Children's home run by Hummingbird Children Homes

Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 1 Registered provider: Hummingbird Children Homes

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home. All 3 children were present and 2 spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and children’s home registered with Ofsted in April 2025 and holds a relevant qualification.

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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: 2822065 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home registered with Ofsted, 3 children have moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff have a clear understanding of each child’s needs, and they set realistic and achievable aims that support their development. Children’s progress is monitored through regular reviews, which show measurable improvements in key areas such as emotional regulation, reduction of risks, engagement in education and the development of independence skills. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the support provided to children and reflects the positive, trusting relationships children have built with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have warm and nurturing relationships with children, which helps to create a stable and secure environment. They show genuine care and remain consistently emotionally available, particularly during times of challenge. Staff respond to children with empathy and reinforce their sense of belonging. As a result, children feel valued, understood and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is prioritised. When barriers arise that affect children’s ability to access education, the manager and staff advocate effectively on their behalf to secure alternative learning opportunities. This has led to significant progress for one child who had been out of education for 3 years before moving into the home and now attends college regularly. Such commitment ensures that children do not fall behind educationally and supports the improvement of their future life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not always helped to understand their care plans. When external professionals have given mixed messages about plans for their future, this has caused children anxiety and uncertainty. The manager has not consistently advocated on children’s behalf to ensure they receive clear and accurate information. This lack of a proactive approach means that children do not always receive the right information about their lives, and timely support measures are not put in place. Consequently, children are not consistently provided with meaningful opportunities to be involved in decisions that affect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a wide range of activities that reflect their individual interests, abilities and talents. Staff place strong emphasis on offering purposeful activities that contribute to each child’s overall development. They are proactive in identifying opportunities that match children’s preferences, helping to ensure that participation is both meaningful and enjoyable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home is a warm and welcoming environment. The atmosphere is homely, with photos of the children displayed throughout the house, helping to create a family-like setting. Children are encouraged to contribute to decisions about the day-to-day running of the home, which promotes their sense of ownership and Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 3 belonging. Staff also support children to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual tastes. However, staff do not consistently ensure that children’s bedrooms are maintained to an appropriate standard or reinforce positive routines that support this.

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

Staff provide children with consistent routines, structure and boundaries. This creates a stable and predictable environment. This gives children a sense of certainty and contributes towards them feeling listened to and safe.

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

When children display unwanted behaviour, staff respond in a calm, sensitive and empathetic manner. They are curious about the emotions underlying children’s behaviours and take time to explore these with them. This helps children to feel understood and supported and better able to manage their feelings.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children are involved in incidents of self-harm. They create a safe and trusting environment where children feel able to share their feelings without fear of judgement and where their experiences are validated. Staff receive ongoing training and support from the therapeutic team to increase their awareness and understanding. This equips them to respond to children confidently and compassionately.

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

Managers respond swiftly to allegations of harm and take these concerns seriously. They share information with the relevant professionals, and appropriate investigations are carried out. Children are informed of the outcomes of concerns they have raised, which helps them to feel listened to and reassured.

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

Staff make effective use of the guidance provided by the organisation’s therapeutic team in their day-to-day practice. Therapeutic professionals offer staff regular input that helps them to continue developing their skills and ensures that their responses to children are informed by an understanding of trauma, attachment and emotional regulation. Staff apply therapeutic strategies in practical ways, such as maintaining emotional presence and offering consistent support during times of challenge.

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

While the manager considers known risks to children and provides staff with guidance on proactive and reactive strategies, as well as post-crisis actions, she is not consistently proactive in clarifying new information when emerging risks arise. As a result, assessments of new or developing risks are not always accurate or fully informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and committed. Staff and other professionals speak highly of her leadership, support and dedication to the children. The manager has built strong relationships with the children, speaks warmly about them and is proud of the progress they have made. She monitors children’s progress effectively and sets clear actions to support them in achieving new aims. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 4 The manager provides effective oversight that ensures staff practice is consistent, safe and aligned with the ethos of the home. She has a visible presence in the home and leads by example, modelling good practice for the team. She promotes open communication and encourages child-centred and reflective approaches. This style of leadership contributes to a stable and well-managed environment that supports positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote continuity of care for children. The home is fully staffed and, although the team is relatively new, leaders and managers have established a consistent core staff group since registration. While non-permanent staff have been used, the manager has ensured continuity within the bank and agency team. This helps to provide stability and predictability for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about their work environment and feel well supported by the manager. They receive regular supervision, which provides them with a safe space to reflect on their practice, explore challenges and identify areas for learning. This reflective support helps to build staff confidence and resilience in their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that they hold complete and up-to-date information about all known risks to children, so that risk assessments are accurate and appropriate action can be taken. 13 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high-quality support that is needed. Such partnership working should always take place before a child arrives, while the child lives in the home and when the child prepares to return home, move to another setting or leave care. This includes ensuring that the manager has available to them the most up-to- date local authority care plan and that there are plans in place to ensure that children understand their care plans and decisions made about their lives so that they are able to contribute to these decisions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing, supportive and homely environment that meets the needs of the children. This specifically relates to

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Recommendations

staff implementing daily routines to ensure that dirty plates and mugs are removed from children’s rooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 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: 2822065 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hummingbird Children Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull B90 4LE

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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2822065 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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