Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 1 Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for one child who may require support with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023. The manager is dual registered with another setting of the same provider.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to form positive relationships with children, who value the staff and the care they provide. Children feel able to approach staff and ask for help. Staff are nurturing in their approach and patient with the children. As a result, children have formed safe and positive relationships, which have supported their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported positively with plans to move on from the home. Leaders understand the importance of helping children to progress. As a result, where appropriate, children are given opportunities to resume family life. For one child, this meant a successful move to a bespoke foster placement. An independent advocate was in place to support the move and to ensure that the voice of the child was at the heart of care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to promote a homely environment for children. For example, it was raised at the last inspection that improvements needed to be made to the environment. Leaders have taken this on board, and there have been improvements made throughout the home. Children have contributed ideas to a sensory garden, which is a welcome addition to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child made progress in education while living here. The manager has worked closely with the child’s network of professionals to support the child to engage in education. This resulted in the child completing important exams and achieving qualifications. Staff encourage children to attend education because they know how important this is for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a door alarm system used for children’s bedrooms, in line with the statement of purpose. One child had made significant progress, moving to foster care through a planned and robust transition. The door alarm use was not regularly reviewed and consideration was not given to reduce it, despite the child’s progress. This could lead to monitoring that is not required, or considered to be excessive.

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

Children are supported to be safe. Staff use their knowledge and experience to recognise risks and take immediate action to reduce them. There is a strong multi-agency safeguarding response to any incidents of concern. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They know what action to take if they have any concerns about a child’s welfare.

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

Incidents have significantly reduced for one child. Regular discussions with the child have contributed to this. Staff are aware of how to keep children safe and respond appropriately when a child goes missing. There has been a focus on building Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 4 relationships to help children feel safe when they return, which has contributed to the reduction in incidents.

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

Missing-from-home protocols have not always been updated following missing incidents. Learning has been recognised after a child has been missing, but this has not been updated in the relevant care plan. One child had specific police bail conditions that had not been included in the care plan or missing safety plan.

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

Staff sometimes use physical restraint to protect children and others. This is for the shortest time possible and in proportion to the risk. Delays to the manager’s oversight and reflective work with the staff and children impact the opportunity to learn and improve care practices for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has led the home through a difficult period. This has included the deterioration of one child’s behaviour, requiring notice to be served on their placement. Leaders and managers made the difficult decision to identify when the home was not the best placement for a child. They recognised the impact on the safety of the child and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team is passionate about providing children with care and nurture. Managers have created a culture of safe and caring relationships, which has filtered through the staff team. Managers lead an enthusiastic and motivated staff team. The manager is held in high regard by staff and other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by the manager in their day-to-day practice. Managers are visible and approachable, which has helped to create a stable staff team. Supervision discussions focus on reflective practice and learning opportunities for staff. However, they do not always take place during busy, challenging periods in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. Effective monitoring and quality assurance systems are in place. The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager seeks training for the staff to meet the children’s individual needs. This includes working with external agencies to use their knowledge to help staff to have a greater understanding of children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 5

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the use of door alarms is continually reviewed and appropriate to the needs of children. The registered manager should work with the local authority in decision-making for the child. Children’s plans should regularly be reviewed and have the relevant information for children to enable staff to support them. 17 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the specific physical intervention technique is described, there is oversight of the report within 24 hours and a debrief is completed with staff and the child involved within outlined timescales. 17 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision and team meetings to review 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. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2762776 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TX

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Inspector

Eleanor Quanbrough, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2762776 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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