Children's Home run by Dial4care Recruitment Ltd in Bedford

Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 1 Registered provider: Dial4care Recruitment Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for one child with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at 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: not previously inspected

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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: 2806624 2

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Summary of findings

Some areas of the home are in need of repair. The child has not benefited from a consistent, structured routine. The child has been supported to enjoy activities outside the home, to make some progress with their independence and their education and to maintain and develop important relationships. The quality of several records, including important safeguarding documentation, needs to improve. Incidents have reduced for the child and the staff have responded appropriately when they have occurred. On one occasion, managers did not respond adequately following a concern raised by the child. Support for staff is variable, with some inconsistencies in supervision and training.

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improvement to be good

Some parts of the home have suffered damage and need repair. The child’s bedroom is not maintained to a standard that supports their wellbeing and comfort. Leaders and managers have not fully explored opportunities for the child to further personalise communal areas of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child spends significant periods of time in their room. Staff have not sufficiently encouraged engagement or provided structure for the child to reduce this.

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improvement to be good

The child has been on holiday and attends a local sports club. They benefit from access to a dedicated room where they can enjoy their creative interests. This helps them to develop their skills in an activity that they wish to pursue as a career in the future.

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improvement to be good

The child is making progress with their education. Since moving into the home they have started to attend an education provision, when previously they did not have an education placement.

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improvement to be good

The manager has developed a plan with clear and measurable objectives to assist the child in getting ready for independent living. As a result, the child has been supported with purposeful activities to develop their independence skills. The child’s progress is being tracked on a regular basis by the manager.

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improvement to be good

The child is developing strong and trusting relationships with the manager and staff. The child said, ‘I couldn’t ask for better’, when discussing their experience of the home. The child’s parent said that the child has made progress and that staff genuinely care about their wellbeing. The child is relaxed in the presence of staff and enjoys warm, playful interactions with them.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to maintain important relationships and to develop new ones safely. Staff also provide opportunities for the child to engage in activities that they enjoy. Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 3

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improvement to be good

Leaders have not ensured that safeguarding records relating to the child’s legal status are up to date. As a result, staff do not have access to the most current information to inform care planning and decision-making. This has contributed to delayed planning for the child.

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improvement to be good

The child made an allegation about staff practice which they later withdrew. Leaders discussed the concern with the child’s social worker and the social worker’s manager but did not consider seeking a referral to the local authority designated officer. As a result, the home missed opportunities for independent scrutiny, advice and oversight of its response to the concern. Leaders and managers did not fully explore the circumstances of the allegation or evaluate available information to determine whether the concern could be substantiated or disproved.

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improvement to be good

The number of significant incidents for the child have reduced. However, behaviour plans do not provide sufficient guidance for staff. This increases the potential that the child will receive inconsistent responses from staff.

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improvement to be good

When safeguarding concerns have been identified, staff have taken prompt and appropriate action to reduce risks to the child. Following incidents, debriefs are completed with both the child and the staff members involved. These discussions consider the views and experiences of those involved. When appropriate, they identify restorative approaches to repair relationships and address the impact of incidents, rather than criminalising the child through police involvement. Incidents are regularly reviewed by the manager and senior leaders.

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improvement to be good

Additional staffing has been provided to ensure that the child receives increased supervision and support. This has helped the child to feel safer. Staff have supported the child to develop strategies to manage strong emotions more safely and they have made progress in reducing risks to their own safety.

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

The home is managed by a registered manager, supported by a deputy manager. They have good relationships with the child and understand their needs well.

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

Most staff generally receive regular supervision, which provides opportunities for reflection and professional discussion. However, on occasions, there have been some gaps in holding regular supervision when the manager has not been available.

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

Management oversight is variable. Some records contain good, clear oversight while others do not. Some shortfalls had not been identified through leaders and managers monitoring. Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 4 Leaders and managers have not ensured that important documentation is consistently available in the home, for example, the child’s most recent local authority care plan. Consequently, staff do not have access to all current information regarding the child’s needs, risks and plans. This limits the extent to which care planning, risk management and decision-making can be informed by the most up-to-date information.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that risk assessments and behaviour support plans have been consistently reviewed and updated in line with the child’s changing needs. In addition, the most up-to-date version of one risk assessment was only accessible on the manager’s laptop and not on the shared system that staff access. As a result, staff did not have access to the most up-to-date information.

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

Staff have completed most of the training required to meet the child’s needs. However, one course that the provider expects staff to complete, which directly relates to the child’s identified needs, has not been completed by most staff.

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

Staff spoke positively about the manager and described a supportive and open culture in the home. They said that they felt confident to raise concerns with the manager and their ideas about improving practice were well received and acted on. Staff have access to an independent confidential helpline to support their wellbeing. Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, promote activities for the child with staff in the home and record when these have been offered, and ensure that repairs are carried out and the child’s bedroom is maintained to a standard that provides a safe, clean and homely environment. 30 October 2026

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 6 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that each child’s risk assessment and behaviour plan is kept up to date, accurately reflects current risks and known vulnerabilities, is reviewed promptly following any significant event or change in circumstances and that all staff have access to, and are familiar with, the most recent version and any other relevant plan or order.

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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 (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

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)(h)) 30 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the relevant officer or teams in the local authority are informed promptly of all allegations that come to leaders and managers attention or that are made directly to the police. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 7

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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: 2806624 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dial4care Recruitment Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 22 Grove Place, Bedford MK40 3JJ

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Inspector

Daniel Sancto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2806624 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 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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