Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who have experienced childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection three children were living at the home. Two children were present and spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2021. He is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/04/2023 Full Good 17/08/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection there were three children living at the home. Two of the children have lived at the home for over a year, and one child has been living at the home for three months. While managers and staff have provided children with a stable home, where they have been able to build trusting relationships with staff, children’s progress is mixed. Children have made progress in some aspects of their lives. However, at other times, children have not received the help and care that they have needed.

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improvement to be good

Since the assurance inspection in March 2025, incidents involving all three children have increased. Staff have failed to implement consistent and effective strategies to manage group dynamics and escalating behaviours and to mitigate risk. This has led to incidents when children have left the home together, been aggressive towards staff, and gained access to the office, where they are able to access keys, money and confidential information. These incidents have negatively impacted children’s progress and their day- to-day experiences of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have not ensured that the home is consistently cleaned and maintained to a good standard. For example, there was rubbish near the front door, a burn and stains on the lounge carpet, marks and stains on walls, and one child’s ensuite bathroom needed cleaning. This does not provide a homely and welcoming environment for children to live in.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not provide effective support for children with their education. Children have poor education and attainment. While staff did support one child to return to school, their attendance has deteriorated. When children are not in school, there is a lack of educational activities, and staff’s encouragement for children to attend school is inconsistent. Children have poor nighttime and sleep routines, which can further affect their motivation to attend education.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy various activities, both inside and outside of the home, including trips to the seaside and the local cinema and meals out with staff. These experiences help them to build positive relationships with staff and create lasting memories. Staff encourage children to pursue their own hobbies and interests. For example, one child has attended cadets, participates in a youth group and is due to join a local football group. These opportunities contribute to improved confidence and self-esteem for children.

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improvement to be good

The children are registered with universal health services, and staff encourage them to attend routine health appointments. Staff will seek specialist support for children when required. This supports children to have good physical and mental health.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff to see their family and friends. This ensures that children continue to build relationships and attachments with those people who are significant to Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 4 them. Staff are supporting one child to return to the care of their family, in line with the child’s and their family’s wishes.

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improvement to be good

The manager’s approach to safeguarding is not consistently effective. Staff are not always able to de-escalate children’s behaviours. Some high-risk behavioural incidents have occurred, which have required police intervention to keep children safe. Although the manager has worked with partner agencies to mitigate these risks, the frequency and severity of incidents have contributed to an environment where one child has reported feeling unsafe living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff do not provide children with clear, consistent boundaries regarding acceptable behaviour. Children are unclear about what is expected of them. There is a lack of daily routine. Children have poor sleep patterns and are often asleep during the day and up until very late at night, listening to loud music or playing on games consoles. Incidents are occurring at night. These poor routines are impacting on all areas of children’s development, their engagement and progress. Moreover, this does not provide children with predictable care that contributes to their feelings of security and safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently follow children’s written care and safety plans. For example, safety plans state children are not allowed in the staff office. Throughout the inspection, children were seen persistently accessing the office without challenge from staff. This is particularly pertinent, as a high proportion of incidents have involved children gaining access to the office. This inconsistent practice creates confusion for children and consequently is not keeping them safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff manage incidents of children going missing from care well. They follow missing- from-care protocols, searching for the children and consulting with police to locate quickly. When risks escalate, staff quickly report concerns and work with external professionals to identify strategies to help to keep children safer. As a result, the number of incidents is reducing. However, one child’s missing-from-care protocol lacked clarity as to when staff should report the child missing to police. While this has not impacted on the child, this can lead to delays and inconsistent staff responses.

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improvement to be good

The manager responds appropriately to concerns about staff practice, complaints or allegations. Information is shared swiftly with professionals, and comprehensive investigations are carried out. Children are informed of the outcomes, which helps them feel listened to and confident to raise concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children have opportunities to express their views, wishes and feelings. Children said they felt listened to and had staff they could talk to if they had any worries or concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 5 Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. Since the last inspection, there have been two physical interventions. Records are detailed. Managers have oversight of incidents, and they provide staff and children with a reflective debrief following the use of any intervention. This ensures that, when used, physical intervention is proportionate, necessary and supports staff to develop their practice.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment records show safe recruitment processes are in place. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are not consistently effective. They have failed to identify key shortfalls in practice. This limits the manager’s understanding of the day-to-day care children receive and impedes their ability to improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. He listens to children and will speak out for them. Leaders and managers want the home and children to do well, and they encourage the staff team to share this ethos. However, their lack of understanding of the importance of consistent structure, routine and boundaries is impacting on this, and subsequently, the children’s progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff turnover and vacancies have further disrupted children’s care. Although managers and staff work hard to cover rota gaps, reliance on staff from other homes and agency staff compromises continuity. One professional noted that this may have contributed to the increase in incidents for a child, who felt less safe, as they are cared for by unfamiliar staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

While the manager and staff receive training to support their understanding of children’s individual care needs, this has not been effective in preparing staff to meet the children’s needs and manage their risks consistently. As a result, there has been a high level of police intervention. This puts children at risk of being criminalised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say they feel well supported by the manager. They receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal. There are also monthly team meetings. This allows for discussion and reflection on incidents to improve staff practice. The manager also carries out workshops on topics such as therapeutic parenting and children going missing from care. These processes support staff to develop their practice, work as a team and improve the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers and staff work with a range of professionals to ensure that children receive well-coordinated care. The manager will advocate for children if he feels that professionals are not supporting them appropriately. He strives to provide children with a stable home and does not give up easily on children. Despite challenges, the feedback from professionals was positive about the children’s care, their relationships with staff and the communication. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 6

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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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that children receive consistent care, with clear routine and boundaries. Staff must support children to live together safely. Additionally, children’s missing-from-care plans must contain clear guidance for staff on when the police are to be contacted. 12 September 2025

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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

promotes their welfare. 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that there are effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care and that there is a stable staff team who can provide consistency of care for the children that meets their needs and keeps them safe.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 8 This relates to the manager ensuring that there are effective plans in place to support children to return to school as soon as possible. In addition, when children are not in education, there are routines and educational activities in place that support children’s learning.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that there are clear daily structure, routines and boundaries in place that provide children with expectations of acceptable behaviour and that children are supported to develop healthy sleep routines. 12 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 12 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 9 provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that the home’s environment is consistently cleaned and maintained to a good standard that meets the needs of the children living at the home.

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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: 1256135 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cherelle Robinson

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 11 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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