Children's home run by Sunflower Children Care Services

Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 1 Registered provider: Sunflower Children Care Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2025 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home provided their views to support the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team have created a loving and homely environment for children that resembles a family setting. Leaders understand the need to invest in and maintain a stimulating and comfortable home environment. The child’s bedroom is decorated and furnished to a high standard. This has contributed to the child having an increased sense of belonging and pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been two planned admissions to the home since it opened, and one child has left. This was despite careful assessment planning. It became evident that one child needed a specialist provision, and the home was not equipped to meet the complex changing needs of the child. Leaders and managers worked with the local authority to support the child in leaving the home in a positive manner. The manager and responsible individual have reflected on the decisions made about the child’s admission to the home. This information has been used to further improve the manager’s approach to determining whether new children are suitable to move into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistent, trusting and stable relationships with supportive and nurturing staff. As a result, children invest in their relationships with staff. The quality of the care children receive significantly enhances their life opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend medical appointments and health reviews. They help children develop the necessary skills to manage their health needs and maintain good personal hygiene. Supportive discussions are frequently held with children to explore physical, mental and emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to overcome barriers to education. The child currently living at the home had been out of education for two years and is now attending college three days a week. Her college tutor said, ‘She is a very keen student. She has previously missed a lot of education but is trying hard across the board.’ Staff speak with pride about being able to transition the child back into a suitable education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have focused on helping the child to improve their self-confidence. They have learned about the child’s interests and use these as a motivational tool to build the child’s skills. In doing so, the child learns about their barriers and how to break them down with support and guidance from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has implemented an independent living skills programme for the child that enables them to identify skills they would like to develop, and staff support them in achieving these objectives. The child has already made progress with budgeting, cooking and self-care skills and has started to use public transport in preparation for independent travel. As a result, the child has become more confident in their abilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 3 The child has been encouraged to engage in and enjoy a wide range of social and leisure activities. This has included visiting various museums, going shopping and joining a youth club and a writing club. The child has a passion for writing and aspires to become a writer. Staff have supported the child in entering a national writing competition. The staff are continuously providing the child with opportunities to try new activities to build

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

on hobbies and interests. This aids in the child’s skills development, self-belief, and understanding that the staff team is always there to support them.

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

Children are offered regular one-to-one key-work discussions with staff, which gives them a safe space to talk and helps them reflect and develop different strategies to manage their behaviour, feelings and emotions. This supports the efforts of staff to manage incidents effectively.

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

Staff are skilled at using de-escalation techniques when presented with children’s more challenging behaviours. As a result, the child is rarely held. However, when children have been held, it has been necessary to keep them safe, and the correct procedures have been followed. The child and any staff involved have had discussions following the intervention to ensure their safety, and the hold has been recorded appropriately.

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

Staff understand the child’s needs and how past experiences affect their safety. While risk assessments are reviewed regularly, not all areas have been fully reassessed. Updates have been added without a comprehensive review, meaning the assessment does not accurately reflect the child’s progress or current presentation.

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

The recruitment process for new staff is thorough. The required checks and verification processes are carried out before new staff begin to work at the home. This provides assurance that staff are suitable to work with children. There is a comprehensive induction and shadowing process for new starters, which is based on observation, discussion and training. The support given to new staff focuses on how to keep children safe.

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

There is a robust medication process in place. When a medication error occurred, the manager ensured that action was taken to address it. Staff have received extra training and support. This has prevented further errors from being made.

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

One child made several allegations against staff following incidents. These allegations were often withdrawn soon afterwards. The manager ensures that all allegations are investigated thoroughly. She involves relevant external professionals. This ensures that there is transparency in relation to care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for children and is motivated by achieving the best outcomes for them. She leads by example, with commitment and dedication. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 4 Staff speak positively about the manager’s knowledge and support. The manager is supported by a deputy manager who shares her vision for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an effective support network. The responsible individual is a visible presence in the home, which has enabled them to gain the children’s trust. This has better equipped the responsible individual to offer meaningful and constructive feedback for the manager’s consideration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is visible and supportive, with staff saying they feel well supported in their roles. One staff member said, ‘The manager is approachable, always listens to feedback and ideas, and shows genuine appreciation for everything we do for the home.’ Team morale is high, and strong staff retention ensures consistent care for children. This stability fuels creative plans to improve outcomes for children. Another staff member said, ‘What makes this home really special is that everyone here genuinely wants the children to achieve their dreams, and we will support them every step of the way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is in the process of moving to an electronic recording system. During this transition, the manager has experienced some teething issues that have affected oversight of plans and assessments. Action was taken during the inspection to rectify this and strengthen management monitoring moving forwards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from ongoing support, reflective supervision and constant guidance from managers. The training package offered to staff is comprehensive, equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to meet the children’s needs. This is further strengthened through guest speakers delivering bespoke training on specialist subjects to support staff development and enhance the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers create opportunities for children to express their feelings and provide feedback about their views and opinions. Managers understand the importance of listening to children and take time to respond to their requests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She has identified the need to continually improve staff training and development. This will ensure continued progression and improved outcomes for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 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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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that plans and assessments are kept up to date and include relevant information. 20 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: 2822163 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunflower Children Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cawley House, 149 to 155 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7HR

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2822163 7 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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