Children's Home run by Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 1 Registered provider: Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to 3 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home was registered in January 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 3

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Summary of findings

The home environment is comfortable and spacious. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual tastes. Staff promote children’s engagement in education, and most children attend regularly.

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Summary of findings

However, allegation management is inconsistent and not sufficiently child focused. Staff do not consistently demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to meet children’s emotional wellbeing needs. A high turnover of staff has disrupted continuity of care and has limited children’s ability to form secure and trusting relationships with the adults who care for them.

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Summary of findings

Leadership and management have been unsettled since the last inspection. There is currently no registered manager in post. Although a new manager has recently started, this has not yet resulted in the necessary stability or oversight required to address the identified shortfalls.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. Inspectors spoke with the child on several occasions. Since the last inspection, no children have moved into or out of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child is settled and has developed a sense of belonging. They have personalised their bedroom to reflect their interests, and they make good use of communal areas, including playing games such as snooker and spending time with others.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in supporting the child’s engagement with education. Clear daily routines provide structure and help prepare the child for learning. When the child was unable to attend school full-time, staff worked effectively with the wider professional network to secure a suitable alternative provision. This has provided the child with stability and supported continued engagement in learning.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain good physical health through attendance at appointments and by promoting a healthy lifestyle. However, there are significant shortfalls in how staff respond to the child’s emotional and mental health needs. The child has experienced several challenging life events while living in the home, and these have not been consistently recognised or responded to. This has resulted in missed opportunities to provide timely and meaningful emotional support.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to participate in activities aligned with their interests, such as attending football-related events. These opportunities promote enjoyment and support Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 4 the child’s social development. However, a high turnover of staff has negatively affected the child’s ability to develop consistent, trusting relationships. The child reports that they do not always feel understood or listened to. External professionals have also raised concerns that communication between staff and the child is not consistently child focused and, at times, has been perceived as combative. This undermines the child’s sense of being valued, impacts their emotional wellbeing and limits the development of a positive self-view.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from home and no use of physical restraint. However, staff understanding of the impact of children’s life experiences on their emotional well-being is limited. This is compounded by a lack of professional curiosity, reducing opportunities to fully understand the child’s needs. As a result, care is not consistently emotionally attuned, and the child is not always supported effectively to manage their feelings.

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improvement to be good

The management of allegations against staff is inconsistent. Investigations do not always follow clear procedures, and the rationale for decision-making is not consistently recorded or transparent. In one example, practice was not sufficiently child focused, and decision-making was influenced by financial considerations. This undermines the integrity of safeguarding processes and reduces confidence that children are fully protected from harm.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practices are generally safe. However, gaps in employment histories are not consistently explored. This weakens safeguarding measures and reduces assurance that all staff are suitable to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not had a registered manager in post since shortly after the last inspection. Although two managers have been appointed, both left within a short period. A new manager started just prior to the inspection and demonstrates commitment and enthusiasm. However, they do not yet have experience of managing a children’s home and have not achieved the required qualification. As a result, leadership and management remain fragile, limiting the home’s capacity to secure and sustain improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring and oversight have been significantly compromised by the instability in leadership. This has led to missed opportunities to identify and address shortfalls in practice. For example, there have been delays in notifying Ofsted of serious incidents and in completing the required reviews of the quality of care. These failures undermine regulatory compliance and weaken accountability. Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 5 Staffing arrangements have not been consistently sufficient. A high reliance on agency staff has disrupted continuity of care and further limited the child’s ability to form secure and trusting relationships. Education professionals have also reported that this inconsistency has been unsettling for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff training has not adequately equipped staff to meet the child’s specific needs. For example, staff have not received appropriate training to understand and respond to behaviours displayed when the child is distressed. As a result, staff have relied on a behaviour management approach, which does not take sufficient account of the underlying emotional needs driving the behaviour. This practice increases the child’s vulnerability, as it leaves them feeling misunderstood and unsupported, negatively impacting their sense of safety and overall wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 6

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 7 is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s psychological health. The manager and staff must ensure that appropriate advice is sought, in a timely manner, to support children’s mental health. This may include when a significant event happens to children and ensuring they receive appropriate support for their mental and emotional health. 31 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix)(x))

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 9 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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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: 2768643 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Room 147, 981 Great West Road, Brentford TW8 9DN

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Inspectors

Becky Rutter, Social Care Inspector Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2768643 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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