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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 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

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 2 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. The inspector spoke with the child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified. The manager was absent during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2025

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 2 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: 2591911 3

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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 full inspection, 4 requirements and 2 recommendations were set. At this assurance inspection, 2 requirements had not yet been met and are restated. One recommendation was not reviewed at this inspection. This has been restated and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out. A key professional gave positive feedback about the transition of the child out of the home and the support from staff to ensure this went well. The child moved out due to concerns key professionals had about the manager’s oversight and staff practice.

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Findings from the inspection

The child currently living in the homegave good feedback about the care that they receive and has built good relationships with staff. The child feels listened to by staff. Staff support children to spend time with their family, including during important celebrations.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders are attempting to re-engage the child in education, including arranging visits to education settings, and are seeking external support to provide learning in the home. Staff have implemented activity planners, and the child is starting to take part in more activities outside the home at a pace that suits their needs. However, further work is needed to ensure the child can make consistent and sustained progress.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have not made any allegations against staff since the last inspection.Staff support children to receive support from an advocate to allow children to speak to someone independent of the home. Leaders are receptive when children raise issues about staff practice.

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Findings from the inspection

When children have gone missing from home, staff have recorded where they were found and who they were with. Staff have then shared details with key professionals to support multi-agency working. However, children do not receive independent missing-from-care interviews. There have been occasions when children have gone missing without staff knowledge. Although leaders responded quickly and communicated expectations to staff, there has since been a further incident. This highlights continuing shortfalls in staff practice and shows that leaders have not yet ensured that expectations are consistently understood and applied, which has impacted on children’s wellbeing.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been one physical intervention,since the last inspection, which was clearly recorded, and the child received a debrief from an independent person. However, staff did not receive a debrief, and leaders have since reflected that the intervention may not have been the most appropriate response to help manage the incident. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 4 Staff update children’s care plans following incidents. The use of door alarms is now included in plans and the statement of purpose for the home. Staff record regular alarm checks throughout the day. However, the recording of this could be improved. Plans do not consistently reflect what practice is being taken to support children to keep their rooms tidy and to consider children’s specific needs related to food.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has been absent for an extended period. The responsible individual has stepped in to support the running of the home, alongside the deputy manager. The responsible individual has created plans to support staff practice, and these are at the early stages of being implemented.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to sickness within the leadership team, there has been a reduction in the ability of leaders to bring the team together to meet regularly and for face-to-face supervision sessions to take place as regularly as leaders would like. Leaders have ensured regular communication with the team via email with key updates and expectations about practice. Staff have received regular training to support the care of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff share varied views about working in the home. They appreciate the efforts leaders are making to support the team and the running of the home, although some feel there are times when this support could be strengthened.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior leaders have implemented an action plan to address concerns identified at the previous inspection. Leaders have plans to stabilise the management team. Professionals report that leaders have communicated well during difficult times. Leaders have made some progress in making improvements in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2025 Full Inadequate 24/06/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leadership arrangements in the home are stable, that staff meet regularly as a team and that there are systems in place 30 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 7 to ensure that any shortfall can be addressed, in order to improve care for children.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that missing- from-care episodes are managed in line with safeguarding policies and procedures, including independent return home interviews. Furthermore, they must ensure that staff practice meets safeguarding expectations as outlined in plans. 30 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 8 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that plans include how staff support children to keep their rooms tidy, and set clear expectations for how staff should support children with their food choices, taking children’s individual needs into account. 30 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 9 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy(“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out-

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff involved in physical interventions receive a debrief. 30 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff has not worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. The registered person must clearly outline and document the rationale for a staff member being granted an extension and identify a target date for completion. This recommendation was raised at the last inspection and is restated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of

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Recommendations

activities both inside and outside the home, where appropriate, and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should make additional effort when children decline to participate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 10

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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: 2591911 11 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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