Children's Home run by Homes Care Group Limited in Leicester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 1 Registered provider: Homes Care Group 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. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position has been vacant since 30 January 2026. A manager has been appointed and is in the process of becoming registered with Ofsted.

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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is happy at this home. He has made good progress with regard to his independence and communication skills. Staff have developed good relationships with the child, and this has helped him make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s care plan is clear and detailed. It covers all aspects of the child’s life. It is written in a child friendly way. It helps staff to know the child’s history and current needs well. There is an additional twenty-four-hour care plan. This includes all his routines throughout the day. This ends with a positive reminder to staff to thank the child for the day they’ve had with him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place importance on supporting the child’s education and learning. A tutor completes some sessions with the child. Staff ensure that activities include helping the child to learn, for example reading to the child, cooking and baking and art.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of the child are well met. Appointments are made with medical professionals appropriately and meet the child’s needs. A specific need in relation to the child’s eating has been addressed. A family member said, ‘His variety of food is great. He is eating things I never thought he would. He looks healthier.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child very well. They know his ways of communicating. This includes understanding some words that represent another word the child may need to use. They speak clearly to him so that he understands what is being asked and expected of him. Pictures and symbols are also used to help the child make choices and these various methods of communication support the child’s ability to communicate his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to spend regular time with family members. This is an important part of his life, which he enjoys. There is good communication between the staff and the family.

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

Staff understand risks and vulnerabilities to the child. This includes the additional risks for children with learning disabilities. The child has a risk assessment that is detailed and written clearly. It explains what staff should do to minimise risk and keep the child safe. The measures to mitigate risk are planned responses and support staff in keeping the child safe. There is also a good assessment of risk in the locality of the home. It includes consultation with other professionals to inform the assessment. For example, the local police have provided their views on the location of the home and how to keep the child and any future children safe.

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

There is a behaviour support plan for the child. It explains how the child reacts in different situations. It shows staff the warning signs for more challenging behaviours. It Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 3 records active and reactive strategies for staff to use to help the child. It shows an in- depth understanding of the child’s behaviours and the measures staff take to keep the child safe in more difficult and emotionally driven circumstances.

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

The staff rarely resort to the use of physical intervention. This is very rare. However, when a child is held, the recording of incidents is comprehensive, reflective and child centred. The manager’s comments are added when reviewing the record. This helps staff to learn from incidents and respond in different ways where necessary.

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

The child does not go missing from the home. Staff always work one-to-one with the child. However, there are protocols in place should the child go missing.

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

An advocate is not provided for the child. This would be beneficial to the child owing to an upcoming move to adult services. Also to support the child with regard to any deprivation of liberty procedures.

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

The child displays some harmful behaviours. The staff are helping him to learn how to regulate himself in other ways. Incidents of harmful behaviour are recorded in detail. This includes learning, reflection and management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a lot of changes in the staff team since the registration of the home. This has now settled, with new staff appointed to work in the home. The manager ensures that safe recruitment practice is followed for any new staff coming to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that supervisions have taken place in line with the organisation’s policy. This is with regard to frequency of supervision for staff. They have also not been reflective learning sessions. However, the quality of supervisions has improved since the new manager joined the home. She has introduced a more robust supervision template that is likely to help improve this area going forwards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A range of policies and procedures are in place to guide the care practice of staff. However, these are generic to working with children. There is not a focus on the additional needs of children with learning disabilities. This may limit staff understanding in some aspects of the care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds monthly team meetings. They include good discussions regarding the child. Important topics are discussed to help support staff development, for example the use of pictures and symbols to aid communication with the child. Also, there are discussions about reinforcing procedures regarding staff’s approach to care and behaviour management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses thorough quality assurance and monitoring tools. This ensures that she has particularly good oversight of the care and protection of the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 4 The manager has devised a comprehensive development plan for the home. It addresses all areas of care in sections regarding the nine children’s homes quality standards. It includes ways of developing the workforce. There is an additional action plan that identifies what needs doing, by whom and when. The new manager and deputy manager have acted quickly to introduce better and clearer systems in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 5

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of every two weeks during induction and monthly afterwards. Also, that the content of the supervision is reflective, supportive and develops staff. 30 April 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible, this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that care meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. Policies and procedures should focus on the additional needs of children with learning disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 6 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: 2836514 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Springfield Road, Leicester LE2 3BA

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Inspector

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2836514 8 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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