Children's Home run by Azalea Care Ltd in Peterborough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 1 Registered provider: Azalea Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to five children with physical or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

In October 2025, the registered manager stepped down from her role, and a new manager was appointed

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the last inspection, serious and widespread concerns were identified. Two compliance notices were served under regulations 12 and 13 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. In addition, a notice restricting accommodation was issued. In August 2025, a monitoring visit was carried out, which determined that satisfactory steps had been taken to meet the compliance notices. Following the visit, the notice restricting accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2025 Full Inadequate 29/05/2024 Full Good 03/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 3

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improvement to be good

The inspector spoke with three children living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Several parts of the home require maintenance, including the children’s bathroom, which has mouldy areas. Although there are plans to carry out the necessary repairs, they have not been addressed promptly. This does not contribute to a clean, healthy or comfortable living environment.

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improvement to be good

The managers and staff encourage education. All children are in suitable education provisions. This has provided them with routine and structure, as well as learning opportunities.

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improvement to be good

The children’s health needs are met. Managers advocate for the children to ensure that they have access to specialist services. Staff communicate and champion the children’s needs at appointments. One child’s treatment has been adjusted following staff sharing concerns with a medical professional. This has had a positive impact on the child’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy various activities. One child has an interest in emergency vehicles. Staff took him to the fire station to see the fire engine and meet the crew. This has helped the child create meaningful memories.

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improvement to be good

The children’s bedrooms are individualised to meet their needs. One child has recently moved bedrooms and has plans to upcycle furniture with staff’s support for their new room. The children’s artwork is displayed throughout the home. A personalised home provides children with a sense of belonging and permanence.

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improvement to be good

Children are looked after by dedicated staff who understand and celebrate their individual personalities. Staff establish positive relationships with the children by using communication methods that meet their individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff have used physical intervention to ensure the safety of children and adults. However, despite this use, the staff do not record measures taken to reduce the need to carry out a physical intervention. They do not add their name or signature to demonstrate involvement or witness to the incident. This limits a full understanding of the incident and staff practice. As a result, managers are unable to determine whether staff practice has been safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 4 The home is locked to minimise the risks for one child in the community unsupported. As a result, all children are deprived of the freedom to go outdoors. This fails to give children the freedom to come and go.

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improvement to be good

When incidents occur involving children and staff, an investigation is carried out. Following investigations, there have been no actions to help rebuild relationships between children and staff. Information is not fed back to the children, leaving them unsure of outcomes and insecure in relationships.

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improvement to be good

The manager has communicated with all necessary professionals and agencies when significant incidents have occurred. However, there has been a delay in notifying Ofsted. This does not provide Ofsted with the opportunity to have the necessary regulatory oversight.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment checks are comprehensive, ensuring that the organisation has taken all reasonable steps to be confident that newly recruited staff are safe to care for vulnerable children.

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improvement to be good

Following a previous error, the manager has reviewed the process to manage and administer medication. Staff have received training, an extra member of staff supports administration, and the regularity of audits has increased. There have been no further administration errors.

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

The registered manager left her post in October 2025 and remained as the deputy manager at the home. The new manager was in the deputy role and has been promoted to manager. She will apply to register with Ofsted. Although there have been changes in the leadership of the home, the continuity of the managers has provided the children and staff with some consistency.

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

There have been some improvements in the relationships between staff and managers. Despite this, there is a lack of trust between staff and the management team, which has resulted in a divide. This is not conducive to a productive and healthy working environment.

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

Team meetings are held regularly. While these are child focused and include reflective discussion to encourage learning and development, there is minimal attendance from staff. Therefore, the meetings are not beneficial to the whole staff team.

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

Staff have received training to understand and meet the children’s specific needs. However, they have not completed their diplomas within the expected time frame. Managers have not helped the staff to achieve the knowledge and skills required to provide quality care.

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

Systems to record the child’s journey are not yet in place. The manager has identified that the monitoring system in place is not effective and has taken steps to advise and Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 5 train staff on the importance of accurate recording. This will provide a clearer picture of the children’s progress.

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

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the newly appointed manager. Parents praise the staff’s support and the relationships they have with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 6

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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

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); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s liberty is only restricted in accordance with an agreement in place that is reviewed regularly or a court order. 31 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 7 date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff receive support to complete their qualification within the necessary time frame.

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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 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; 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that details of any methods used to avoid the need for physical intervention are recorded. 31 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there (Regulation 36 (1) (b)(c) (2)(d)) 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 8 This specifically relates to ensuring that all records, especially incident reports, are signed by the author and kept up to date, which includes recording updates and outcomes in the records.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious incidents are notified to the appropriate parties within 24 hours. The system should outline the necessary actions to take if the incident occurs on a weekend or public holiday. The notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that expectations of standards of behaviour are high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and secure relationships with staff in the home should be central to the home’s ethos and support the development of secure attachments that, where

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Recommendations

appropriate, persist over time. In particular, the positive relationships between children and staff should be reinforced with strategies that suit the child following an incident to reassure the child and rebuild trust. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should ensure that the environment is nurturing and welcoming. Many children placed in homes may undergo a difficult transition, and what should be a simple aspect of their care takes on substantial significance in this context. There should be no unnecessary delays in repairing damage around the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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 are 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: 2682522 9

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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: 2682522 10 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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