitive care.

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

The use of physical intervention has reduced since the last inspection. When intervention is required, staff use appropriate measures to keep children safe. However, it is not always clear when children have been offered the opportunity to make a complaint following an incident. In addition, risk management plans are not consistently updated following an event. This has not affected children's safety, as staff know the children well. Managers review incidents with staff to reflect on practice and identify learning.

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

Leaders understand their safeguarding responsibilities and involve other agencies when concerns arise. They make referrals to the local authority designated officer where appropriate and notify Ofsted of significant events. Managers maintain oversight of safeguarding concerns and share relevant information with professionals. This helps ensure that children receive coordinated support when concerns arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides child-focused leadership. Managers know the children well and understand their histories, progress, vulnerabilities and changing needs. They maintain high expectations for the quality of care and keep children's needs at the centre of decision-making. This has a positive impact on children's experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children receive care from a stable staff team that provides continuity and consistency. Leaders have strengthened workforce planning and recruitment arrangements since the last inspection. Staff describe managers as visible, approachable and supportive. Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 5 Leaders invest in staff development through regular supervision, training, team meetings and opportunities for reflective practice. These opportunities strengthen staff knowledge of children. As a result, children receive informed and consistent care from staff who are confident in meeting their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers advocate effectively for children. They continue to challenge when services do not progress quickly enough. This intervention has helped to secure education, specialist healthcare and important documentation relating to children's identity. Leaders work constructively with professionals while maintaining a clear focus on what each child needs. Their advocacy helps children experience improved stability, timely interventions and better outcomes across key areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent monitoring does not consistently provide leaders with effective scrutiny and challenge. Independent visits are predominantly announced. The independent visitor does not consistently receive external feedback to inform their reports. In addition, some reports contain information that is not sufficiently accurate or factual. This reduces the effectiveness of independent monitoring and identifying strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders recognise these shortfalls and are taking action to improve the arrangements. Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person completes both announced and unannounced visits, actively seeks the views of children, their parents and external professionals and ensures that reports are factually accurate and reflective of children's experiences. 30 November 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continue to encourage and support children to take part in a range of activities that enhance and develop their interests and social skills, including hobbies, day trips and longer trips away where appropriate. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 31 paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of updating plans and records. Staff should record information on individual children and update plans following any event or incident and ensure records demonstrate that all policies and procedures have been adhered to. This also includes staff consistently ensuring children are offered the opportunity and support to make a complaint following any restraint. ('Guide to the Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 7

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Recommendations

Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC403895 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre Glebe Street, Floor 2, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH

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Inspector

Gill Rudkin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 9 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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