Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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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 run and provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a manager who has been registered with Ofsted since June 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, and their views were considered as part of the 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Good 29/11/2023 Full Good 12/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a home that is warm, welcoming and exceptionally well presented. The décor is of a high standard and the atmosphere is homely and nurturing. Personal touches are evident throughout, with photographs and children’s artwork that celebrate their achievements. Bedrooms are highly individualised, reflecting children’s personalities and interests. One child’s room reflects his interests in football and another’s ongoing redecoration project demonstrates how staff actively support children to make their spaces their own.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled. They talk with pride about the progress they have made and speak with optimism about their futures. One child reflected that their life is ‘now on a good path’. This demonstrates a strong sense of stability and self-belief. Relationships between children and staff are trusting, respectful and warm. Staff are attentive to children’s needs and aspirations, ensuring they are well supported to take part in activities and experiences that matter to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with commitment and creativity to help children maintain and strengthen important relationships. A notable example is where staff were pivotal in supporting one child to rebuild a positive relationship with a parent after years of no contact. This sensitive, well-managed work has been recognised by the child’s social worker as a significant and life-enhancing achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are central to decision-making in the home. Weekly meetings are meaningful, and children are actively encouraged to express their views, wishes and feelings. The leadership team listens carefully to feedback and responds promptly; when children said meetings felt repetitive, the approach was redesigned to make them more engaging and discussion focused.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are purposeful, reflective and tailored to the child’s level of understanding. They help children explore their experiences, build resilience and set personal goals. While the quality of written records for these sessions varies, the work itself is consistently child focused and impactful. There is clear evidence that this ongoing, high-quality support helps children make strong and sustained progress in all areas of their lives.

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

Children feel safe and secure. They speak with confidence about the trust they have in staff and the care they receive. Incidents are rare, and there have been no physical interventions or complaints from children since the last inspection. This reflects the calm and supportive environment staff create. Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 4 Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, ensuring that all known risks are clearly identified and addressed. Staff use these documents to inform their care practice. The content reflects a strong understanding of each child’s needs, and the strategies required to support them.

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

Children are actively encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour and develop their own strategies for managing it. One child introduced a football-inspired yellow and red card system to help with transitions from technology use. This creative and personalised approach has been highly effective in promoting the child’s sense of control and responsibility.

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

Incidents of the children going missing from the home are infrequent. When they do occur, staff respond promptly and appropriately, taking immediate steps to locate the child and ensure their safe return. Incident records are detailed and thorough, including debriefs for both the child and staff involved, as well as clear evidence of management oversight.

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

Incidents in the home are handled calmly and effectively. Reports provide a clear account of events, demonstrate reflective practice, and show how follow-up work supports children to learn from experiences and move forward positively. The team is continuing to develop the use of child-friendly language in these records to ensure they are fully accessible to children.

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

A small number of medication errors occurred during the inspection period. These were addressed swiftly and robustly. A revised medication process has been implemented, all staff have undertaken refresher training, and the matter was discussed in depth at a team meeting to ensure learning was embedded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a committed registered manager, supported by an equally dedicated deputy. Together, they have driven significant improvements since the last inspection. Their vision is clear: to provide children with the best possible experiences and outcomes. This commitment is evident in the way they model high expectations, encourage innovation, and continually seek opportunities to develop practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team invests heavily in staff development and is proud of the committed and skilled team they have built. New and creative ways of working are actively encouraged, ensuring that practice remains fresh and responsive to children’s needs. The deputy manager is particularly focused on introducing evidence-based tools to help children understand and manage their behaviour. While these approaches are not yet fully embedded in everyday practice, they are already showing positive impact for some children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak very positively about working in the home. They describe feeling well supported and valued, and their enthusiasm for their work is clear. They speak about the Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 5 children with warmth and dedication, demonstrating a shared commitment to achieving the best outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff maintain strong, effective relationships with local authorities and other professionals. Communication is described as timely, open and constructive. Professionals consistently report that the team knows the children exceptionally well, and that its members are always willing to go the extra mile to support them. One social worker commented, ‘I think they go above and beyond to make sure [child] is ok. I have nothing but good things to say about the home; it is a really lovely place.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision and purposeful team meetings, where both support and constructive challenge are provided. This enables staff to develop professionally and sustain high-quality practice. The leadership team recognises the emotional impact of the work and ensures that staff well-being is actively supported. Therapeutic parenting approaches are beginning to become a consistent feature of practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team is constantly seeking new ways to celebrate children’s achievements and provide them with enriching experiences. While some initiatives are still in the early stages, they demonstrate a forward-thinking and child-centred approach that is steadily becoming embedded across the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2690357 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd, 21 Mallard Way, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8GX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspectors

Lauren Barwell Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2690357 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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