Children's Home run by 5ab Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 1 Registered provider: 5ab Care 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

This privately owned children's home provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026 and is suitably experienced.

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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: 28 October 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 3

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Summary of findings

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff and the manager and say that they feel well cared for. Staff promote children's identity and support family time. However, progress from children's starting points has been inconsistent. Educational needs have not been met effectively for all children, and 2 children have moved on from the home. One child has not received sufficient support to prepare for independence. While children say that staff try to keep them safe, responses to incidents have not always been consistent. Management oversight has improved but does not consistently identify and address shortfalls. Professionals report positive communication, although managers do not always escalate concerns effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children's moves into and out of the home have not always been well planned. Two children moved on from the home in a positive way, which promoted their sense of security and belonging. However, one child's move was rushed. The manager acknowledged that this move could have been better planned. As a result, the child did not benefit from a well-managed transition from the home.

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improvement to be good

Children's progress has been limited. One child moved from the home because staff were unable to keep them safe. Another child moved from the home because their needs were not being met effectively. Following this move, the child made progress. The child currently living at the home is preparing for adulthood. However, planning and support to help them develop independence skills have not been sufficiently effective. Consequently, the child remains anxious about moving on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have taken some action to support one child to access education, including working with relevant professionals and exploring alternative provision. However, these actions have not secured education that meets the child's individual needs. As a result, the support provided has not been effective in promoting the child's educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well and are nurturing in their approach. They understand children's needs and histories, which helps children to feel valued and cared for. One child was spoken to during the inspection and said that they feel safe and cared for by staff. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the child's care and wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

Children's sense of belonging and identity are supported through family time, even when family members live some distance from the home. One child was supported to enjoy a caravan holiday with their family. However, at times, staff have not consistently managed difficulties within family relationships. This has reduced the effectiveness of the support provided to help the child maintain positive and meaningful family connections. Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 4 Children's views are heard and advocated for through discussions with staff and monthly meetings. Children contribute to day-to-day decisions as well as more significant decisions about their lives. One child had the opportunity to take part in the recruitment of a member of staff and contribute to the interview process. This helps the child to feel listened to and involved in decisions that affect them.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children's known risks and vulnerabilities. However, staff responses to incidents have not been consistent. On some occasions, staff have not responded to incidents in line with children's individual risk assessments and known needs. This inconsistency reduces the effectiveness of safeguarding practice and means that children do not always receive the support and protection they need.

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improvement to be good

When allegations are made, managers take action to follow these up. However, investigations have not always been sufficiently thorough and have not consistently considered all relevant information relating to staff practice. Complaints are not responded to consistently, and children are not always helped to understand the decisions made in response to their complaints. As a result, opportunities to address concerns and learn from complaints have been missed. The manager has recognised these shortfalls and has begun to review complaint-handling procedures and staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Risks to children are identified and understood by staff. Staff use detailed risk assessments and care plans that clearly identify known risks and the strategies needed to promote children's welfare. This helps staff to provide care that is consistent with children's individual needs and reduces known risks to their safety.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a homely, well-maintained environment that is individualised to the children who live there. Appropriate safety measures are in place throughout the home, which help to promote children's safety and welfare.

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

Oversight systems have improved since the last inspection. This includes improved monitoring of incidents, auditing tools and independent visitor reports. However, practice is not yet consistently effective, and some shortfalls continue to go unnoticed. The manager is reflective and has a clear understanding of the home's strengths and areas for development. She has taken proactive steps to address identified shortfalls and strengthen practice across the home.

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

Staff receive reflective, child-focused supervision. However, supervision does not always take place in accordance with the home's policy. In addition, shortfalls in staff practice identified through supervision are not consistently addressed or reviewed. This weakens management oversight and limits leaders' ability to improve practice effectively. Managers generally promote reflection and share learning when concerns are identified. Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 5 However, this learning is not always embedded, as similar shortfalls have continued to occur.

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

Leaders do not always notify Ofsted of serious incidents without delay. This limits Ofsted's ability to maintain effective oversight of the home. In addition, notifications do not always include all relevant information about reported incidents. As a result, the information available to Ofsted is not always sufficiently detailed to support effective regulatory oversight.

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

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for children and a clear vision for the care they provide. They promote a culture of empathy and compassion and work hard to help children feel safe. Their commitment to supporting children's individual needs helps children to make progress and develop their confidence.

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

Leaders and managers know children well and have a good understanding of their individual needs. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the manager and describe positive team morale. This contributes to a stable and supportive environment where staff are committed to meeting children's needs and helping them to make progress.

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

Team meetings take place regularly and provide staff with opportunities to reflect on practice, develop their knowledge and discuss children's progress and needs. Staff report that they receive a thorough induction and mandatory training that helps them to meet children's needs. Although mandatory training is up to date, some specialist training, including child criminal exploitation training, has not always been provided in a timely way. This means that staff do not always have the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to children's specific needs.

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

Professionals report positive communication with staff and managers and say that staff advocate well for children. However, managers do not always escalate concerns when specialist services have not responded effectively to children's needs. As a result, opportunities to secure the support that children need have been missed, limiting their progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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

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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

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)(a)(iii)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff fully understand and consistently follow the guidance outlined in each child's individual plans in order to keep them safe at all times. Additionally, the staff should consistently respond to keep children safe when they are at risk. 21 October 2026

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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; 21 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 7 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experience of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are supported to achieve and are kept safe, and that staff have the training and skills to achieve this. Additionally, the registered person should ensure that effective monitoring and review systems are in place to ensure that staff are consistently supporting children to achieve make progress and keeping them safe.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all children who move out of the home are supported and experience a positive and well-planned transition out. Additionally, children should be prepared for independence and their transition into adult care. 21 October 2026

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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

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— 21 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 8 must include details of—

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Requirement Due date

the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that HMCI are notified of serious incidents without delay, and the notifications contain all the necessary information to ensure effective overview.

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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: 2740650 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Devonshire Business Centre, Unit 27 Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1GJ

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Inspectors

Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2740650 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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