Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Sheffield

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 1 SC066010 Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home, and one child was spoken with.

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Inspection date: 12 August 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 12 August 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have 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: SC066010 2

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was carried out after concerns were identified in safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted since the full inspection. We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has been through a difficult period. The registered manager has been away from work and staff have not managed the relationship between 2 children effectively. Staff say that the size and layout of the home make it very difficult to safely care for 4 children living together.

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Findings from the inspection

The relationship between the 2 children has been a persistent theme in safeguarding incidents since the full inspection. The 2 children had been accessing each other’s rooms unsupervised. There was a significant delay between identifying this concern and staff responding in an appropriate and effective manner to prevent it. Additional safeguards put in place, such as waking night staff, were ineffective. Only after one particularly difficult incident, where children barricaded themselves in a bedroom for several hours, did staff intervene effectively. Since then, one child has moved out and the home has settled as staff work to rebuild relations with children.

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Findings from the inspection

Although there is evidence of some good safeguarding practice in the home, some gaps in practice persist. A child alleged that a staff member touched a private part of their body during a physical intervention. The manager followed this up with the child in conversation and ensured the child was well supported, but did not share the allegation with Ofsted or the designated officer from the local authority.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls in the submission of safeguarding notifications were raised at the full inspection in May. However, these shortfalls have continued. The manager notified Ofsted of an incident but did not follow up when the incident escalated into a safeguarding enquiry involving the police and social workers. On another occasion, significant details following a missing-from-home incident were omitted from one notification, thereby preventing the regulator from fully evaluating safeguarding practice in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is well appointed, and children are encouraged to decorate their rooms to reflect their likes and hobbies. There is an annex attached to the property that can be used for children’s education, but this has not been used as such for some time. The bins that are stored beside the annex are overloaded, which contravenes the home’s fire risk assessment. This detracts from what is otherwise a pleasant environment for children to live in.

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Findings from the inspection

There are good relationships between staff and the children. The managers are a visible presence in the home and know the children well. One child spoke positively about the home. The child socialises with friends in the local area and engages in a range of activities. This includes days out to theme parks and playing sports such as tennis. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 3 Staff rarely use physical intervention and there have been only 2 holds used since the full inspection. Staff apply the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) model to de-escalate situations. When this is unsuccessful, staff record each hold in detail and ensure that it is safe and appropriate. Following a hold, the child is spoken with and their views are recorded. Staff are also spoken with after the incident, and there is strong use of reflective practice to allow staff to consider what could be done differently in future.

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Findings from the inspection

All missing-from-home incidents are managed well by staff, and the recording of incidents helps them to understand the preceding events and how children are supported. Staff have individual conversations with children to address any issues or behaviours that may have occurred while they have been missing from the home. This shows that staff help children to reflect on their behaviour and try to educate them about the risks related to certain behaviours. The manager reviews each record and provides oversight comments on all direct work with children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/05/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/07/2025 Full Good 17/04/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 5

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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 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that maintenance tasks are completed without delay, and that any rubbish around the annex is cleared away in line with the home’s fire risk assessment. 11 December

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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; 11 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 6 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

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)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills, information and strategies to follow to keep children as safe as possible and at all times, including during the night.

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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

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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 11 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that effective management monitoring tools are in place to identify shortfalls and take action. All staff working in the home (including agency staff) need an induction to ensure consistency of care for children at all times.

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

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all safeguarding notifications sent to the regulator contain all relevant information in relation to any safeguarding incident.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that any updates to safeguarding notifications are sent promptly to Ofsted. 11 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s care is reflective of each child’s needs. In particular, this relates to children who are preparing for adulthood, and their next steps should be supported with effective independence plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 21, paragraph 4.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspectors

Ricky D’Arcy, Regulatory Inspection Manager (lead) Deb Duffy, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066010 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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