Children's Home run by Warwickshire County Council in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 1 Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by the local authority and provides care for up to 4 children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress from their starting points. Staff are child focused and understand children's individual needs. As a result, they have developed strong relationships with children.

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Summary of findings

Staff take appropriate steps to ensure children's safety and maintain good communication with professionals to ensure that children's needs and views are understood.

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Summary of findings

The manager of the home has been absent since December 2025. While there have been contingency plans in place for this, at times, management oversight has not been consistent. Furthermore, staff working at the home have not had any appraisals in the time they have been employed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and no children have moved out. The child experienced a planned and positive move and described feeling welcomed and supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, comfortable and nurturing environment. It benefits from a large garden with a range of play equipment for children to enjoy in warmer weather. A snug area offers a quiet space for children to relax and engage in activities. Children's bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individual interests and preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in their education. Staff work effectively with schools and other education professionals to ensure that support is consistent and tailored to each child's needs. Strong communication and effective information-sharing promote continuity across settings and contribute to positive educational outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to express their views, wishes and feelings. They report that they feel listened to and that their opinions are valued. As a result, children are growing in confidence and develop a strong sense of belonging within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have warm and positive relationships with children. Interactions are natural and characterised by humour and playfulness, creating a relaxed and nurturing environment where children enjoy positive experiences and develop meaningful relationships with adults. Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs and risks. They build trusting relationships with children, who feel supported and comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings. One child told the inspector that staff are attentive to their emotional wellbeing and quick to notice when something may be troubling them.

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

Staff engage children in meaningful discussions to promote their understanding of risk. These conversations are supportive and child focused. However, records do not always fully reflect the quality or extent of the work undertaken, resulting in gaps in evidencing practice.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff take appropriate and timely action to ensure their safety. On their return, children are met with care and understanding. Staff demonstrate professional curiosity in exploring the reasons behind missing-from-home episodes, which supports more effective responses and risk reduction.

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

Staff use natural consequences effectively to encourage reflection and the development of positive coping strategies. Practice is underpinned by a trauma-informed approach, with staff demonstrating a good understanding of how children's past experiences influence their behaviour. Responses to behaviour are thoughtful, consistent and tailored to individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been absent since December 2025. During this time, contingency arrangements have been in place. However, management oversight has not always been consistently maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the absence of the registered manager, the home has been led by the deputy manager, who has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing stability and consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The deputy manager and staff team are strong advocates for children. They actively promote children's voices and ensure that their wishes and feelings are understood by professionals. Children receive appropriate support as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff generally feel well supported and receive regular, purposeful supervision. However, appraisals have not been completed within expected timescales. This limits opportunities for staff to reflect formally on their performance and identify areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from regular input from a psychologist. This provides staff with valuable insight into children's behaviour and emotional needs in the context of their past experiences. As a result, staff develop a deeper understanding of underlying behaviours and are supported to respond in a consistent, empathetic and informed manner. Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 5

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Statutory requirement

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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 30 September 2026

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Recommendations

 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. This specifically relates to ensuring that children's case records are updated to reflect their views and discussions had with them. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home's policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home's care. There should be clear lines of accountability. Thehome must have clear arrangements in place to maintain effective management when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave. This specifically relates to ensuring that there is consistent management oversight in the absence of the registered manager. ('Guide to the Children's Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: 2815604 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Warwickshire County Council, Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4RL

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Inspector

Sophie Coogan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2815604 7 regulates 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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