Children's Home run by Bridge2Future Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 1 Registered provider: Bridge2Future Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation operates this home. It provides care for up to 4 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post. They are yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved into the home. All were present during the inspection and spoke to the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 October 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: 2778059 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/10/2025 Full Good 11/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 3

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Summary of findings

The home has experienced a high turnover in the management team. Instability in the leadership of the home has affected consistency for staff, who said they have not always felt supported and have experienced uncertainty. However, this has not affected the quality of care children receive.

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Summary of findings

Senior leaders have now appointed a permanent manager, and staff are pleased with the developing support they receive and look forward to greater consistency and stability.

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress and continue to develop trusting relationships with leaders and staff. In addition, leaders and staff continue to develop a strong safeguarding culture, underpinned by learning and effective risk management.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. One child said, ‘I feel safe here. Staff are nice. I am happy and want to stay here until I am 18.’ Interactions between children and staff are warm and nurturing. Children spend time with staff and ask what activities they can do together. These behaviours reflect the strong, family-like relationships in the home, where children feel cared for, valued and a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health needs through careful planning and effective communication with external providers. They ensure that children attend routine health appointments and, where necessary, seek specialist help, including referrals for counselling. This multi-agency approach to care ensures that children’s holistic needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. Two children attend educational provisions that meet their individual learning needs. Leaders are working closely with external professionals to secure a suitable provision for the third child. This joined-up approach ensures that children receive education that is tailored to their individual learning styles, enabling them to engage and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a variety of activities that enrich their social experiences, such as taking part in gymnastics competitions and being involved in community activities. They also enjoy day trips to explore new places and environments, as well as beach holidays. These experiences help children build confidence, develop social skills and create positive memories .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home celebrates diversity and promotes an inclusive environment where children feel accepted and valued. One child spoke positively about living in an environment Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 4 where they feel accepted and can embrace their individuality. Staff support the child to express their identity and individuality confidently.

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

Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of the risks faced by children. Effective systems are in place to keep children safe, including detailed behaviour risk management plans. These plans provide staff with practical strategies to minimise potential dangers and protect children. One social worker said she was impressed with how staff supported a child. She observed that staff understood the child’s level of understanding and changed their use of language to match the language the child used.

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

Leaders take concerns seriously. They respond promptly to allegations, take appropriate action and make sure children remain safe and supported.

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

Staff respond promptly when children go missing from the home. They actively search for children and work with the local police until children are found. When children return, staff spend time with them, offering the opportunity to share any worries or anxieties and to discuss their reasons for going missing from home and how to prevent this from happening again.

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

Staff support children to manage their feelings and behaviours in positive ways. Physical intervention is used only as a last resort when all other strategies have been exhausted. The manager ensures that incidents are recorded clearly and that everyone involved has the opportunity to talk about what happened afterwards. This gives children the opportunity to talk about their feelings and consider alternative ways to manage difficult emotions.

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

Systems for overseeing children’s internet use are effective. Parental controls are in place to ensure that children only access age-appropriate content. In addition, staff educate children about potential online risks and responsible online behaviour. These actions help children to use the internet safely and develop their understanding of how to stay protected online.

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

Since the last inspection, 2 registered managers have left, and several leaders have overseen and managed the home. Inconsistent leadership has affected staff. Staff said that they have not always felt supported and have received inconsistent and, at times, mixed messages from leaders. This has contributed to increased stress among staff and has not provided a stable, supportive or healthy culture in the home.

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

In addition to the above, senior leaders have not consistently notified Ofsted of changes in the home’s management arrangements. This has limited Ofsted’s ability to maintain effective oversight of the home and understand who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 5 Managers’ systems for monitoring and review do not consistently support effective oversight. For example, leaders do not update the home’s statement of purpose when changes occur, and they have not ensured that the quality of care review is completed within the required timescales. Leaders have acknowledged these shortfalls and provided assurances that they will put effective processes in place immediately to prevent this from happening again.

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

In addition to the above, leaders do not ensure that all required safer recruitment checks are completed before staff start employment. This places children at potential risk of being cared for by adults whose suitability to work with them has not yet been fully established.

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

Staff receive a wide range of training to help them meet children’s needs. Training is relevant, responsive and well matched to the needs of the children. This enables staff to apply their learning confidently in practice.

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

Team meetings and supervision sessions are held monthly. These practices help ensure that staff are well supported in their roles and ongoing professional development. Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 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

Except in the case of an emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must—

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Requirement Due date

be given no later than one month before the proposed absence commences, or within such shorter period as may be agreed with HMCI; and

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Requirement Due date

specify with respect to the proposed absence—

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Requirement Due date

the arrangements which have been made for running the home during the absence;

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Requirement Due date

the address, name and qualifications of the person who will be responsible for the home during the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

in the case of the absence of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made. (Regulation 48 (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the requirement to notify Ofsted when the registered person is not working at, present in, or managing the children’s home. It should also set out the arrangements for who is managing the home in the absence of the registered person. 14 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that robust monitoring systems are in place to provide effective oversight of the home. This specifically relates to ensuring that the home’s statement of purpose is updated promptly when changes occur, the quality of care review is completed within the required regulatory timescales and a copy of the report is sent to Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that all required safer recruitment checks are completed before new staff start employment. This includes ensuring that all checks required under Schedule 2 are fully completed and recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2778059 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Surestore, Ninth Avenue, Burton upon Trent, England DE14 3JZ

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Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2778059 9 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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