Our Children’s Home has officially been given a ‘good’ rating by Ofsted, reinforcing our commitment to providing the highest quality care and support to help our children and young people thrive.

This rating was awarded following a recent inspection in June 2024, where Ofsted visited the home and assessed the overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account:

• How well children and young people are helped and protected
• The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Our staff and managers have shown a commitment to continuous improvement since the reopening of the home in September 2023. They have embraced role modelling, education, and training to help meet the needs of the young people. They have also responded positively to the feedback from Ofsted in March 2024, and implemented changes that have contributed to the overall 'good' rating.

The report acknowledges a number of strengths identified in the home, including staff understanding each child’s experiences, that children are supported through sensitive and meaningful conversations, and that overall children appear happy in the company of the staff. The report also highlights that communication between staff and professionals is a key strength and supports consistent and good-quality care for the children.

The report also commends the effective leadership within the home, which has supported these positive outcomes. The report states that the leaders have a good awareness of the strengths and areas for development and have a clear vision for the future of the home.

Cllr Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson for Children's Services, said: "This is a fantastic achievement that reflects the passion and professionalism of our staff at the Carlton Children's home. They have made a real difference in the lives of the young people, who are thriving in our care.

"This inspection shows that we are on the right track to provide the best possible care for our young people, and that we are always looking for ways to improve and enhance our practice.

“The hard work doesn’t stop here. We want Barnsley to be the place of possibilities for all children and young people and we will continue to do all that we can to help them achieve their ambitions.”

Highlights of the inspectors’ findings include:

• Children benefit from relaxed and trusting relationships with staff, including the newer staff.
• Staff support the children to maintain good health. Children attend their routine appointments, and staff ensure that they have access to specialist health services when required.
• Children’s wishes and feelings are actively sought.
• Children have the opportunity to share their views with others who are independent of the home and have a good understanding of their experiences.
• The working relationship between staff and professionals is good.

Inspectors provided recommendations for one area of improvement, which involves adding more detail to a child's record to help the children better understand their own history and daily experiences at the home.

The home's management has since taken proactive steps to enhance record keeping and will collaborate with staff and children to follow the recommendations.

Inspectors noted there was a vacancy for a manager at the time of the inspection, but a new manager arrived shortly after the inspection.

The report can be read in full at gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted