Children's Home run by Priority Care Services Limited in NottinghamshireOfsted inspection, 16 Sept 2026

Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 1 Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. The home provides care for up to 3 children, who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved in, and 2 children have left the home. The children were spoken to during the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 16 December 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/12/2025 Full Good 22/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 3

p.2

Summary of findings

An experienced manager leads the home and has a full staff team. Staff provide the children with good, consistent care that helps the children feel safe, settled and able to build positive relationships. The children have made good progress in many areas of their lives. Children are in education and regularly attend extra-curricular activities aligned to their interests. Children have individual risk assessments that are detailed and identify significant risks, but they are not always kept up to date. Leaders and managers do not consistently recognise risks in the home environment, nor do they always identify or address improvements needed in staff care practice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. Appointments are made with dentists, opticians and doctors as required. The children’s medication is stored and administered safely by staff with the correct training. Health professionals are appropriately referred to when required. This includes mental health services, ensuring that children receive the support they need to meet their identified needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children spend good quality one-to-one time together. This includes keywork sessions that are relevant to the individual child’s life. They are clearly recorded. There are also monthly children’s meetings that capture children’s voices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are all attending education and participating in extra-curricular activities they find socially enriching. Children are supported to develop their independent living skills. One child was supported to gain employment, and staff helped them with a move to semi-independent living. There is also clear progress in personal hygiene and self-care among the children, which is contributing to improvements in their confidence and self- esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak highly of the support that staff and the manager provide to the children. They report that children are making good progress and praise staff for their effective communication.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with those who are important to them. Staff actively advocate to ensure children maintain these relationships, helping to strengthen their sense of identity and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans contain the required clarity for staff to provide children with good care. They are also a good guide for staff in understanding the children and their individual needs. On occasions, children’s documents are not written using child-centred language. This has been recognised by managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 4

p.3

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

The use of physical intervention is rare in the home. When used, it is proportionate and focused on keeping the child safe. Staff support children carefully and sensitively throughout the intervention, placing their safety and welfare first. Following any incidents, the children are given the time and space to talk about how they are feeling. However, on one occasion the same staff member who completed the physical intervention spoke to the child afterwards about the incident. This was not someone independent of the incident. Additionally, this was not identified or addressed by the manager.

p.4

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

Staff understand risks to children. Risk assessments are created for each child. These are detailed and contain relevant information to help reduce and manage the risk. The plans are not always up to date. Leaders and managers do not identify all known risks for children around the home.

p.4

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

Room searches are conducted transparently, with children either providing consent beforehand or being informed immediately after the search. Each search includes a clear, documented rationale explaining why it was necessary and noting any items found.

p.4

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

The manager responds appropriately when a child raises a concern about staff practice. The manager follows the correct procedures and consults with the right external professionals. This includes a referral to the local authority designated officer. A key-work session with the child is undertaken regarding any allegations.

p.4

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

When children go missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. The staff make consistent efforts to maintain contact, locate the child and support their safe return home. On return, staff provide the child with time and space to share their reasons for going missing. Records of missing-from-home incidents are clear, detailed and well documented.

p.4

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

Risks to children have not always been appropriately assessed by the manager. This includes fire safety. The manager has not ensured that fire exits have always been kept clear. The manager did not address the staff’s practice when blocking fire exits to manage a child’s behaviour.

p.4

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

The manager’s oversight of incidents requires improvement. This includes the oversight of any medical support children may require. The registered manager must also ensure that medical attention is sought without delay. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 5 Staff have not always completed the relevant qualification for residential childcare in line with regulations. Leaders and managers should identify and provide a rationale and time for part-time staff who cannot meet regulatory requirements for completion.

p.4

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

Staff receive regular supervision from the deputy or the manager. These are reflective meetings focused on the wellbeing of children and staff. Staff say they find supervision helpful and that it supports the development of their care practice with the children.

p.5

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

Staff say they feel supported and valued. When staff raise concerns, they are addressed appropriately and feel their voice is heard. Regular team meetings take place, and therapeutic discussions, which are conducted with an external agency to support staff in developing a therapeutic understanding of children’s behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(d)) In particular, this relates to the home being free of risks to children and medical treatment being sourced in a timely manner. 15 th December

p.6

Recommendation

 All staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, Page 53, paragraph 10.12). Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 7

p.6

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: 2778324 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 297 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 5QJ

p.8

Inspector

Rachael Jones, Social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2778324 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9