Children's home run by Bluejay Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 1 Registered provider: Bluejay Care 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 privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children who have learning disabilities. There are three children currently living in the home and the inspector spent time with all of them.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since June 2025. This is the home’s first full inspection since registering with Ofsted in November 2024.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing and caring towards children, and they speak about them with warmth and pride. Children are developing meaningful relationships with staff because they trust them and enjoy their company. Some children are already closely bonded to staff members, initiating interactions with them and seeking comfort.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know that staff are attentive and respond to their needs. They are therefore confident to express themselves through sounds, body language and object referencing. Staff respond in a timely manner to show children that they have been seen and heard. However, staff are not encouraging children to use alternative communication methods as regularly as they should in order to develop their communication skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make good progress from their starting points. This includes attending school, learning how to use cutlery, having haircuts, going to the dentist and exercising independence with their hygiene routines. Staff encourage children to participate in hobbies such as football. They also took two children on their first holiday to Wales, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff involve children in meal planning in order to promote choice. They look through cookbooks with children and help them to identify meals that they would like to eat throughout the week. However, snacks and meals observed during the inspection were not nutritious enough, which is important given the children’s medical needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children remain in contact with people who are important to them. They invite families to visit children at the home as well as promoting family time in the community. Staff support parents when they struggle with children’s behaviour and help them to increase their confidence around the children.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks, and they provide personalised care that takes this into account. For example, staff provide adequate supervision levels to children at home, and in the community, to reduce the likelihood of them accidentally harming themselves or others.

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

Staff are conscious that children exhibit self-injurious behaviours linked to their sensory needs. Staff intervene using distraction or redirection to help children use safer sensory outlets. In some instances, this is not possible, and staff prevent children from sustaining serious injuries by blocking their contact with hard surfaces.

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

Physical interventions are rare because staff are skilled at using strategies that help children to self-sooth and calm. This includes promoting sensory activities like blowing bubbles and jumping on the trampoline. Alternatively, staff offer children verbal Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 4 reassurance and encourage them to use their bedrooms or the garden for space away from others.

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

The registered manager and responsible individual take a robust approach to identifying and addressing shortfalls in staff practice. They monitor staff’s practice, carry out investigations and consult with the local authority. When necessary, managers suspend staff in order to prioritise the children’s well-being and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has well-established relationships with the children, and they are fond of him. One child was beaming with joy when the manager encouraged him to sing along and dance to his favourite song. The manager joined in, which increased the child’s happiness. This demonstrated the manager’s natural ability to model good practice to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a collaborative approach to caring for children. He is committed to consulting with parents and external professionals to develop an in-depth understanding of children’s needs. The manager uses their input to devise strategies that help children to make progress and to aid staff’s understanding of children’s social cues and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and registered manager are critically reflective practitioners. They skilfully balance providing staff with support and challenging their practice. They organise bespoke training for staff, for example by having a speech and language therapist visit the home to provide advice about one child’s communication needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good oversight of the quality of care delivered to children and he understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. The home has made good strides since it opened and started caring for children. However, there are some areas that require further attention, such as medication administration records and safer recruitment practices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that gaps in employment history are explored during the recruitment process. 1 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff promote children’s overall well-being by supporting them to have healthy balanced diets. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.2)  The registered person should ensure that medical administration records are accurate and that any irregularities are explored and accounted for. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff help children to learn informally by promoting their use of alternative communication methods. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18) Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2806495 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 8SP

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Inspector:

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2806495 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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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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