Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties as a result of childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, there have been several changes in managers. There is currently a manager in post, and they have applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 18 November 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2025 Full Good 06/01/2025 Full Good 03/08/2023 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, 2 children have experienced well-planned and supportive moves from the home.

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Summary of findings

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child is settled and making progress, particularly in their education, confidence, and ability to understand and manage their feelings.

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Summary of findings

Two managers have left since the last inspection. The impact of these changes on children has been minimised by the stability of the staff team and the effective preparation and support provided for children throughout these transitions.

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Summary of findings

Some minor shortfalls were identified in the accuracy of children’s plans, the maintenance of the garden, and, on one occasion, staff’s response to an emerging risk. However, these shortfalls have not adversely affected children’s overall experiences or progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides children with large, clean, well-decorated and thoughtfully furnished spaces to relax and enjoy themselves. Children’s games and books are accessible, and photos celebrating children’s experiences are on display. This contributes to a warm, welcoming and homely atmosphere. However, there are some aspects that detract from the overall homely feel. In particular, the garden is overgrown with weeds, and the decking is worn and tired.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in their home. They have trusting relationships with adults, who they describe as ‘caring’ and ‘helpful’. These positive relationships have helped children to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported in their education. Staff are skilled at working in partnership with education professionals and take a proactive approach to communication. This helps to ensure that any barriers to learning are identified quickly and addressed effectively. As a result, one child has progressed from not attending school to attending mainstream school on a full-time basis. The child is also now making good academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have many opportunities to share their views and influence the care they receive. Adults regularly speak to children about important topics. These conversations aim to help children stay safe, make healthy choices, and develop a better understanding of themselves and others. As a result, children are making progress. One child was well supported to develop their independence skills, enabling them to move successfully into semi-independent living in line with their wishes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 4 Children’s moves from the home are well planned. They are actively involved in planning their moves and have opportunities to visit and learn about their new homes before they move in. This supports children to experience positive endings and reduces any worries they may have during a significant change in their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are consistently met. However, children’s plans sometimes contain inaccurate, outdated or contradictory information. This creates the potential for confusion among staff and increases the risk of children receiving inconsistent care.

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

Children feel safe living in the home, and safeguarding incidents are rare. Nevertheless, staff have a good understanding of what they need to do to keep children safe.

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

Because children enjoy living in the home, they rarely go missing from care. When they do, staff follow children’s plans and work closely with partner safeguarding agencies to ensure that children return home safely. Staff speak with children to understand the reasons why they go missing and work with them to reduce risks and encourage them to make safer choices in the future.

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

Children are settled, and staff are skilled in supporting them when they become upset or anxious. Restraint is rarely used. Since the last inspection, there have been 3 incidents during which staff have physically intervened to ensure that children and others are safe. Managers have robust oversight of these incidents, ensuring that restraint is necessary and proportionate.

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

Because children enjoy positive relationships with adults they trust, they rarely make complaints or allegations, but when they do, they are taken seriously. Managers ensure that children are spoken with and are kept informed of any actions taken. This supports children to feel safe and listened to.

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

Overall, staff are proactive and skilled in identifying and managing risks. However, on one occasion, an opportunity to support a child in response to an emerging risk was missed. After one child disclosed using cannabis and vapes, staff did not provide follow- up support to address these concerns before the child moved on from the home. This was a missed opportunity to increase the child’s understanding of how to be safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been significant turnover in the home’s management team. Since the last inspection, 2 managers and the responsible individual have left. While these changes may have contributed to children experiencing further loss, they have been well supported throughout by a consistent and stable staff team. As a result, the potential negative impact on children has been minimised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 5 The current leadership and management team has a good understanding of children’s needs and is ambitious for their futures. Feedback from professionals is positive, with effective communication, partnership working and advocacy identified as particular strengths. This joined-up approach helps to ensure that children promptly receive the help they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite the changes in management, staff feel well supported and enjoy working in the home. Leaders and managers provide regular opportunities for staff to reflect on their experiences and the care provided to children. In addition, staff receive training that is relevant to the needs of the children in their care. As a result, children are cared for by staff who know them well and are knowledgeable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the garden is well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children’s records are up to date and accurately reflect their current needs and plans to support them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that, when risks emerge, staff provide children with support to help them manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person should demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph

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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: 2537375 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2537375 8 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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