Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 1 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in February 2026 and is owned by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 2 children who have learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 2

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Summary of findings

The child moved into the home from another children’s home within the local authority. The manager made child-centred decisions about the child’s transition, considering the child’s additional learning needs and their vulnerabilities. Staff used social stories to help to prepare the child to move into the home in a positive and well-planned way.

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Summary of findings

Incidents where the child has been held have gradually reduced from when the child first moved into the home. This is because staff provide the child with consistent and predictable care, which has given the child a sense of safety. However, staff are not recording incidents of restraint in line with regulatory requirements.

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Summary of findings

Overall, the manager has a strong oversight of the home, and he provides his staff with effective leadership. Staff feel supported and they like working at the home. However, the systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care are not always effective. This has led to a lack of oversight of restraint records, which means that shortfalls in practice have not been identified and addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved into the home in a positive and well-planned way. The manager and staff are proactive in their approach to help children to prepare for transitions. This is done in a way that reflects the child’s understanding and preferred communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s day-to-day experiences are positive. Staff know the child well and they understand the importance of providing the child with consistent, nurturing care and predictable routines. The child enjoys trusting relationships with staff, who know the child well and understand the child’s additional needs and vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aspirational for the child, and they want the child to gain new experiences and to have the same opportunities as their peers. Staff are innovative and confident in their approach, which has helped the child to feel less anxious about accessing their community. This positive approach has led to the child taking part in activities they enjoy and gaining new experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have completed lots of work with the child to help to reduce the child’s anxieties about their health appointments. The child’s health outcomes are improved because they are now accessing their health appointments, and this has led to the child receiving the right dental assessments and treatment. Staff work collaboratively with mental health professionals to ensure that the right support is in place for the child. The child has improved self-care routines because of the help and support they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 3 The manager and staff understand the child’s additional learning needs, and they understand the barriers to the child’s education, which has led to the child not attending school. Staff continue to support the child to overcome their anxieties about school, and they ensure that education professionals are involved in the child’s plan. Staff provide

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the child with lots of opportunities for informal learning, and they support the child to develop independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is importance placed on supporting the child to spend time with their family. Staff help the child and family to maintain a positive relationship.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consult with the child regularly using the child’s preferred communication. Records capture the child’s voice and show how staff respond to the child’s wishes and feelings. The child’s experiences are captured in memory books, and their individual journey is captured in life-story work completed with the child.

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

The child has additional learning needs and complex behaviour presentation. Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities, and they are clear about the restrictions the child is subject to by court order. The child benefits from high levels of support and supervision from staff, both at home and when they go out into the community.

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

Incidents are gradually reducing from when the child first moved into the home. This is because staff provide the child with consistent and predictable routines and they have built trusting relationships with the child. The child has become increasingly settled and their anxieties have reduced.

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

When staff intervene physically, the measures used are proportionate and necessary to keep the child safe. However, restraint records are not always detailed and clear, including the action taken when staff or the child has been injured. Staff and the child are not always provided with an opportunity to talk about the incident with a person who has not been involved in the incident. In addition, when debriefs do happen, they are not always meaningful. This is a lost opportunity to reflect on practice and to learn from incidents.

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

The child’s individual risk assessments and safety plans are detailed and clear, and they are kept under review by the manager. The child’s plans provide staff with clear guidance to follow to mitigate some of the risks to the child.

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

Direct work about emotions and feelings is taking place with the child. Staff talk to the child about how they are feeling using the child’s preferred communication, and they explore feelings with the child in a way that helps the child to recognise and name emotions and helps them to better understand the feeling. This work is well planned and is aligned to the child’s needs and abilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. He is a positive role model for staff, and he provides the team with effective leadership. The manager is aspirational for the child, and this is the ethos of the whole team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which provides them with the opportunity to reflect on their practice. Staff enjoy working at the home and said that morale is high and that they feel supported by the manager. Team meetings happen regularly, providing staff with the opportunity to discuss the child’s plan and to refresh safeguarding knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a range of core training. The manager ensures that staff have access to additional training to meet the needs of the child currently living at the home. There is an additional layer of support in place for staff from the clinical team who support the child. This helps staff understand the child’s mental health and better equips them to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some planned changes to the staff team that have caused some disruption to the child. However, the manager considered the child when staffing arrangements were decided. There is now a core, stable staff team in place, which means that the child is receiving continuous and consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work in partnership with other agencies. Professionals involved with the child said that they were happy with the quality of care provided to the child and that communication with the manager and staff is good. The manager is a strong advocate for the child, and he confidently challenges others when the child’s plan is not being met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care have not always been effective. The manager has not had full oversight of restraint records, which has meant that shortfalls in practice have not always been identified and addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 25 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— 25 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 6 has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(c))

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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: 2870261 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone St, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2870261 8 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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