Children's Home run by Zenith Care Group Ltd in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 1 Registered provider: Zenith Care Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately operated and provides 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 in the home. The inspector spoke with the child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home both registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 2

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Summary of findings

Two children have lived in the home since it registered with Ofsted. Following one child moving out and another moving in, the new child has engaged well and is making positive progress. Staff have built nurturing and supportive relationships in a short length of time, ensuring that the child feels well cared for. Leadership is strong; the manager leads by example through trauma-informed practice and successfully imparts this knowledge across the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, welcoming and well maintained. Relationships between staff and the child are positive. The child is proud of where they live and said they feel safe and secure. The child has personalised their bedroom with posters and toys and keenly showed this off. The child is happy living in the home and said that they speak with staff for support if they feel sad or upset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand how important education is for children. When there are barriers to learning, the manager advocates on children’s behalf to ensure that they receive the support they need. Where children are waiting for school placements, the manager actively pursues this with the virtual school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn valuable new skills while living in the home, such as swimming, baking, and growing vegetables. They actively participate in groups in the local community. Staff encourage children to play and build meaningful friendships with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time talking with children about a range of topics, such as the importance of communities, respectful interactions with others and using good manners. While these discussions can be difficult, they are carried out in a non-judgemental way, and records are written sensitively to ensure that children do not feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, staff do not engage in discussions with children about how their bodies will change as they grow up.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use highly effective reward charts to promote positive behaviour and celebrate children’s achievements. Leaders have thoughtfully designed these visual systems with the child, ensuring that targets and goals are both personalised and motivating. The charts provide immediate praise linked to specific positive actions, such as being kind. This approach encourages children to develop positive habits and take pride in their individual successes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family relationships and are proactive in facilitating family time. They provide emotional support to children, often arranging transport and accompanying them during these occasions. This ensures that arrangements run smoothly and that children enjoy the experience. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 3

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

Staff use de-escalation effectively, ensuring that physical intervention is always used as a last resort. After any physical intervention, the manager speaks with both the staff and the child involved. These discussions capture the child’s perspective and identify any lessons learned, such as specific triggers or where there may be communication barriers. The manager then updates the child’s plans to reflect these important discussions.

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

Staff support children to understand their surroundings when out in the community and the risks they may face, such as when they go out on their bikes. The child has undertaken a cycle safety course, which educates them on how to cross the road safely and what equipment they must wear to keep themselves safe. The child spoke about their achievements and showed a photo of themselves with their certificate of completion.

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

Risk assessments provide staff with clear actions to follow to manage and mitigate risks. These documents use a red, amber, green rating system, which helps staff understand the seriousness of each risk. Staff have a clear understanding of this process and can identify when risks are reducing.

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

Staff follow children’s missing-from-home protocols and work closely with other agencies. When staff lose sight of a child, they contact the police for support. When the child returns home, they are welcomed back by staff, and the police speak with the child to check on their welfare. Nevertheless, there have been times when the manager has not ensured that the child’s social worker has arranged for an independent person to visit the child after a missing-from-home incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is on a learning journey, and this is her first experience of an inspection as registered manager. She is well supported by the responsible individual and a dedicated staff team. The manager leads by example and ensures that staff follow her ethos of nurturing children so that they feel loved and cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that children receive individualised care, and this is demonstrated in children’s plans. She speaks confidently about the progress that children make, and this is reinforced by staff and other professionals. The manager has high expectations for children and advocates on their behalf when existing plans no longer meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides individual supervision sessions for staff that prioritise staff wellbeing alongside formal clinical practice. Staff also benefit from in-depth reflective discussions about their practice and children’s experiences and progress. These monthly sessions offer a safe, confidential space for staff to reflect on children’s care, discuss incidents and develop professional resilience. By balancing emotional support with clinical oversight, leaders ensure that staff feel valued and heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 4 The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development and has a development plan in place to support the service in moving forward. To support progression, she has identified areas for her own learning and has followed this up with additional training to further develop her management skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff demonstrate the positive impact of children’s views and participation in their lives at the home. Children’s voices actively shape their care, leading to meaningful changes in their daily experiences. Staff act on the feedback they receive from children. This responsive approach empowers children and ensures that they know their views are important. Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that younger children are spoken to about how their bodies develop, including puberty. The registered person should encourage staff to use materials appropriate to the child’s age and cognitive ability. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for them to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 2863338 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Zenith Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 534 Burnley Road East, Rossendale BB4 9LB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Cooper

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2863338 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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