Children's home run by Azalea Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 1 Registered provider: Azalea Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to six children with physical or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered with Ofsted in October 2024. The manager is currently completing a level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection of the home. At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While one child was living at the home at the time of inspection a further three children had lived at the home since it was registered. The manager and staff work hard to ensure that the home remains a welcoming and cosy environment for the children in their care. The child’s bedroom is decorated to reflect their tastes and interests. The walls are decorated meaningfully with awards, and cards from their family. There is lots of space in the home for the child to play or sit with staff and watch their favourite television shows.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals such as social workers say that children are safe. The child is making progress in their education. One education professional noted the child’s ‘significant’ progress. They attributed this to staff working hard to build strong, supportive relationships with the child. This has helped them to attend and succeed at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand how to communicate meaningfully with the child. They do not rely solely on verbal communication. They skilfully use social stories and visual aids with the child. This helps the child to communicate effectively. As a result, staff understand the child’s wishes and feelings well and build strong and trusting relationships with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well met. Staff liaise with specialist consultants and use social stories with the child before they visit hospitals and the dentist. This has helped the child to attend significant health appointments without feeling overwhelmed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to develop the skills needed for independence in a meaningful manner. They understand the need to support the child with practical skills such as cooking. They equally understand the need to help them to develop their emotional skills. Staff have supported the child well to explore their emerging sexuality and begin to understand their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home have not been consistently well considered and managed. There has not been sufficiently thorough analysis of children’s complex needs before they move in. This has potentially undermined children’s stability. Three children have moved out suddenly or sooner than was planned for when they moved into the home.

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

Children’s social workers said that despite some children moving out of the home suddenly, their children were safe while living at the home.

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

Staff have worked hard to build positive relationships with the child currently living at the home. The child spoke of feeling able to trust staff and feeling safe in their care. As a result, staff have been able to have some very sensitive conversations with the child Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 3 about what they are worried about. They have also helped the child to think about how they will keep themselves safe as they move into adulthood.

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

Staff know the child they care for well. They update the child’s individual risk assessments dynamically when risks change. The child’s individual behaviour support plans are clear and helpful. These plans identify specific triggers for the child. This allows staff to proactively anticipate and respond to situations. They try to calm the child before their feelings become too overwhelming. As a result, there have been few occasions when staff have had to hold the child to keep them safe.

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

The manager and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and ensure that they work together with other professionals. Incidents are managed well, and all necessary actions are taken to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively.

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

The manager has a balanced approach to risk, ensuring the safety of the child living in the home. He encourages staff to allow the child to take measured risks within the parameters of their deprivation of liberty order. He has advocated for the child to have walks in the local community, attend a local youth club and attend weekly football matches.

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

Staff were proactive when one child went missing regularly. They searched for the child and worked tenaciously with police and social workers. Staff welcomed the child back warmly and challenged the local authority when they did not carry out return home interviews with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. He knows the strengths and areas for development and has a clear vision for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported and valued in their roles and are complimentary about the manager. Staff said they trust the manager. New staff receive an effective induction and staff’s performance is appraised annually. Staff enjoy their jobs and like working as part of a well-motivated team. One member of staff said they felt part of a ‘strong team’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed good relationships with other professionals. Social workers say that the manager works in partnership with them. They describe communication as very good, with no delay in the reporting of any incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a balance of online and face-to-face training. The manager has commissioned additional relevant training when necessary. This has helped staff to understand and respond to the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager follows safer recruitment processes to ensure that staff are suitable. Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 4 Staff supervision sessions are not reflective and are not always held regularly. Staff are not prompted to reflect on their practice with children. This does not help staff, especially such a new staff group, to develop good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not always made child-centred decisions about children coming to live at the home. Planning has not always considered the needs of the children already living in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that assessments of children’s moves into the home consider the significance of all known risks and vulnerabilities for children at the point of moving in. 27 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive regular reflective supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan and policy. 27 June 2025

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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: 2796475 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tax Assist Unit, 6 Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6FT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lyana Sinclair Russell

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Inspector

Majella Russell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2796475 7 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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