Children's Home run by Oceanway Care Ltd in Solihull

Inspection report for children’s home: 2849459 1 Registered provider: Oceanway Care 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 owned. It can provide care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children were present and spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the service was registered on 21 November 2025. They are suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first time the home has been inspected since being registered.

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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 registered

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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: 2849459 2

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress and speak positively about staff and the care they provide. Managers and staff understand children well. They recognise actual and potential risks for each child and how to keep them safe. Because of this, there have been fewer incidents of children going missing from home or harming themselves. However, risk assessments are not always updated to reflect the progress that has been made by children and the reduction in the level of risk. There has been one incident that was not handled well, this incident was not notified to Ofsted, but there has been learning from the incident. The manager and staff are committed to the children, and this is reflected in the children’s day-to-day care, the progress they have made and the positive feedback from professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their care. One child said, ‘It is cool to live here,’ and another child said they would not change anything about their care. Children are happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have made good progress. Professionals say both children trust professionals and staff and speak to them about their worries, which they did not do before. One child is attending school regularly for the first time in 2 years. A professional said that they have not had this level of engagement from them before, and it is positive to see this level of progress. The other child lacked confidence, but this has improved. A professional said this is because staff make the child feel valued and accepted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of family time is valued and promoted in the home. Children are supported to spend time with their family members. One child’s family visited the home to celebrate festivities. This promotes positive relationships and supports children to maintain links with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support children to pursue their hobbies and interests. One child has a pet hamster that they take pride in caring for. The other child attends the gym daily and is supported to have a healthy lifestyle. This has a positive impact as it supports the child’s emotional wellbeing and builds their sense of confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning for children new to the home is a strength of the service. Children are warmly welcomed, with their welfare and sense of security prioritised. The manager visited one child before their arrival and gave them a teddy bear and colouring book to reduce their anxieties. The manager supported the foster carers to visit the home to help the child settle in. This was a thoughtful and child-centred approach that supported a positive transition into the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849459 3 The environment is homely, well maintained and safe for children. Photos of the children are displayed, helping to create a sense of belonging. Communal areas are comfortable and promote relaxation. Children’s bedrooms reflect their individual identities, including a personalised hamster cage, teddies and photos. This supports their feelings of belonging and security in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the importance of education for children. Children are encouraged and helped to access and participate in education. Children’s health needs are met; they are supported to attend medical appointments and have access to specialist support services, such as drug misuse and therapeutic support.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe, and they understand children’s risks. They work with professionals to make sure they have robust safety plans. They have safety measures in place such as hourly welfare checks, shared phone locations and room checks to ensure safe care. However, although staff are clear about the current risks, when safety plans are reviewed, they do not reflect the positive reduction in level of risk.

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

Children are helped to understand risks and to make positive choices to help keep themselves safe. For example, safe relationships, safe sex and complying with bail conditions are discussed. As a result, there have been fewer incidents and concerns.

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

Leaders respond to allegations effectively. When a child made an allegation, it was taken seriously and safeguarding procedures were followed. An internal investigation was completed, with the allegation found to be unsubstantiated. The child’s views were listened to, and appropriate support was provided to both the child and staff member. Mediation was offered to repair relationships. Some learning was identified to strengthen staff practice.

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

Staff respond to children with warmth and sensitivity when they are distressed. This is in line with the home’s therapeutic model of care. They seek to understand each child’s feelings and experiences. After incidents, staff talk to the child to understand what was happening for them at that time. This supports their emotional wellbeing, helps them feel heard and understood, and contributes to their overall safety. However, one incident was not well managed, and prolonged police presence in the home caused a child unnecessary distress. This incident happened soon after the child moved in, and the manager identified a shortfall in practice and action was taken to learn lessons. No further incidents have occurred.

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

Staff are aware of risks to children and are consistent with the boundaries that they set and explain the reason for these boundaries. Because of this, children are clear about the expectations, which supports them to feel safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849459 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for the children. She has a good understanding of the children and always reflects on how their experiences have shaped them. She uses this knowledge to help support them and is proud of their progress. This helps children to feel safe, heard, understood and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive and has a good overview of the children’s care. This helps children feel that the manager is a trusted adult. The manager is approachable, and this enables children to feel confident to raise any issues. One child said, ‘Staff are okay and chill,’ and the other child said the manager is very happy and a good manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals say that the manager provides regular feedback and communicates well. The manager and staff actively advocate for children to ensure that children’s needs are being met. One professional said, ‘Nothing seems to be too much trouble,’ and that they see the child for who they are. This is reflected in the children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from staff is positive, and staff report feeling happy and well supported by the manager. The manager understands the strengths and areas for ongoing development of the home and staff. Staff receive regular supervision and good management oversight. This helps build staff confidence and improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to meet the individualised needs of the children that they are caring for, such as child exploitation, substance misuse and self-harm training. Staff are encouraged to reflect on children’s needs and triggers and how to respond. The manager’s and staff’s clear focus on children’s progress and experiences helps children feel prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On one occasion, a significant incident was not notified to Ofsted, which compromises the external oversight. However, the manager has taken learning from the incident and ensured there are processes in place to prevent a reoccurrence of similar incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849459 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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to an incident that the registered manager agreed should have been sent as a notification. 20 July 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, risk assessments should be updated to reflect the current levels of risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2849459 6

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Inspectors

Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2849459 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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