Children's home run by Willow Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 1 Registered provider: Willow Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

An acting manager has been in post since September and has not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted. This manager also manages another setting.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children were spoken with during 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is well maintained and creates a welcoming environment for children. Children’s identity and interests are reflected throughout the home, for example there are photos of the children and poems written by staff to the children displayed around the home. Children’s bedrooms are decorated in line with their choices and personalities, promoting a strong sense of belonging. As a result, children enjoy living in a space that feels homely and comfortable, where they feel valued and cared about.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive, nurturing relationships with children, which helps them feel valued and cared for. Children speak warmly about the support they receive and the quality of their experiences. Staff know each child well, including their individual preferences and routines, and use this knowledge to provide highly personalised care. For example, staff recognise that mornings can be difficult for some children. They respond thoughtfully by preparing breakfast and serving it on a tray in the child’s room. This considerate approach reduces stress and promotes a calm start to the day. It demonstrates that staff hold children in mind and prioritise their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. These plans are aspirational and there is evidence of the progress children have made since moving into the home, which will help them to prepare for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have needed to move into or out of the home, staff and managers have reviewed how they gather and use information to support these moves. This reflective approach has strengthened planning and preparation, meaning staff feel more confident and equipped when welcoming a new child or supporting a child to leave. As a result, children settle more quickly and feel more secure and supported.

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

Children feel safe in the home, and professionals and family members agree that they are safe. There have been few allegations made since the last inspection. When concerns have arisen, the manager has ensured that they are responded to promptly and investigated thoroughly, maintaining children’s safety and well-being.

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

Staff help children to feel safe both in the community and online. Daily routines are used effectively to promote online safety in a way that feels natural and unobtrusive. Staff have co-produced a code word with children, which they can use when out in the community to alert staff that they need to be collected and brought home. This approach enables children to seek help in a way that feels accessible and respectful of their independence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 4 Children’s engagement in education has improved since moving into the home. Staff are proactive and creative in promoting learning, using activities and projects to support children who are not in full-time education. They maintain high aspirations for children’s progress and development, setting targets that are both challenging and achievable. Staff encourage children to explore future opportunities such as visiting colleges, even

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

when they are not currently enrolled in education. Through consistent and positive daily routines, staff help children feel secure and ready to learn, which supports their educational achievement and personal growth.

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

Children’s views are listened to and advocated for in the home. Complaints made by children are recorded and responded to appropriately. For example, children are now involved in deciding which photos of them are displayed in the home. The responsible individual has taken proactive steps to promote an open culture, ensuring that children have opportunities to share their views with adults independent of the staff team. Children say that their opinions are valued and taken into account.

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

Staff work effectively with children’s parents and safeguarding partners when children go missing from the home. They demonstrate curiosity and empathy when speaking with children. Protocols for when each individual child goes missing are clear and are consistently followed. Children who have gone missing are located safely and feel supported when they return to the home.

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

Children’s care plans are generally detailed and provide staff with clear guidance to meet children’s needs, supporting good-quality care. However, they do not consistently include information about children’s culture and identity. Staff have not shown sufficient curiosity about the more nuanced aspects of diversity beyond protected characteristics, which limits their ability to fully promote children’s sense of identity and belonging. The manager has acknowledged this as an area for development. In addition, managers believe that risks for children have reduced but this is not reflected in their risk assessments. They have not explored why some staff perceive risks as being higher, creating a lack of shared understanding that could lead to inconsistent practice and compromise children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel that supervisions are supportive and useful in helping them care for children. When staff have asked for additional support in specific areas of development, this has been responded to. Staff said that they feel their views and ideas are valued by the management team. This has improved the stability and retention of the staff team, which enables children to receive consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the leadership and management of the home. They describe the management team as approachable and supportive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and staff attend these meetings, which are focused on the needs of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 5 Staff value the training provided and report that it is relevant and helps them to care for children effectively. However, learning from training is not consistently embedded in practice. This has resulted in occasions where the language used by staff has caused children to feel blamed in relation to contextual safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s post remains vacant. While an acting manager is currently in place, this arrangement is temporary and will end in January 2026. The responsible individual has clear plans to recruit a permanent manager to provide stability and sustained leadership for the home. However, this is as yet untested.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A requirement has been made due to shortfalls in how managers monitor and assure themselves that key processes are followed. These include with regard to medication administration, recording and responding to complaints from neighbours and ensuring that children’s risk assessments remain current and relevant. Since the last inspection, there has been one medication error. Managers addressed this promptly and updated the policy to prevent recurrence. Despite this, staff do not consistently follow the revised procedure, and prescribed medication is not always administered in line with the label. In addition, complaints from neighbours, and staff’s responses, have not been recorded. This prevents managers from reviewing concerns and learning from them. Failure to address these issues could impact on children’s ability to feel part of and accepted by their local community. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to management oversight and review of medication procedures, risk assessments and complaints. 31 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider— 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 7 is an organisation or a partnership;

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff’s safeguarding skills, including with regard to child exploitation, include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide care that meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 14, paragraph 3.2)

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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: 2777986 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Willow Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Vicarage Corner House, 219 Burton Road, Derby DE23 6AE

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Inspectors

Becky Thompson, Social Care Inspector Terrianne George, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2777986 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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