Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 1 Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 2 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 at the home. The inspectors spoke with the child.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since March 2026.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2025 Full Inadequate 24/06/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of leadership changes which have impacted on the child and staff alike. Leaders have been unable to stabilise management arrangements, and there have been several shortfalls in this area. Staff have not updated plans for the child to reflect current risk and practice within the home. There have been some improvements in the care offered to the child, who feels that things have got better since the last inspection. However, several shortfalls remain that mean the child is not yet receiving good care.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not obtained the most up-to-date local authority plan for the child. This means staff do not have the information required to plan the care required for the child effectively. Staff have not completed regular targeted work with the child regarding their specific needs.

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improvement to be good

There is damaged furniture in the living room, and the garden is overgrown and uninviting, which impacts on the home being well maintained. The child has asked for furniture to be replaced on numerous occasions.

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improvement to be good

The child has not had an education provision for some time. Staff have attended regular meetings, and the responsible individual has liaised with the local authority to request funding for tutoring to support the child in home education. However, staff’s recording of education work carried out with the child is limited.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to attend regular health appointments, including with specialist services. However, the child states that at times they need to remind staff of their appointments, and would like staff to be more organised. Staff support the child to enjoy different activities, including celebrating important dates. Staff have supported the child to have more family time and independent time away from the home in line with their wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Core staff who work in the home have built good relationships with the child. The child feels that since the last inspection things have improved. Staff have a better understanding of the child’s needs regarding food choices. A key professional for the child shared positive feedback about the care offered by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 4

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improvement to be good

The child smokes e-cigarettes in the home. Staff have not addressed the child’s use of these or attempted to support the child to reduce their use. The child has told staff that they wish to cut down on their e-cigarette use as it affects other activities they do; however, staff have not taken any action. As a result, the child has not had the support they need to make safer choices related to their health and wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

At times, staff work alone in the home when caring for the child. There have been numerous occasions where a member of staff who is not trained in first aid has cared for the child alone, despite leaders being aware of this shortfall. This is of concern as the child has specific risks that could require urgent medical attention.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer support to the child when they self-harm. Staff have implemented procedures to support the child in a risk-balanced way. However, behaviour support plans for the child have not been updated, and include a more punitive care approach which is not in line with current practice. Staff changes occur regularly across the provider group, and care plans are not reflective of what the current practice should be to support the child. This means that staff approaches may not be consistent or in line with current plans.

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improvement to be good

The child is prescribed regular medication. Staff do not consistently follow the prescribed dosage of medication and have offered lower dosages at the child’s request. However, staff have not sought medical advice before making these changes. This lack of specialist advice means that decisions have not been informed by medical advice and could impact on the child’s health.

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improvement to be good

A fire risk assessment was carried out by an external provider; however, leaders did not know whether the actions recommended had been completed. Some actions are outstanding, such as the garage requiring attention to reduce hazards. At times, a member of staff who is not trained in fire procedures has carried out fire drills involving the child. This means there are shortfalls in fire safety arrangements in the home.

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improvement to be good

There is not an adequate signing-in process for visitors to the home. This means there is not a record of who has visited the home and the reason for this. Leaders and managers had not identified this as a concern or shortfall in safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

The child has not gone missing from the home for some time; however, the care plan for the child has not been updated and states that the child is at high risk of going missing. Staff understand missing-from-care procedures and know what to do should the child go missing. Staff are mindful of the connections the child is making outside of the home, and as a result have started to implement a way of monitoring who these people are. This information is being shared with the wider network to inform care planning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been several leadership changes since the last inspection, which has impacted on children and staff. There has been no registered manager present in the home since December 2025. There have been several leaders from across the provider group stepping in to cover the day-to-day management of the home. These changes have caused instability for the child and staff team. Leaders are attempting to recruit to the manager position, and a deputy manager is due to start working in the home soon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff in probationary periods do not receive supervision regularly. Staff are often lone working, which they find to be isolating at times. Staff from sister homes in the company often work in the home. Staff know the child well and want to see things improve to support the child’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are several staff who work in the home who have not completed their qualifications within regulatory timescales. This means that the child is receiving care from staff who do not have the required qualification. Staff have not received training specific to the needs of the child. Leaders have not had oversight of staff training and have not ensured systems are in place to monitor staff training effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The independent visitor has visited the home regularly; however, the reports are not always shared with the regulator in a timely way. The independent visitor consistently visits the home announced. The visitor has not gained feedback from people connected to the child regularly and has not identified a lack of staff training, stating that staff were fully up to date with training. This does not provide assurance that reports are accurately reflecting the quality of care and supporting the management team to take action in response to identified shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel supported by the responsible individual and managers within the provider group; however, they feel they would benefit from more development opportunities and to meet more regularly as a team. Staff say that leaders are attempting to stabilise the leadership team and the child said that staffing has improved. When there have been significant shortfalls in staff practice, the responsible individual carries out investigations as necessary. The responsible individual aspires for the home and is seeking to make improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 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 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.

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure staff receive appropriate training in a timely way to support the care of children and ensure supervisions of all staff occur regularly. Furthermore, ensure staff receive support to develop and that staff are able to meet regularly as a team. 20 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 7 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, plans and risk assessments for children should be kept up to date. Staff should support children to reduce their e- cigarette use.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 20 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a)) 20 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and 20 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 8 the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that a manager is appointed who is suitably experienced.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, feedback should be gained from professionals and parents, and visits should ensure that independent oversight is thorough. 20 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 20 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 9 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff for whom the expected date of completion has passed complete their qualification in a timely manner.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, and homely. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. The registered person should ensure all aspects of the home environment, including furniture and the garden, are well maintained, and that the garage is free from hazards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising

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Recommendations

way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child, including with regard to work done with the child. The registered person should ensure that there is a robust system in place to record visitors to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2591911 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TX

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Inspectors

Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Sarah Tilbury, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2591911 11 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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