Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in Derbyshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 1 Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

At the last inspection, six statutory requirements were set. At this assurance inspection, five requirements had been met and one could not be fully assessed so has been reset.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has made good progress; risks have reduced and there have been no missing-from-care incidents. The manager and staff regularly review behaviour management plans, which enables staff to support the child in taking balanced risks in line with their needs and care plan. There have been positive developments in the child’s education, with staff helping the child to engage in a way that is accessible and suited to their needs. A key professional who has worked with the child for some time provided very positive feedback about the manager and staff and the progress the child has made.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff have positive relationships with children. When complaints have been made, the manager has taken steps to address these issues and has spoken to the child about the outcome of their complaint. The leadership team advocates for the needs of children and offers appropriate challenge when needed.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff develop good relationships with the children’s family and support family time. This has led to the child spending more time with their family, and the child’s parent feels well supported by staff.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been times where staff have held children during incidents. Leaders have had oversight of physical intervention; however, oversight could be more robust. In some cases, staff involved in the physical intervention have completed the debrief with the child, which limits the opportunity for the child to have an independent discussion following the incident.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has attempted to stabilise the staff team, but there are occasions where staff must work in different homes in the provider group. This has impacted on the child, who finds these changes difficult, and has led to incidents related to these staff changes.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff feel supported by the manager, who leads by example. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and supervision, which focus on the needs of children and the well-being and expectations of staff. There are some staff who have been working at the home for some time that have not completed their relevant qualification within the legislative timescales. The manager has identified the shortfalls related to this and has implemented different support systems for staff. There are some identified training needs for the staff team. Some training has been completed when practice Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 3 issues have been identified, and there are plans in place to improve overall staff training. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/11/2024 Full Good 12/12/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 5

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff, for whom the expected date of completion has passed, complete their qualification in a timely manner. 23 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 23 February 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 6 that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the matching of children moving into the home with children already living there.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly when any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. In particular, the manager should consider the proportionality of the restraint, and staff involved in the restraint should not be involved in the debrief of the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. If children make a complaint or give a view on how the staffing structure could be

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Recommendations

improved to promote the best care for them, appropriate action should be taken. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TX

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Inspector

Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2762777 8 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 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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Inspector

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