Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 1 Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited Registered provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

The supported accommodation provider registered with Ofsted on 27 March 2024.

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provider

The service manager registered on 27 March 2024.

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provider

The provider can accommodate up to 25 children across 5 group-living homes that are limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 18 children aged 16 and 17 years were living at the provider's supported accommodation.

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Inspection dates: 16 to 18 September 2026

The inspection was announced on 14 September 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 16 to 18 September.

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Outcome

Consistently strong service delivery leads to typically positive experiences and progress for children. Where improvements are needed, leaders and managers take timely and effective action.

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Summary of findings

Communication is a strength of leaders, managers and staff both within the provider service and with external agencies.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff know the children well and children make positive progress towards their independence.

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Summary of findings

Staff are ambitious for children's futures, and this filters through to the aspirations and goals that children have for themselves. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff know the children well and their welfare is promoted. They ensure that children are listened to and have opportunities to spend time with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to make progress toward their independence and futures by establishing trusted and secure relationships with them. Children confidently prepare meals, are supported to use the washing machine and positively engage in reviewing important documents with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff are aspirational for children and support them to attend their education establishment. Children said that they are helped to achieve their goals, including career choices, such as midwifery, paediatrician, electrical engineer, attending university or taking a gap year. One child is in full-time employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children in maintaining positive social networks with children's friends and family. This is in addition to developing links in the community and participating in social groups and activities. This enhances children's overall wellbeing and extends their social connections. These connections provide additional sources of support when children are living independently and are particularly beneficial for children who are separated from their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff actively support children's involvement in decisions about their lives, their attendance at meetings, participating in initial referral meetings and discussions about their support needs. Staff are proactive in ensuring that children understand when it is not possible to carry out their wishes, as it may not be in their best interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff are consistent in their efforts to celebrate milestones for children, such as birthdays, progress with learning new skills, celebrations when children are moving on and farewell meals. In addition, staff support children in observing cultural events and practices, such as faith-based activities and children eating together in the traditional manner observed in their home countries. This ensures the promotion and inclusion of children in meaningful activities and significant events that are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff help children to register for health services, educational provisions, leisure activities and career opportunities. This ensures that their overall physical and emotional wellbeing is supported

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers were alert to children's concerns that there were times when they did not feel supported. Leaders and managers took appropriate action to address the issues raised. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 3

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers are proactive in advocating for the needs of children to ensure that these are met. They ensure that the voice of the child is heard and listened to when crucial decisions are required. The provider, where necessary, will escalate concerns with the local authority for the children they are supporting. This ensures that child-centred advocacy is promoted.

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How well children are helped and protected

The consistency and stability of the staff team help to provide children with a sense of security and feeling of being settled, and they know the staff who work in their home. Children said that they feel safe and secure in their homes and in the local area.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff support children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Children said that they can share their concerns, worries and support needs. This support enables children to develop resilience in coping with challenges they may face when spending time away from the home and to identify and maintain healthy relationships.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children are helped to develop money-management skills to protect them from running out of money, avoid the risk of becoming vulnerable to exploitation and increasingly take responsibility for their finances. Children are encouraged to set aside money for food and other items, and a small amount for their savings. This ensures that children develop budgeting skills.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff prioritise and respond to the health and emotional wellbeing needs of children. This ensures that all children can maintain their health, address their physical and mental health needs and access external support. Children who take medication are supported with prompts and suggestions of ways to remind themselves to take their medication when required.

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How well children are helped and protected

During the inspection, areas that require repair work were identified in premises that could present a potential health and safety risk. Leaders and managers were attentive and responsive to these.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers have not always notified Ofsted of serious events. In the events identified, the provider has taken appropriate steps to safeguard the children and worked collaboratively with social workers, police and health professionals as necessary. The lack of notification to Ofsted did not impact the safeguarding and protection of children; however, it did minimise Ofsted's regulatory oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

At the heart of the service is a learning culture whereby leaders and managers have good oversight of the support being delivered to children. There are opportunities to learn together through regular communication, staff meetings, supervision, review of daily journals, reflection on practice from feedback and direct information from Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 4 children. This enables leaders and managers to identify strengths and areas for development within the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Management meetings and staff team meetings are in place and are invaluable for information-sharing and service developments. The provider has supervisory arrangements in place for staff and has an external consultant providing supervision for the management team. This ensures that familial connections do not compromise the integrity of the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has established strong and collaborative relationships with placing local authorities. Social workers said that leaders and managers' communication is excellent and consistent. This supports children to make progress and for their development to be maintained. The timely sharing of information ensures that any concerns are identified and promptly responded to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are proactive in their review of new referrals. They balance the needs of the child with the children living in the accommodation. They consider the skills of staff to meet the child's needs and match the child with staff who can offer additional support. For example, a member of staff who shared a similar language with a child was transferred to work in the home where the child would be living.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers accepted an emergency placement that did not fall under the scope of the criteria set out in the provider's statement of purpose. However, the provider took prompt action with the placing authority to consider the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers' safer recruitment practice is not consistent for all staff. Subsequently, the provider has not ensured that all staff are suitably vetted and safe to work with children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the 'Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm(13);

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(e)(f)) 15 November

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Requirement Due date

The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment.

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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 the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

are designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(ix)) 15 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation; 15 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 6 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child, and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f))

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Olapeju Laryea

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Inspector

Phyllis Dyer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Purple Pebbles (Childcare Services) Limited 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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