Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced registered manager. In this home, ‘adults’ is the term used to describe staff who work at the home.

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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 outstanding

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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: 18 December 2024

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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: 1255743 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2024 Full Good 13/03/2024 Full Good 26/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home, and three children have moved on. There are currently two children living at the home. The inspector spent time with both the children, and the children spoke to and engaged with the inspector over the two days. There was a constant warm, friendly atmosphere, with fun and laughter shared between the children and the adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from strong and positive relationships with the adults who care for them. Children are actively involved in all aspects of their care, which contributes to noticeable positive progress from when they moved into the home. Adults provide them with a genuine sense of emotional warmth and understanding. This child-centred approach supports children in building their self-esteem, self-worth and social resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop age-appropriate independence skills, including the ability to take well-managed risks. Adults are confident in supporting children to access community facilities and engage in new experiences. For example, children and adults recently completed the world’s fastest zip wire in Wales. Children have also raised money for a Meningitis charity by baking and selling cakes, and they spoke about this with pride. This encourages children’s confidence, resilience and personal growth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate strongly for the children to have access to good education provision. They ensure that education providers understand the impact of being in care and how children’s emotional well-being can be affected. Despite the challenges of the past months, staff work very creatively to make sure children have positive education experiences that build on their talents and reflect their goals. This supports children to learn and make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s living environment is homely, nurturing and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individuality, and the presence of pets living at the home contributes to a safe and warm atmosphere. This supports children to believe this is their home. Adults build and develop a sense of belonging and stability for the children. They see themselves as a family around them in a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with the appropriate health professionals and are actively encouraged to eat nutritious foods and engage in regular physical activity. Emotional well-being is openly discussed and supported, fostering an environment where children feel confident to talk about their feelings. This holistic approach contributes to children developing a positive attitude towards both their emotional and physical health.

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

Children enjoy and benefit from trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. These relationships are built on consistency, continuity and provide a strong routine, Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 4 which children benefit from. This has been critical in enabling children to begin to build secure and meaningful relationships with a team of adults who they know, trust and can rely on.

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

Adults complete the provider’s mandatory training. They also receive training that is tailored to the needs of the children. Safeguarding is a specific agenda item in team meetings and in one-to-one meetings. Further safeguarding knowledge is developed through participation in ‘learning circles’ and engagement with research-informed practice. This continuous learning approach enhances the adults’ ability to keep children safe and respond effectively to emerging risks.

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

When incidents occur, the adults respond in a child-centred way, listening, reflecting and providing empathy. Adults complete direct work with children following any incident so children can share their feelings. They also complete debriefs and reflective discussions to identify learning and develop practice. This approach helps ensure continuous improvement in adults’ care and support for children in understanding and managing the child’s lived experiences.

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

There have been some incidents of children going missing from home. When this happens, adults follow the missing-from-care protocols and procedures well. They are quick to respond and go above and beyond to ensure children return to the home safely and as soon as possible. Following incidents, the manager is proactive and reflects on these, working effectively with other agencies to ensure that strategies to reduce risks are carefully considered and highly effective.

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

Children are safer because their risk assessments and plans provide clarity and direction for staff. When there is an incident of concern, the manager and staff reflect on the plans and risks and adjust the plans if required. Plans are also subject to regular updating, so they accurately reflect children’s risks and vulnerabilities. These plans provide staff with the direction they need to support and protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly motivated and is a strong role model for the team. She leads with pride, setting high standards and expectations for the quality of care provided. Under her management, the team sets high standards and expectations for children’s care and models an effective, positive, inclusive and child-centred culture. The manager has a detailed understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and remains forward thinking in her approach. She does not stand still. She is ambitious with innovative plans and ideas to progress and to further strengthen the team’s resilience and learning, with a clear focus on influencing and enhancing outcomes to improve the lives of children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example and demonstrates strong and effective leadership. She is held in high regard by both the adults and children. Her unwavering commitment to the children is evident in the decisive actions she takes to ensure their needs are Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 5 consistently met. She acts promptly to escalate any concerns when standards fall short, reinforcing a culture of accountability. Through her persistence and dedication, she has cultivated a positive and motivated team environment, resulting in consistent, high- quality care that nurtures children’s development and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from a stable diverse team. Adults report being very happy at work, and team morale is consistently strong. The adults show great resilience and are dedicated in working with the children. They are deeply invested in the children’s care. Adults say they feel well supported and express confidence in the manager. Training is extensive and tailored, enabling the adults to engage in dynamic learning and continuous professional development. Regular team meetings, research informed practice, learning circles and bespoke training offer a variety of opportunities for learning, reflection and growth. This strong foundation creates a cohesive, positive and consistent team culture, where all adults are committed to the home and the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring systems are highly effective in promoting positive practice and driving continuous improvement. Reflection and learning are actively identified, shared, and then embedded into daily practice, ensuring adults remain responsive, adaptable and curious about children’s evolving needs. There is a strong culture of reflection, and thoughtful adaptation is evident, with revised practices introduced to better support children’s development and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working and collaboration with external agencies are recognised strengths of the team. This approach ensures the full engagement of professional networks around each child, promoting cohesive and well-informed care planning. During this inspection, social workers and commissioners commended both the manager and the adults for their persistent communication and high levels of due diligence. These strong professional relationships contribute significantly to positive outcomes for children and reinforce the home’s commitment to transparency, accountability and thoroughness in the high quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 6

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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: 1255743 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury B69 2DG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cherelle Robinson

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Jade Margetts-Parkin

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Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1255743 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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