Children's Home run by Treetops Children Homes in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 1 Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes 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

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection and were given the opportunity to contribute. One child shared their views, and one child chose not to. One child has moved from the home within the last inspection year.

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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: 12 November 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: 2731415 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 17/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is inviting. It is well furnished and maintained and feels like a family home. There are lots of comfortable areas to relax in areas of the home where children spend time with staff. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. There is a large well-maintained garden, which is a valuable space for the children. Children enjoy planting fruit in the garden. They have recently enjoyed eating the strawberries they grew. Children also benefit from a separate study area. This is another valuable space for children as they enjoy taking part in arts and crafts. This space is used to support learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress since living here. Children have plans in place regarding education. The manager has worked closely with relevant professionals to advocate on behalf of children and the educational plans which are in place. Staff are supporting one child to access education for the first time in several years. The child’s social worker considers them to be making ‘amazing progress’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show a strong understanding of children’s health needs, providing consistent and supportive care. Children feel confident discussing health-related matters with trusted adults, including sensitive topics such as sexual health and overall well-being. One child has made significant progress and is now participating with some health services for the first time in years. This shows the effective support and encouragement provided by staff, which has helped the child develop confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although staff demonstrate a strong understanding of children’s needs and respond appropriately, this is not consistently reflected in care planning. Children’s plans lack clarity in outlining risks, actions and in the day-to-day care provided by staff. Without this there is a risk that children’s emerging needs are not fully met. The manager has plans in place to improve this area of care.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not currently up to date. Significant incidents have not been adequately reflected in current assessments. This prevents staff identifying emerging patterns of concern for children, which may change the level of risk for a child.

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

Children do not consistently receive timely medical attention following significant incidents. For example, medical intervention was not sought for a child who had been under the influence of cannabis, nor for another child who had engaged in suspected headbanging. The absence of clear guidance within care planning creates uncertainty for staff, increasing the risk that children’s health needs may be overlooked. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 4 A significant gap in working history was not explored for one member of staff. This does not provide evidence of practising due diligence and undermines safer recruitment principles. This increases the risk of unsuitable individuals being employed. Staff understand the needs of the children; this includes the ways in which children communicate. Staff adapt their approaches to meet the communication needs of the children. Staff are also able to identify behaviours children display and what this might

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

mean. This means children’s needs are met and understood by staff.

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

Children regularly speak with adults in the home about what is important to them. This helps to prevent situations from escalating. Children are confident to share their views with staff and are empowered to make decisions about their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a registered manager, who is ambitious for children. The manager supports staff well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development, with well-considered plans for improvement. She sets high expectations for staff and has effectively used both the appraisal and probation processes to assess suitability and performance. This proactive approach ensures that individuals with the appropriate skills and experience are placed in roles where they can best support the needs of children, contributing to a stable and well-managed environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision; this strengthens the manager’s oversight and support. However, the quality of supervision remains inconsistent across the team. The manager has identified this as an area for improvement and is actively working to ensure that supervision practice improves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are a valuable space for staff. There is a strong focus on children’s needs. Team meetings are used as a space for learning and reflection. Staff benefit from having therapeutic input from an external agency. This adds value for staff when considering how to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children demonstrate confidence in using the complaints procedure, understanding how to raise concerns when needed. Complaints are taken seriously by the manager and investigated. However, there is no evidence that children receive outcomes to their complaints, which could undermine their trust in the process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A child was informed by staff that they would be moving from the home, which was against the agreed plan. This had a negative impact on their well-being. This transition was not carefully or sensitively managed so as to ensure that children feel secure and supported. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and accurate, reflecting the current risks for children. This requirement is re-set from the previous inspection. 28 July 2025

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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.

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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, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 28 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 6 This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s planning reflects their current day-to-day needs. It also includes ensuring that managers and leaders help children have a positive ending from the home which is in line with the agreed plan.

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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 children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff receive a consistent level of supervision. This also relates to ensuring that children’s plans are regularly updated and reflect their current progress and the risks they potentially face. This also relates to ensuring that children receive an outcome to any complaint which they make. 28 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 7

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2731415 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Becky Thompson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 9 regulates and inspects 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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