Children's home run by Aura Residential Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 1 Registered provider: Aura Residential Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2025 and is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who have special educational need and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager is experienced and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management for residential care.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, no children have moved in or out.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment feels welcoming and homely. It is designed to meet the needs of children who live in the home. For example, children who use mobility aids can move around freely. This supports their independence. Children's bedrooms are personalised, and they are happy living in the home. One child said, 'I love my bedroom.'

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from well ‑ planned transitions into the home. The interactive children's guide helps them understand what to expect and reduces their anxiety. A named staff member is allocated to each child before their move, providing reassurance during a period of significant change. Children experience nurturing care, which supports them to build trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attuned to children's health needs, and these needs are given high priority. For example, the manager has made referrals to specialist agencies to gain guidance on caring for children with complex health needs. This ensures that tailored support is provided to children. For example, staff help children with specific exercises to help their mobility and support their long-term physical health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support from staff to access education. Where there are barriers to learning, staff and managers work well with relevant professionals to resolve these. As a result, one child is now attending an education provision full time, and another child is accessing home tutoring while suitable schools are being explored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Picture cards and other communication aids are used to support children to communicate their views, wishes and feelings. For one child who relies on communication aids, there is some uncertainty about their level of understanding. The manager did not fully explore this with all professionals when the child moved into the home, resulting in inconsistent communication approaches. A referral has since been made to gain clarity and support consistent practice going forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy participating in a range of activities inside the home or in the community. They attend parties with other children who live in homes that are operated by the same individuals. Children attend community clubs and participate in charity events. These opportunities enrich children's lives and promote social interactions with peers. Staff support children to spend meaningful time with people who matter to them. This helps them to maintain important relationships that promote their identity.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home, being restrained, or hurting themselves. This reflects the consistent and nurturing approach to care provided by staff, which helps children feel safe and secure. Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 3 Visual reward systems are developed with children to encourage positive behaviours and to help them to understand what is expected of them. Children use an interactive worry tree to indicate when they feel worried. This enables children to express themselves freely, and information gathered by staff is used to ensure that children receive support to manage their feelings.

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

Staff respond well to children who experience seizures by ensuring that children are safe and monitored during any episode. They contact relevant people to ensure that the child's health needs are supported and understood.

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

The manager ensures that the location risk assessment is regularly updated when new information is available. This ensures that the area is safe and that risks are reduced for children.

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

Medication is stored securely and appropriately. There have been 2 minor medication errors. The manager responded promptly and effectively by ensuring that all staff, including himself, completed further training, and an additional monitoring system has been implemented to improve the communication of children's medication needs. These actions have strengthened practice, and there have been no further errors.

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

Children are supported by a stable and dedicated team. The manager has recruited some new members of staff from other homes that are operated by the same individuals. While additional checks were carried out to ensure safer recruitment, one staff member's previous employment history had not been fully explored or understood. This oversight has the potential to impact the safety of children. Furthermore, the monitoring systems in place for these checks did not identify this gap.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a manager who is highly knowledgeable and passionate about providing good quality care for children. His knowledge of children's needs and agencies that can support them further is extensive. He is a strong advocate for children and ensures that they receive high levels of care. He is supported by an equally motivated and dedicated assistant manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers demonstrate a clear awareness of areas for development and remain focused on strengthening these. For example, they are working to improve the quality of recordings and ensure that records are linked effectively. Monitoring systems enable leaders to identify trends and patterns, which informs staff training and supports adaptations to recording practices. These improvements are regularly discussed in team meetings, which also maintain a strong focus on children's progress and individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and training to help them understand children's needs and develop in their roles. One staff member said, 'Training is a huge focus here, and I feel fully supported by managers and the team.' Another staff member said, 'The team Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 4 work well together and it's a nice environment to work in.' Professionals are positive about the progress children are making. One professional said, 'I cannot fault the care [Name of child] receives.' Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2819059 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Aura Residential Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 15 Heritage Park, Hayes Way, Cannock WS11 7LT

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Kerry Hutchinson

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Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2819059 7 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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