Children's home run by Woodbridge Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 1 Registered provider: Woodbridge Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 3 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 during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection of the home since it was registered with Ofsted. The registered manager was present for both days of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has made outstanding progress since moving to the home, where skilled, trauma-informed staff have created a safe, predictable and nurturing environment. Their consistent, highly attuned care has strengthened the child’s emotional stability, reduced previous risks and enabled them to form secure, trusting relationships. Staff use creative, reflective and therapeutically informed approaches that help the child feel understood, valued and hopeful about their future, demonstrating exceptional impact across all areas of their development and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have developed strong, trusting relationships with the child and have worked purposefully to create a culture of psychological safety. They recognise the importance of consistency in the child’s life, and their relationships are grounded in a genuine and sustained interest in the child. Staff speak confidently with the child about their preferences, interests and dislikes, and the child trusts them to support them in managing their emotions. As a result, the child has increasing confidence that staff will meet their emotional needs, which is strengthening their sense of psychological safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know the child exceptionally well and are attuned to their needs. The child’s views are sought meaningfully and used to shape the care they receive. This gives the child a sense of ownership and control of their home and lived experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support the child’s education rigorously. They have high aspirations and a consistent understanding of the child’s learning style, lived experiences and the barriers which they have experienced in accessing education. The staff have worked consistently and meaningfully with professionals to reduce the child’s anxiety about education. For example, when the child felt unsafe and unable to attend school, the manager worked with an artist in the home as an alternative route into learning. Staff have additionally advocated for a bespoke learning package and hired a hall to allow the child to experience sitting mock exams with staff who they feel safe with. This has helped the child to stay engaged with their education and enabled them to express themselves safely and creatively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide outstanding support for the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. They demonstrate strong understanding of the relationship between trauma and the benefits of movement, and they use this insight well in their daily practice. Staff have encouraged the child to attend the gym and routinely offer the use of a trampette in the home to help them self-regulate. These approaches are increasing the child’s self-awareness, resilience and ability to manage their emotions safely. Shared activities, such as ice skating and walking, both interests of the child, further strengthen relationships and promote positive emotional connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child is supported well to develop their independence through what leaders and staff describe as becoming ‘world ready’. This approach focuses on building essential life Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 3 skills, including cooking, budgeting, and washing their clothes and bedding. Staff enhance this further by encouraging the child to increase their confidence in seeking part-time employment, proactively making connections with local retail and hospitality businesses to widen opportunities. Staff work tirelessly to help the child build and sustain family and other important relationships. They understand the significance of relational resilience and the importance of a strong support network in helping the child develop their sense of identity and independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is a clear and active culture within the home of helping the child stay connected with the wider world. Family relationships are strengthened through a series of purposeful and meaningful interactions under the home’s ‘build my family’ approach. The manager maintains regular contact with parents, meeting them in person, and extends this relational work to grandparents and wider relatives. This joined-up work has focused on helping the child to better understand their family dynamics, reducing their tendency to internalise blame, and develop healthier ways of expressing distress. This commitment has enabled leaders and staff to develop a deep understanding of the child’s life history, including the emotional impact of losing a much-loved dog when they moved into the home. Their sensitivity to the child’s trauma history has informed thoughtful and measured work with the child, ultimately supporting them to plan to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

safely and successfully care for a dog within the home environment.

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

The child is kept safe through highly effective safeguarding practice that is proactive, well coordinated and firmly embedded in the daily life of the home.

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

Staff know the child exceptionally well and are consistently alert to even subtle changes in their presentation, responding with calm, attuned and trauma-informed care that reduces the child’s anxiety and prevents any escalations.

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

Staff talk to the child about what they are worried about. Their records are written in a child-centred way and show an exceptional depth of learning and reflection. Recordings and risk assessments are completed regularly using a consistent format, with careful consideration of potential harm and the mitigations required. They demonstrate that all known information about the child is reviewed, resulting in attuned staff responses and a reduction in incidents.

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

Risks are significantly reducing for the child. Staff clearly understand the child’s vulnerabilities and needs and manage these through thoughtful planning and strong multi-agency communication. Since moving into the home, the child has reduced their vape use and has not been missing, used alcohol or required physical intervention. This stability reflects the clear boundaries and expectations set and maintained by leaders and staff, alongside the child’s developing trust in the care provided. The child is now building confidence in spending incremental, well-balanced time in the community. Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides exceptional leadership that has had a significant and sustained impact on the child’s progress and on the effectiveness of the staff team. They model a calm, child-centred and therapeutically informed approach, setting clear expectations for high-quality, reflective practice. Staff describe feeling well supported, valued and confident in their roles, which enables them to deliver consistently attuned care that meets the child’s complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s oversight is meticulous and proactive, ensuring that plans are coherent, risks are well understood, and every aspect of the child’s daily experience is thoughtfully considered. Their commitment to continuous improvement, professional curiosity and strong partnership working has created an environment where the child is able to thrive and where staff are motivated to deliver outstanding care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel valued in their roles, and their progression is actively championed by the manager and leaders. A thorough induction and ongoing training provide staff with the confidence and shared approach needed to meet the child’s needs consistently. The team continues to grow and develop through additional specialist input from a clinical psychologist and an artist, as well as reflective advice offered to managers and leaders by academic professionals. This sustained investment demonstrates leaders’ commitment to ensuring the child receives care that is both attuned to their needs and supports their ongoing development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a culture of growth and learning within the home. Leaders use creative methods to engage staff and ensure that learning is embedded. They ensure that staff have additional opportunities to learn together with staff from another established home within the organisation. This is further strengthening team bonds, support and also practice across both homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff wellbeing and professional development are promoted exceptionally well through regular, high-quality supervision and a leadership approach that prioritises staff care as the foundation for providing stable and consistent support to the child. The manager and responsible individual demonstrate strong insight into the pressures of residential work and use a range of creative strategies, such as reflective questionnaires, ongoing consultation with staff, and even booking a private room at a local coffee shop for team sessions to ensure that staff have safe, reflective spaces and feel valued. Staff feedback is routinely gathered, acted upon and communicated back to the team, reinforcing a culture of openness, collaboration and shared responsibility. The manager is well supported by leaders and has protected reflective time, enabling them to maintain resilience, model emotionally intelligent practice and continue leading the team with

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

clarity, stability and strength. Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 5

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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: 2848119 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Woodbridge Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 55 West Road, Oakham LE15 6LT

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Inspector

Rebecca Barker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2848119 7 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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