Children's Home run by Vcare - 24 Limited in East Riding of YorkshireOfsted inspection, 9 Sept 2026

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 1 Registered provider: Vcare - 24 Limited

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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 owned and operated by a private provider. It may provide care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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 to the inspector

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector 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: 2591501 2

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Findings from the inspection

At this assurance inspection the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children were identified.

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Findings from the inspection

There are significant concerns about staff sufficiency within the service. Current staffing arrangements do not provide managers with assurance that staff know and understand the child's plans well enough to meet their needs effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

The consistency of regular staff caring for the child is impacted by staff being off sick and resigning from the home. At times, staffing is achieved through agency and cover staff, meaning that there is no core staff from the home working with the child. The manager shares plans with covering staff but is not assured about their understanding. Staff do not consistently follow plans, placing the child at significant risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Staffing rotas are not completed. The lack of staff means that rotas cannot be planned ahead of time. This means staff often do not know who they will be working with, and the child does not know who will be caring for them. When staff are involved in incidents there is no contingency within the rota to allow for an opportunity to repair the relationship with the child before being expected to care for them. This causes the child frustration.

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Findings from the inspection

Behaviour management practice is ineffective, and recording is of poor quality. This limits management oversight and reduces managers' ability to monitor practice, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and take timely action where concerns arise. As a result, risks are not being managed effectively, leaving the child exposed to the potential for significant harm. Staff's lack of understanding of the child's plans affects their ability to identify, assess and respond appropriately to emerging risks.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not consistently manage behaviour in a safe way. During one incident a member of staff did not intervene ‘due to staffing’, leading to the child hurting themselves. Staff have relied on health and police colleagues to take the lead during difficult times which has resulted in the child experiencing significant physical interventions by unfamiliar adults.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers recognise that staff are not equipped with the required skills to be able to care for the child in the long term. Managers have given notice to the placing authority and are in frequent communication to try and find an alternative home for the child to move to. The child says they would like to know where they are going to live. Staff have helpful conversations with the child about moving on from the home in a planned way.

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Findings from the inspection

Physical interventions are used as a last resort to increase safety. On occasions untrained holds have been used to prevent immediate harm. Physical interventions used are not in line with the child’s plans; managers have not explored this with staff Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 3 or updated plans to reflect the child's care needs. The recording of some physical interventions remains unclear, which impacts manager review and oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments and plans are in place for the child but are not consistently implemented or updated. The manager adopts a learning culture and explores incidents in detail with staff, despite this, concerns regarding practice remain.

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Findings from the inspection

The physical environment is stark. Doors and items are routinely locked for safety, and keys are continually passed between staff. The home has damage and lacks personalisation; decorative items have been removed and there are no plans for their return.

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Findings from the inspection

Online safety risks are well understood and managed. The management team work with the local authority to implement plans to keep the child safe online. The child is aware of the plans and talks to staff about her online activity.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has staff that they trust and seek out for help and support. Kind relationships and interactions are observed in the home. Following incidents and difficult times, the manager has meaningful conversations with the child. Following incidents, the staff do not present as risk-averse, meaning that the child continues to engage in activities that they enjoy.

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Findings from the inspection

Some requirements from the full inspection have not been reviewed in their entirety at this assurance inspection and are restated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2026 Full Good 23/09/2025 Full Good 25/02/2025 Full Good 14/11/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 4

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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;

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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(c)(d)(e)(h)) 4 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that—

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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

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 4 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 5 a description of the measure and its duration; (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 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

understand and apply the home's statement of purpose;

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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;

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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)(a)(b)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children move out of the home, there must be clear plans around the moves and effective communication with children. The repairs in the home must be completed to a suitable standard in a timely way. This requirement has been restated 4 October 2026

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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;

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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; 4 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 6 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)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff, including agency staff, must have up-to- date copies of plans to follow that clearly document any risks for children and the actions required to keep them safe. This requirement has been restated The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) This requirement has been restated 4 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that a record is kept of all visitors to the home including the names of visitors and the reasons for the visit This requirement has been restated 4 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. The manager should plan, with the agency, who will supervise agency staff who regularly work in the home. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 61, paragraph 13.2) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 10, Halifax Way, Pocklington Industrial Estate, Pocklington, York YO42 1NP

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Inspector

Ali Owens, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2591501 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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