Children's Home run by Blue Valley Care Ltd in Leicester

Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 1 Registered provider: Blue Valley Care 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

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a manager who registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, there were two children living in the home. Both children were spoken with 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

Date of last inspection: 28 January 2025

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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: 2795704 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home where their bedrooms reflect their individual tastes, allowing their personalities to shine through. However, the communal areas currently lack a sense of warmth and homeliness. This has been identified as an area for development by the manager, and there are plans in place to improve the shared spaces and create a more welcoming environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that all relevant information is obtained from professionals prior to making any decisions about children coming to live in the home. This process guarantees that only children whose needs can be met by staff come to live in the home. Where possible, children are offered the opportunity to visit the home before moving in. When children move on, they are supported through smooth and well-planned transitions. Children are consulted about their moves and provided with reassurance throughout. Additionally, reflective discussions take place following each child’s departure, to identify learning and inform ongoing improvements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access specialist services that address their individual care needs. When these services are not available for children, the manager proactively challenges this with the relevant professionals to ensure that children are receiving the support they require.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children to maintain meaningful relationships with those who are important to them. This helps children to sustain emotional connections and a sense of identity. In one case, a child has been able to successfully reconnect with a family member after a significant period of separation, with support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access education that is appropriate to their individual needs and stage of development. Staff understand the importance of education and consistently encourage children to be aspirational about their future. The manager advocates strongly for children to attend education settings that best support their learning needs. When issues arise with children’s education, staff and professionals work together to hold meetings and identify the most-effective ways to support children. One professional noted that a child’s wishes were central to their education planning and praised staff for thinking creatively to ensure that the child’s needs and preferences were met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Records are written with the child in mind, providing a clear and meaningful account of each child’s journey into and through the home. Staff speak with pride about children’s progress and achievements, demonstrating a strong sense of care and commitment. Children receive regular encouragement and praise, which helps to build their confidence and self-esteem. Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 4

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

Staff know the children well and have a clear understanding of their individual behaviours, including potential triggers. Risk management plans are reviewed regularly and updated promptly following any incidents of concern. This ensures that they remain relevant and responsive to the children’s evolving needs and levels of risk.

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

When consequences are used, they are restorative in nature and aim to help children understand the impact of their behaviour. Staff support children to reflect on their actions in a way that promotes learning and personal growth. The manager maintains oversight of any consequences applied and reviews them to ensure that they are appropriate, proportionate and in the best interests of the child.

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

Staff engage in open and sensitive discussions with children about important issues, including how to keep themselves safe. Staff are not afraid to have difficult conversations and approach these with empathy and care. Children are provided with safe spaces where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and worries. Through these meaningful interactions, staff help children to understand risks and explore strategies for making safe choices. As a result, children are better equipped to manage risk, which has contributed to a reduction in their risks.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow each child’s individual missing protocol. Staff take appropriate and timely action, including notifying the police when required. Staff will search known areas and contact people who the children may be with. When children return, staff offer them space to speak about the reasons for going missing and how they can be supported in future. The manager ensures that return home interviews are completed by the local authority, providing children with the opportunity to speak with someone who is independent from the home.

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

When children intentionally hurt themselves, appropriate and timely action is taken to ensure their safety and well-being. Positive relationships between children and staff enable children to feel comfortable reaching out for support when they have hurt themselves or are experiencing low mood. Staff provide sensitive and consistent support to promote children’s emotional well-being and resilience.

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

There are robust safer recruitment processes in place, ensuring that only adults who are deemed safe and suitable are employed to work in the home. When concerns are raised about staff members, appropriate and timely action is taken to safeguard children and maintain a safe environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a manager who provides strong leadership and is dedicated to providing good care for children. Staff report feeling well supported by management, who prioritise children’s best interests alongside staff development. The manager actively fosters a positive working environment by providing opportunities for staff to grow and develop professionally. Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 5 The management team maintains thorough oversight of the home through regular reviews of incidents and comprehensive audits. Reflections arising from this oversight are clearly documented, and any areas for improvement are promptly shared with the team to support ongoing development and better practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed all mandatory training, including safeguarding. In addition, staff receive training that is tailored to the specific needs of the children living in the home. This ensures that staff possess the relevant skills and knowledge to provide effective and personalised support to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings provide staff with valuable opportunities to come together to discuss the children in detail and reflect on how best to support them. These meetings also offer a space for learning and development, which staff report finding highly beneficial.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, during which children's needs and staff well-being are explored in depth. Staff report that supervision sessions help them to feel supported and better equipped to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals has been positive, highlighting children’s progress and the effective communication and collaborative working with the registered manager and deputy. Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 6

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2795704 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Valley Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Wiltshire Crescent, Basingstoke RG22 5FE

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2795704 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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