Children's home run by Thrive Support Services Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Thrive Support Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and operated and was registered in July 2025. It provides care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted in July 2025. This was the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. They were present during the inspection and spoke briefly with the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2837543 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child lived in the home between August and December 2025. The end to their time in the home was not planned. One child has moved into the home very recently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home have enjoyed positive experiences and made progress. They receive emotionally responsive, warm and inclusive care from a staff team who prioritise children’s views and individual needs. Managers model nurturing and respectful relationships, which supports staff to engage children in positive and age-appropriate ways. As a result, children build early trust and begin to form positive relationships, even when they have only lived in the home for a short time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests and hobbies are promoted, and restrictions linked to deprivation of liberty safeguarding measures do not prevent children from enjoying meaningful activities in the home and community. One child asked to have, and was given, a pet rabbit. This provided opportunities for them to demonstrate care and responsibility. Staff recognise the importance of creating positive childhood moments, recognising barriers related to trauma. Children’s achievements and experiences are celebrated in memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves into the home are well planned. Children receive a child-friendly guide that helps them understand what to expect, which helps to reduce uncertainty and support a positive start. When children leave the home, including when endings are not planned, staff strive to maintain relationships and support the child sensitively through the move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff hold high aspirations for children and support them to achieve their educational potential and have their health needs met. For one child, this has included exploring barriers to learning, such as the potential impact of dyslexia, and helping them understand what support they may need. Staff contribute to wider planning with partner agencies to ensure decisions remain focused on each child’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to, and advocacy is promoted. When children raise concerns, managers respond quickly. However, the formal recording of complaints is not yet consistently embedded.

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improvement to be good

The child currently living in the home, although only having been there a short time, feels safe and listened to. They understand the reasons for the restrictions in place, and staff help them make sense of the actions taken to protect them. Positive relationship- building, clear expectations and early trust have enabled the child to have short, planned time in the community without staff. Staff apply the permissive elements of the Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

deprivation of liberty safeguards appropriately, ensuring that restrictions remain proportionate and consistent with the ethos of the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of children going missing, and staff respond to episodes of absence in line with agreed procedures.

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improvement to be good

Staff supported one child in accommodation away from the home. Although managers recognised the risks, they did not take timely or decisive action to ensure the child’s safety. As a result, the child remained exposed to escalating concerns that were not effectively addressed, and safeguarding arrangements relied heavily on police involvement. Managers raised concerns in multi-agency forums but did not use formal escalation processes, which given the seriousness of the issues, is a shortfall.

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improvement to be good

One child was subject to the use of physical restraint on 4 occasions. The child did not have an opportunity to discuss these incidents until after they had left the home, reducing staff’s ability to understand their experience and inform practice. Management oversight included discussions with staff and demonstrates proportionate and necessary actions, but learning was not consistently identified. For example, in one instance, staff facilitated the child leaving the home, despite recognising potential safety issues.

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improvement to be good

These inconsistencies in safeguarding practice reduce the reliability of the home’s protective arrangements, meaning children have not been consistently helped or protected.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are followed, and involving the child in the most recent recruitment process supported early relationship-building and helped them consider future educational and learning opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have created a warm, inclusive and aspirational culture in the home. The registered manager and responsible individual model respectful and nurturing relationships, and this is reflected in the way staff interact with children and with each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision from suitably experienced managers. Recent sessions have focused on developing staff decision-making and helping them articulate the rationale for their actions. This has strengthened staff confidence and professional curiosity. The supervision format promotes restorative and inclusive discussion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by leaders who are visible, approachable and responsive. They speak positively about the culture of the home, describing strong, respectful relationships between colleagues and managers. Staff report that their views are listened to, and they have access to training, team meetings and opportunities for professional development. Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording systems support managers in their oversight of children’s progress. Cross-referencing between plans enables managers to maintain a clear understanding of children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following a difficult placement ending, leaders have taken forward learning to strengthen practice. Reflective sessions with the team, facilitated by the home’s commissioned therapist, have helped staff consider how decisions are made and how risks are managed. These discussions have informed improvements to planning for the child currently living in the home, including ensuring that key documents are in place promptly and that multi-agency information is shared in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a clear commitment from leaders to advocate for children, promote inclusion and improve the quality of care. The actions demonstrate a learning culture that supports continued development of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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 staff 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that management oversight and planning for a child’s time in other accommodation leads to timely and decisive action when risks are identified to the safety of the child and staff. 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if they consider a placing authority’s or relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s care arrangements are suitable and that required expert mental health assessments are completed in accordance with agreed plans. 30 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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: 2837543 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thrive Support Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Basepoint Business Centre, Rivermead Drive, Westlea, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7EX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Amanda-Jane Carey

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Inspector

Ashley Arkless, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2837543 8 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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