Children's Home run by BCG Midlands Limited in Leicester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 1 Registered provider: BCG Midlands 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 is owned by a private provider and is registered to care for up to three children who may require support with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager who was present during the inspection. This is the first inspection of the home since it was registered with Ofsted on 30 May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 2

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improvement to be good

Since the home opened, two children have moved into the home. Multi-agency information-sharing prior to the children moving into the home was not sufficient. As a result, suitability assessments lack rigour. Key information needed to inform safe and effective decision-making is missing, which has led to sudden, unplanned moves for both children. It has also undermined staff’s ability to manage risk and understand children’s vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

When there have been shortfalls in information-sharing and delays in agreeing changes to children’s care plans with partner agencies, the manager has responded appropriately by challenging and escalating concerns to advocate for the needs of the children. While these efforts have been persistent, they have not always been successful. Consequently, outcomes for children have not been consistently positive.

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improvement to be good

One child was initially cared for by a consistent and familiar staff team. When the child’s vulnerabilities increased, the manager used agency waking night staff who were unknown to the child. Leaders did not plan for staff to have an opportunity to build relationships with the child. Additionally, staff lacked sufficient training to meet the child’s needs. As a result, the child did not receive the level of safety and care they needed. The manager has recognised this shortfall and has begun recruiting a permanent waking night team to improve consistency and meet future children’s needs. However, the impact of this change is yet to be evidenced.

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improvement to be good

Staff risk assessments are not regularly reviewed and updated, which means that not all emerging risk factors are considered or shared with staff and the wider safeguarding network. As a result, staff do not have a consistent enough understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in their care.

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improvement to be good

While staff say that they use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children and others safe, the recording of physical intervention is sometimes confusing and lacks sufficient detail to evidence this consistently. The manager does ensure that children are spoken with following incidents and that there is management oversight. However, leaders also accept that this is an area for development and staff recording in this area does not consistently meet regulations.

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improvement to be good

Generally, staff demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding procedures. Staff follow children’s individual risk management plans when incidents occur and generally identify and record safeguarding incidents well. However, there have been some inconsistencies Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 3 and instances when staff have not consistently adhered to these plans. As a result, the required safeguarding actions have not been taken promptly. For instance, on one occasion, following an allegation made by a child against a member of staff, managers did not identify or follow up on the concern in a timely and appropriate manner.

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

The quality of management oversight and evaluation of incidents has been inconsistent. A responsible individual has been recruited, but their appointment is contracted to one day per week. This has impacted oversight and support for the manager. When the manager has been absent, the responsible individual has provided additional support alongside a deputising manager. However, these arrangements to oversee the home have been ineffective, and opportunities to identify and share learning from incidents have been missed. This has limited the staff team’s ability to reflect on and improve their practice.

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

The manager is in the process of developing systems to strengthen her oversight and enhance the monitoring of the quality of care and the day-to-day running of the home. She knows the home’s strengths and areas for development and is striving to establish clear expectations for staff. She is ambitious and has identified several key areas for improvement. This includes the strengthening of staff recording and management evaluation. However, the impact of this is yet to be evidenced.

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

Staff generally receive training to meet the needs of children, including areas such as self-injurious behaviours. However, there have been gaps in staff training. The manager has identified this and commissioned bespoke training to support the staff understanding and management of identified risks. Again, the impact of this is yet to be evidenced. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings which provide opportunities to further develop staff skills and promote effective team cohesion.

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

Despite the shortfalls, staff say that they are happy and report feeling supported by the manager. They are motivated and happy in their jobs. The team has worked through a turbulent time at the home. Despite this, the staff remain committed to their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that swift and appropriate safeguarding action is taken following an allegation being made.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that suitability assessments for children to live in the home are robust and consider all known needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk management plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they contain relevant and accurate information and that these plans are followed consistently. 29 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 29 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 5 promotes their welfare.

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that management oversight is consistent and that any shortfalls are addressed promptly.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff employed by and on behalf of the provider provide a consistent level of care that meets children’s identified needs.

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 29 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 29 October 2025

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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: 2835052 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: BCG Midlands Limited

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Inspector

Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2835052 8 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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