Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2025 and is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home, and both children were spoken to by the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 2

p.1

Summary of findings

Staff help children make progress emotionally, socially and academically through a trauma-informed approach to care. There is a clear emphasis on providing stability and structure in a nurturing, family-style environment. The manager leads by example and promotes high aspirations for children and staff. However, practice is not yet consistently embedded. The home’s response to allegations is not always sufficiently thorough and requires further development to ensure that safeguarding processes are robust. Overall, children’s experiences are improving, but further development is needed to ensure consistently strong practice across all areas.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in making meaningful progress across all areas of their lives. Children are guided to understand and manage strong emotions and are encouraged to express how they feel in a safe and supportive environment. This is made possible through the trusting relationships that staff have patiently and consistently developed with them.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is a clean, warm and welcoming environment where children feel comfortable and at ease. There is a sense of fun, with laughter and a strong family atmosphere evident in daily life. Children speak positively about their experiences and express a desire to remain in the home long term, reflecting their sense of security, belonging and stability.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from excellent school attendance. Staff are strong and effective advocates. They share successful strategies with education providers to ensure that support is consistent. As a result, one child is no longer sent home from school and now experiences a consistent, coordinated approach from all adults involved in their care. This has contributed to improved stability and a more positive educational experience for the child.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family relationships are actively promoted and nurtured in the home. Staff take a creative and proactive approach to ensuring that children can spend meaningful time with the people who are most important to them. Where appropriate, children are encouraged to repair and rebuild relationships with family members. Staff provide a consistent and reassuring response when children experience feelings of upset or disappointment. As a result, children develop a sense of security and belonging, and they feel valued, cared for and understood.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are treated as individuals, and staff help them understand and develop their identities. Children attend various clubs and activities. Achievements are celebrated, and children are helped to overcome any boundaries to accessing the activities they wish to take part in. Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 3

p.2

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

Staff demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of each child’s needs and experiences. Risks are clearly identified and well understood, with effective strategies and action plans in place to promote safety. Children are actively involved in understanding how they are kept safe and contribute to their own child-friendly risk assessments, which supports their sense of ownership and awareness.

p.3

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

Records are written in a sensitive and caring manner, reflecting positive relationships between staff and children. Plans are thoughtfully written from the child’s perspective, ensuring that they are meaningful and accessible. Targets set for children are both ambitious and realistic, supporting continued progress while recognising individual strengths and needs.

p.3

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

Professionals outside of the home say that children’s care plans are supported through effective communication with other agencies and attentive care from staff. One professional said, ‘The home have shown the children what it feels like to receive the love and care that they truly deserve.’

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a strong awareness of the impact of children’s backgrounds and lived experiences. They look beyond presenting behaviours and draw on relevant theory and research to inform their responses, ensuring that care is thoughtful, consistent and tailored to each child’s needs.

p.3

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

Staff have been proactive in securing external emotional support for children where required. Children engage positively in regular key-work sessions, which are creative, meaningful and aligned with their individual needs. Staff skilfully introduce and explore challenging or thought-provoking topics in ways that are accessible and age appropriate. This approach is effective. For example, one child has successfully applied a strategy introduced during key work to manage a difficult situation, demonstrating developing emotional resilience and self-regulation skills.

p.3

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

Children are only held by staff when it is necessary to keep them and others safe. Following incidents, children are listened to during debriefs, and their views are taken seriously, contributing to changes in how they are cared for. This helps children feel heard and supports more responsive care.

p.3

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

The manager has not consistently ensured that children’s comments during incidents, which may indicate a concern or develop into an allegation, are fully explored or clearly recorded. This shortfall reduces the effectiveness of safeguarding oversight and limits opportunities to fully understand children’s experiences.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about helping children make meaningful progress and holds high aspirations for their futures. The leadership team is receptive to feedback and Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 4 demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement. Challenges experienced by children are responded to promptly, with leaders taking appropriate action by adapting care approaches, making referrals and advocating on behalf of children to secure the support they need.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear and well-articulated vision for the home that is centred on providing children with an authentic and nurturing family environment. This ethos is consistently reflected in practice, with staff demonstrating warm, caring interactions and approaches that help children feel valued, supported and part of a family.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are encouraged to take part in continuous professional development. This is tailored to the needs of the children in the home. The manager has delivered monthly training based on psychological theory, which has included a session on the importance of smaller details, such as tone and body language, when caring for children who have experienced trauma.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel well supported by the management team and value leaders who are visible and willing to step in during challenging periods. The manager, in turn, feels well supported by the responsible individual, describing them as ‘accessible’ and ‘consistently available’ for both guidance and emotional support. Supervision is detailed and purposeful, providing staff with opportunities for reflection and development. There is also a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing, which contributes to a positive team culture and helps maintain stability in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced some staffing challenges recently; however, leaders have taken appropriate action to address them, with new staff due to start imminently. Recruitment processes are thoughtful and deliberate, with careful consideration given to identifying individuals whose skills, values, personality and potential for longevity align with the needs of the home. Managers have been mindful of the impact of staffing changes on children and have taken steps to promote continuity and stability. This includes ensuring that at least one familiar member of staff is always on shift. This approach provides children with a greater sense of predictability and security during periods of change. Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all allegations made by children are fully explored and followed up with recorded debriefs. 30 June 2026

p.5

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: 2861505 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury B69 2DG

p.6

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kathryn Scoltock

p.6

Inspector

Patrick Rowell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2861505 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7