Children's home run by Axios Care Homes Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 1 Registered provider: Axios Care 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

This home registered with Ofsted in March 2025 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 2

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improvement to be good

No children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. One child lived at the home for three weeks, and their experience was not positive. The child made very little progress, and this was confirmed by their social worker.

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improvement to be good

Leaders admitted a child into the home with complex needs. The newly formed staff team did not have the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to meet the child’s needs. As a result, the child did not receive the standard of care expected and staff struggled to keep the child safe. Leaders have since reflected on this naïve decision and have acknowledged shortfalls.

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improvement to be good

Children’s interests are supported. Staff encouraged the child’s love of animals. A mural of a cat was painted on the lounge wall, and the child was given pet guinea pigs as a welcome gift. The child took care of their pets with great pride, and this had a positive impact on their well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s physical health by promoting healthy eating. Children are encouraged to try new foods; for example, one child ate oranges for the first time. When specialist support is needed, such as mental health services, timely referrals are made.

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improvement to be good

Education is promoted. Leaders advocate for children to return to full-time education. A school place was sourced for the child, but the child moved out of the home before they got the opportunity to attend. To provide structure during school hours, staff offered informal learning opportunities at home, including code-breaking games, which the child enjoyed.

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improvement to be good

The home is warm, clean and well maintained. Timely repairs are carried out, and the environment is welcoming and suitable for children.

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improvement to be good

Children have not been kept safe. Restrictions outlined in the child’s deprivation of liberty order, authorised by the court, were not consistently implemented. Despite close supervision, the child went missing from home on six occasions. This presented a safeguarding risk due to the child’s age and vulnerability.

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improvement to be good

The safety plan that staff follow when the child was missing contained inaccurate information. This undermined the effectiveness of the response and compromised the child’s safety. Leaders also failed to ensure that independent return home interviews Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 3 with the child were completed. As a result, opportunities to gather information to inform risk assessments and improve safety planning were missed.

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improvement to be good

Leaders are unable to demonstrate that restraint practice is always necessary or proportionate. Records of restraint are not always fully completed and there is insufficient scrutiny of incidents because the effectiveness of practice is not evaluated. Staff do not have opportunities to reflect on incidents or learn from them, which limits their ability to improve how they care for children safely.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not managed serious incidents well, placing the child at risk of harm. Some staff lack the confidence and skills needed to respond safely during times of crisis. As a result, there was frequent reliance on police involvement, increasing the risk of criminalising children. Some incidents may have been prevented had staff followed the child’s plans and recognised indicators of potential harm more promptly.

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improvement to be good

Leaders take action and follow safeguarding policies to protect children when staff conduct falls short. On two occasions, staff behaviour has fallen below the provider’s expectations. While the child was not harmed, the staff members failed in their duty to provide good care. In both cases, information was shared with safeguarding partners and the staff members were initially suspended and later dismissed following thorough investigations. This is a good safety net for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has experienced significant challenges since opening. Leaders failed to ensure that the staff team has the skills, knowledge and experience needed to manage the child’s behaviours. This was made more difficult because the team was newly formed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been changes in leadership, including the departure of the registered manager in June 2025. Leaders have appointed a new manager, who has worked at the home for one week. She has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight has been poor. Leaders have not had effective systems to ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is met. Opportunities for staff reflection and learning have been limited and ineffective. As a result, shortfalls were not identified or addressed in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders understand the weaknesses of the home and are taking action to improve. The responsible individual has already identified all of the shortfalls found during this inspection. An improvement plan is in place, which includes targeted training to ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge needed. This shows a commitment to learning lessons, but the impact of these changes has not yet been tested in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders are also working hard to ensure that staff consistently understand and follow policies and procedures. As part of this improvement plan, there is a temporary pause Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 4 on children moving into the home while improvements are made, and staff confidence is restored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

To strengthen management oversight of children’s care and the day-to-day running of the home, a new electronic monitoring system is being implemented. The responsible individual explained how this will help leaders to track children’s progress and experiences effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Efforts are being made to rebuild community relationships. Some neighbours were negatively affected by poor staff conduct and the inability of staff to meet the child’s needs. Leaders have written to neighbours and plan to invite them to visit the home to discuss their concerns further. Some neighbours have responded positively to this approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel supported, and morale is improving. Staff receive regular supervision, which is used to reflect on practice, address poor performance and set goals for improvement. Staff value the clear guidance provided by managers and are beginning to feel more confident in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are used to strengthen team cohesion and support practice development. Staff have opportunities to discuss their training, and newly acquired knowledge is revisited. This is helping to embed good practice and improve outcomes for any new children who move into the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 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 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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos:

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ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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; and

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demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and confidence to meet children’s needs, safeguard them effectively and promote their welfare. The skills 5 September 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 6 and knowledge of staff must also be fully considered when decisions to admit new children to the home are made.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must be supported to reflect on incidents to develop practice and improve children’s experiences.

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There must be effective oversight of care delivery to ensure it aligns with the home’s statement of purpose. Monitoring systems must identify shortfalls and lead to prompt action. All incidents must be reviewed to identify gaps in staff practice or recognise successful approaches.

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

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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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help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(b))

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In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s safety plans contain accurate information to help staff provide safe care to reduce the risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, staff must be able to identify when children are at risk of harm and take effective action to keep them safe. 5 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 5 September 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 7 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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details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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

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

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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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within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is

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authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")

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has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are completed, and the effectiveness of the measure is evaluated.

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Requirement Due date

Also, debriefs with staff must take place within 48 hours to provide the opportunity for reflection and to ensure that staff care for children safely. Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 8

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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 children’s home: 2814837 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Axios Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12 Caroline Street, Birmingham B3 1TR

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Inspector

Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2814837 10 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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