Children's home run by Azalea Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 1 Registered provider: Azalea Care Limited

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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 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

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home at this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

In the last four months, four children whose needs could not be safely met by staff have been admitted to the home. This has resulted in trauma and distress to children. Some children have had to remain in hospital for some time while a new home has been identified.

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This monitoring visit

The manager moved a child to the home without a thorough assessment or understanding of their needs. The plan to support the child’s specific needs was ineffective. Staff do not have the necessary training or guidance from managers to be able to keep the child safe. Following several incidents of self-injurious behaviour, the child was admitted to hospital. Leaders and managers then discharged the child from the care of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to support a child with a recognised need. The levels of risk were known to fluctuate. The staff were not prepared or aware that the child’s care needed to be responsive to the risks. Staff were unable to manage this and required support from emergency services to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 2 During an incident, staff used a physical intervention which was not necessary or proportionate. This was identified by the manager, although no actions were taken. For one child, there were not enough staff to implement a deprivation of liberty order. One night, an intervention was required when another child was threatened and frightened. This intervention could not be carried out because there were not enough staff.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have been multiple changes to the staff team. Several new staff members have joined the home. Staff have not had the required or specific training. Therefore, staff are not equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding of how to support or care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not provide regular staff meetings. Staff experienced a challenging period. Children were unsettled and there was an increase in incidents. Several children moved into the home and then left the home. This was not discussed at a team meeting, missing the opportunity for staff to reflect, learn and improve the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to provide effective debriefs with staff following incidents. A clear understanding of incidents has not been achieved. There have been missed opportunities for staff’s learning and professional development.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that children’s education has been prioritised. An education provision for a child became unavailable. There were no alternative educational activities to provide consistency and structure for the child to continue learning.

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This monitoring visit

Managers’ oversight is ineffectual. Issues from incident records have not been identified by the manager. Concerns that have been raised by staff in supervision sessions have not been followed up. This has not enabled effective action to be taken when there is a risk that a child may experience harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to keep the statement of purpose up to date or to inform Ofsted of multiple staff changes. This prevents Ofsted from having the necessary regulatory oversight and knowledge of staff working at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that staff have regular, good-quality supervision sessions. These are not reflective or held regularly. Staff are not prompted to reflect on their practice with children. This does not help staff, especially new staff, to develop good practice. This was highlighted at the previous inspection and raised as a requirement. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 4

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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 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 the assessments of new children moving to the home consider their known risks and vulnerabilities. 6 October 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 reflective supervision sessions as detailed in the home’s policy. 6 October 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

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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 6 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 6 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 6 Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 6 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Azalea Care Limited

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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

Sarah Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2796475 8 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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