Children's home run by Little Belsteads Care Home Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 1 Registered provider: Little Belsteads Care Home Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately operated. It provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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Information about this children's home

There were seven children living at the home. Inspectors spoke with and/or observed all seven children 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

Date of last inspection: 5 September 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: 1248979 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2024 Full Good 28/02/2024 Full Good 13/02/2023 Full Good 13/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. They have good relationships with staff, who understand their individual needs. Staff speak of the children with warmth and positive regard and proudly celebrate their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's moves to the home are usually well planned and sensitively managed. Staff work well with previous carers and relevant professionals to introduce children slowly to the home. When children move in at short notice, the effect on others is considered, and staff work quickly to understand their needs to help them settle. This supports children to have positive beginnings at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and are encouraged to try new things. Staff plan for children to have positive experiences away from the home, including holidays. This helps children to have new adventures and develop personal interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with family members to enhance the children's experiences of when they spend time together. Family members value that staff promote their involvement in their child's care planning. This ensures that children remain connected with important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk with children through their preferred methods of communication and are skilled at capturing their views and wishes. Staff use this to shape how they care for the children so that the care children experience remains responsive to their needs. One professional said, 'Staff are very child-focused and attuned to the children's needs.'

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

Staff understand children's individual risks and additional vulnerabilities. Risk assessments contain all known risks and agreed actions to keep children safe. Staff are clear about their responsibilities and use these risk assessments to safeguard children effectively.

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

Allegations against staff are rare. When they occur, leaders and managers take these seriously and involve relevant professionals to ensure that fact-finding safely identifies any shortfalls in practice and areas for improvement. Expectations of improvement and training are then clearly explained to staff.

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

Missing-from-home incidents rarely happen. When they occur, staff follow agreed protocols to locate children, return them safely to the home and involve all relevant professionals. Managers reflect with staff when children are missing from home to review and improve safety plans. Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 4 Staff do not use consequences to address unwanted behaviour with children. Instead, they focus on positive reinforcement and use restorative practice to repair relationships when upset has occurred. However, there have been some missed opportunities to reward children when this would have been appropriate.

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

Physical holds are used as a last resort to keep children safe from harm. Discussions take place to help staff and children reflect on such incidents. Records of incidents are clearly written, including any actions taken to prevent further occurrences. However, management oversight for one record does not fully consider the triggers to behaviour or staff actions.

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

Parts of the home require maintenance, cleaning and repair. There are some parts of the home that have been overlooked that may be detrimental to the health of children and staff. The manager has plans to address some of the issues. However, action to address some of the concerns did not start until inspectors identified them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in the role for a short time. She is enthusiastic about her vision for the home and celebrates the achievements of children and staff. The manager demonstrates a good understanding of the team's strengths and areas for development, and improvements are underway. One professional said, '[Name of manager] is making a huge impact on the home, in a good way.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervisions. Managers support staff to reflect on their experiences of caring for the children and any worries they may have. Team meetings take place regularly and are structured to give staff opportunities to discuss the needs of children and agree consistent approaches. Staff say they feel listened to and supported by the manager and leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment checks are comprehensive. When agency staff work at the home, the manager completes the same level of scrutiny. This ensures that only the most suitable people care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work with all relevant professionals effectively to assess and meet children's individual and often complex needs. Professionals speak highly of this joint working and the progress that children make as a result. One professional said, 'The new manager is having a huge positive impact on the home.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of monitoring tools to maintain an overview of staff performance. These tools highlight children's progress and any patterns or trends relating to the children's care. However, oversight is not yet consistent across all documents, including children's. Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 30 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 30 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 47, paragraph 9.39) Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 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: 1248979 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Little Belsteads Care Home Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspectors

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector (lead) Sarah McGow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1248979 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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