Ofsted inspectors praise another children’s residential home as ‘outstanding’
Shropshire Council is today (4 July 2025) delighted to announce that following a recent visit by Ofsted, inspectors rated Pebble House ‘outstanding’.
Pebble House is one of six residential children’s homes run by Shropshire Council. Ofsted inspectors gave Pebble House, its management and staff maximum ratings in all three categories: ‘overall experiences of children and young people’; ‘how well children and young people are helped and protected’; and ‘effectiveness of leaders and managers’.
Inspectors recognised that the outstanding care and support provided to children and young people helps to ensure their emotional, physical and educational well-being, highlighting Pebble House’s exceptional services and commitment to improving lives:
“Children living in this home make exceptional progress from their starting points and have positive day-to-day experiences. Children receive care from extremely committed staff who are child centred and value the open and honest relationships they build with children.”
Pebble House is the latest council-run children’s home to receive the coveted ‘outstanding’ rating, joining Chelmaren and Berwyn Cottage. A further three homes are currently rated ‘good’: Havenbrook, Caer Bryn and Devonia.
Pebble House is one of six residential children’s homes run by Shropshire Council. Each home houses between two and four children and young people between the ages of five and 17. Children receive individualised care based on their needs, and all of the homes have specialist aims such as enabling children to move into foster care, to return to their families, or to prepare for adulthood.
The report highlighted how ‘staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of children’s risks, needs and behaviour, [providing] consistent daily routines and boundaries that provide children with certainty in their care.’ In particular, the inspection noted that staff have ‘an exceptional understanding of the risks posed to children online’. One child was supported ‘to create their own presentation on internet safety, which they have delivered at local community groups.’
Care is always centred around the specific needs of the child, and is ‘high-quality, individualised and purposeful’, with staff developing ‘creative communication methods to ensure children can express their views effectively regarding their emotions, feelings and wishes.’
Inspectors were fulsome in their praise of managers and leaders:
‘The manager and deputy manager are ‘incredibly child focused [and] are committed to ensuring children receive the highest standards of individualised care, not just now but in the future. For example, the manager has already begun creating a moving plan to ensure children can continue their progress after they have moved on from the home. This displays an exceptional level of commitment towards children.’
Commending how managers have created an ‘incredibly supportive environment for staff’, the report notes that children ‘benefit from a stable staff team’, all of whom are ‘incredibly positive about their experiences working in the home and fell well supported.’ Indeed, ‘one staff member said, ‘The management team were the main reason I wanted to work in this home. They are so supportive and passionate about the quality of care provided to children.’
The report concludes by stressing the ‘exceptional’ relationships between ‘staff and [children’s social care] professionals, partner agencies and families’, quoting one professional as saying that, ‘Two children have progressed significantly since leaving the home. The commitment and dedication all the care team have given to the children to ensure they know them as individuals has made a profound difference in their progression.’
Councillor Ruth Houghton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for social care, said:
“This is a truly stunning achievement. I would personally like to thank everyone who works at Pebble House: the registered manager, the deputy manager, shift leaders and residential care workers, as well as the social workers, psychologists and other professionals who work so hard, every single day, to give some of Shropshire’s most vulnerable children and young people the best possible chances in life. I look forward to providing the whole residential care team with the support they need to continue their exceptional work.”
Tanya Miles, Shropshire Council’s executive director and director of children’s services, said:
“We firmly believe that every child or young person in our care should have big dreams. Every single day, the team at Pebble House make those dreams a possibility. When we talk about having a child centred approach, this is what we really mean. Ultimately, this is why we do what we do. I am so proud of the whole team – and of the children and young people themselves.
“Right now, we’re looking for more brilliant, caring and resilient people to join our children’s residential homes across Shropshire. If you – or someone you know – would like a career where you make a positive difference every day to the lives of children and young people, then please visit our website.”
Shropshire Council are currently looking for the following:
Registered Manager: Registered Manager – Shropshire Council
Residential Care Worker (full-time): Residential Care Worker – Various Locations – Shropshire Council
Residential Care Worker (part-time): Residential Care Worker- Children’s Services – Shropshire Council
The full Ofsted report is available here: 2806268 – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted
