Children's Home run by Aegis 247 Limited in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 1 Registered provider: Aegis 247 Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in March 2026 and is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026.

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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 inadequate

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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: 2819954 2

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Summary of findings

The child moved into the home in April 2026. The child likes spending time with staff and has made progress in most aspects of their care from their starting point. Staff are committed and demonstrate resilience; however, this has been a turbulent period, with staff struggling to keep the child calm. This has led to incidents of destruction and aggression. Several members of staff have left within a short period, leaving only a small number of the original staff who were in post when the home opened.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have not maintained effective oversight of the home. Weaknesses in safeguarding scrutiny, record-keeping, staff training and recruitment checks have not been adequately identified. Management oversight and professional curiosity are inconsistent, particularly in relation to incidents and allegations. This does not provide assurances that actions are completed or that learning is embedded in practice.

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improvement to be good

Several staff members have left the home since the home was registered. Despite this, the child has made some progress from their starting point. They no longer require a permissive court order to determine their care arrangements. The child has developed trusting relationships with staff and improved their ability to regulate their emotions and communicate their feelings. However, these positive outcomes are weakened by shortfalls in management oversight, recording, risk management, and access to important documentation.

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improvement to be good

Visits by staff and managers before the child moved into the home helped them develop relationships in advance of their admission. Managers also gathered information from others to fully understand the child’s needs. This enables care to be tailored to the child’s specific needs, vulnerabilities and risks.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that appropriate health support is provided to promote the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff and managers provide a significant level of attention and support. However, there have been occasions when staff have not supervised the child, resulting in the child struggling to regulate their emotions.

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improvement to be good

The child’s aspiration to attend school has been supported through a gradual increase in daily home tuition. An additional day of structured, community-based provision has supported the child to build confidence in a more formal learning setting outside the home. Staff help the child to establish routines, understand boundaries and develop positive relationships. They spend time encouraging the child’s engagement in meaningful activities and experiences that promote their confidence, enjoyment and Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 3 social development. These include horse riding, swimming and community-based activities.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the importance of maintaining family relationships and advocate on behalf of the child for increased family time. Despite the geographical distance, staff facilitated a short break, allowing the child to have extended time with their brothers and sisters and wider family members. Professionals and a parent said that they are pleased with the child’s progress and care.

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improvement to be good

Staff discuss a range of topics with the child to help them understand their care arrangements and to promote socially acceptable behaviours. However, direct work is not always proactive or targeted towards addressing significant incidents or emerging concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to become more independent in their personal care and daily living skills. This includes preparing simple snacks, maintaining their bedroom and caring for a pet hamster. Staff use rewards and incentives to encourage the child to achieve small, manageable goals that contribute to longer-term objectives. This approach helps the child to build confidence and develop skills that are important for future independence.

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improvement to be good

This has been a turbulent period for the child and staff, characterised by staff being unable to keep the child calm. This has led to regular incidents of significant property damage and assaults on staff. However, most of the staff remain committed to caring for the child and maintain positive relationships to support the child’s progress. Their continued engagement demonstrates resilience and a determination to provide stability during a challenging period.

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improvement to be good

Incidents involving physical intervention are not always supported by a clear written analysis of staff actions, the nature of the holds used or management’s evaluation of their effectiveness. There is a lack of learning to inform future care and practice to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents reoccurring. On one occasion, an inappropriate and disproportionate hold used by an untrained staff member led to the child making an allegation of harm.

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improvement to be good

The arrangements for staff to have reflective discussions with managers following incidents of restraint are not effective. In addition, the child is not always provided the opportunity to speak with someone who was not involved in the physical intervention. This limits opportunities for objective evaluation and challenge.

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improvement to be good

It is unclear how allegations made by the child, including those that were later retracted, have been fully explored by managers to understand the child’s experiences. Appropriate safeguarding action is taken; however, records of investigations are weak, Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 4 with significant gaps in demonstrating how outcomes, rationale and decision-making have been reached.

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improvement to be good

Staff know how to respond when risks escalate. However, the child’s plans and risk assessments are not readily available due to the manager struggling to access important documents. This limits oversight of the child’s current risks and vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents are rare, and on the few occasions that the child has left the home, staff have followed them and searched the local area in line with the child’s plan. The use of location tracking, agreed with the child, ensures that staff can easily track their whereabouts. The child’s mobile phone is monitored to help detect safeguarding concerns early; however, these checks are carried out covertly without the child’s full knowledge or understanding.

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improvement to be good

Staff are recruited using safer recruitment practices. However, records do not consistently demonstrate that sufficient scrutiny and evaluation have taken place before employment decisions are made. For example, records do not always clearly evidence the verification of staff qualifications or the assessment of an individual’s suitability to work with children when previous convictions are disclosed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systemic weaknesses in managerial oversight, record-keeping and quality assurance processes have limited leaders’ ability to monitor practice effectively, evaluate safeguarding concerns and drive improvement. As a result, managers have not demonstrated that practice is subject to consistent scrutiny or that actions are followed up to ensure that improvements are sustained over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight of staff training is weak. Not all staff have completed physical intervention training before holding the child. While some members of staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to support the child’s needs, not all staff have completed training that would enhance their understanding of the child’s behaviour, emotional regulation, communication and presentation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

However, leaders have sought access to therapeutic support through consultation with an external psychotherapist, who supports the implementation of therapeutically informed practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The provider’s electronic recording system does not consistently enable the manager to access important documentation and locate records easily. This includes key documents relating to the child, which limits staff’s access to important information about the child’s needs and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Furthermore, record-keeping is poor. Information is often dispersed across various records, emails, notifications and supervision notes rather than being brought together into a coherent record. The rationale underpinning management decision-making is Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 5 often unclear, and records do not demonstrate whether managers have exercised appropriate challenge to explore contradictions in the information available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

While incident reviews recorded by the manager have frequently identified learning, there is limited evidence that incidents are analysed effectively to identify patterns, risks or opportunities for improvement. The tracking and follow up of agreed actions do not always clearly demonstrate how learning is shared, implemented or reviewed by leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision sessions and team meetings routinely take place; however, opportunities are missed to reinforce learning, review practice and strengthen staff understanding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 6

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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—

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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)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

investigations are carried out in a way that ensures that information is gathered, analysed and evaluated effectively, and that records consistently provide sufficient detail about how conclusions have been reached;

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments and plans are updated and made accessible to the manager and staff following any review. 12 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— 12 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 7 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; 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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

there is sufficient managerial oversight and scrutiny of records, demonstrating professional curiosity in relation to allegations and incidents;

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Requirement Due date

staff are trained in the home’s behaviour management model when caring for children who require this level of intervention, and that they are equipped to understand about neurodiversity to inform their care of children;

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Requirement Due date

actions arising from incidents are followed up to support staff reflection, promote learning and ensure continuity and accountability; and

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Requirement Due date

key documents relating to the child’s education, health and care are available in the home to support how care is provided.

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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

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 personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(b) (2)(iv)) 12 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 8 In particular, the manager should ensure that staff provide the correct ratio of supervision and support to the child as directed in their care plan. Any structured discussions with the child should be carried out proactively in response to educating and informing the child as needed.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (2)) 12 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(c)(d)) 12 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

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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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”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; 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)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 12 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 9 In particular, the manager should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

records provide clear and comprehensive information about the measures used;

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Requirement Due date

post-incident debriefs are carried out with both staff and the child by a person who has sufficient authority and was not involved in the incident, to ensure that appropriate action is taken and learning is identified and implemented in response to the measures used.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that documentary evidence of qualifications relevant to the post is seen and verified, and that any criminal convictions are explored, evaluated and recorded, with a clear rationale for all recruitment decisions documented on the individual’s recruitment file. 12 October 2026

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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: 2819954 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12 Store Street, Sheffield S2 4DA

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Inspector

Parveen Hussain, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2819954 11 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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