Children's Home run by Stevens Children’s Homes in Medway

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 1 Registered provider: Stevens Children’s Homes

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There were 3 children living at the home at the time of the inspection. The home is run by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 18 February 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified that there were serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified significant failures relating to safeguarding practice and keeping children safe, as well as significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff have the knowledge and guidance to meet children’s health, education and safety needs. Staff have failed to build positive relationships with children.

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Findings from the inspection

Insufficient progress has been made since the last full inspection in May 2026. The requirements made following the last full inspection have been restated.

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Summary of findings

The manager has failed to respond effectively to significant safeguarding concerns and has not demonstrated sufficient professional curiosity or urgency when children may be at risk. This has resulted in delay, drift and a fragmented response to concerns, with insufficient focus on understanding children’s experiences and securing their safety.

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Summary of findings

These weaknesses are compounded by significant deficiencies in record-keeping. Important safeguarding discussions, decisions and actions are not consistently recorded. There is no reliable record of some important discussions with children. Important information about who spoke to a child, what was discussed and what action followed is absent. The quality of records is therefore insufficient to provide a clear chronology of events, demonstrate effective management oversight or evidence that children’s welfare has remained central to decision-making.

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Summary of findings

When allegations have been made, there is has been appropriate external liaison with the local authority designated officer. However, there was no communication about the outcome to the child, meaning that they were left uncertain about whether adults had listened to or believed them. This significantly undermines confidence in the provider’s ability to ensure that children’s voices are heard, understood and used to inform decisions about their safety.

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Summary of findings

Leaders have failed to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection. This demonstrates that leaders have not taken sufficiently effective action to improve the quality of care and address known weaknesses.

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Summary of findings

There has been insufficient progress in meeting children’s health and education needs. Consequently, children continue to experience gaps and a lack of progression in important aspects of their care and support. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 3 Staff and leaders have failed to develop positive relationships with children. Children do not feel valued and one child could not identify anything positive about living in the home. Professional feedback is consistently poor and social workers are concerned about the lack of engagement that staff have with children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders have not taken sufficiently effective action in response to children using cannabis. This exposes children to avoidable risk and demonstrates weaknesses in safeguarding practice and risk management. It further highlights leaders’ inability to respond effectively to behaviours that place children at risk of harm and negatively impact their health.

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Summary of findings

Leaders have not consistently notified Ofsted of significant events. This prevents the regulator from having effective oversight of serious events affecting children. This also indicates poor transparency and reassurances that leaders are able to manage the service safely and effectively.

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Summary of findings

The Responsible Individual has demonstrated insight into the concerns identified and is taking remedial action to address these. However, their oversight has not been sufficiently effective in identifying and addressing emerging shortfalls at an early stage. As a result, significant concerns have remained unresolved, demonstrating weaknesses in the monitoring and scrutiny of the service. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 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 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— that staff—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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Requirement Due date

*(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)) 4 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 6 This requirement is restated and made subject to a compliance notice.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 4 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 4 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 7 that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 4 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 8 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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 4 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 9 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b)

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and 4 November 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 10 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 5.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stevens Children’s Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 84 High Street, Garlinge, Margate CT9 5LP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Chanelle Stevens

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Inspector

Alexia Hosker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2816350 12 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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