Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a charity working in partnership with a local authority. It is registered to provide short break care and respite for children with disabilities. The home can care for up to 3 children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, the home did not have a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were using the service at the time of inspection. The inspector spoke with both children. Staff in the home are referred to as adults, which is reflected within the text of the report.

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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 3

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Summary of findings

Overall, the adults in the home provide good care, and children are enjoying their stays. Since registering in November 2025, the service is developing positively, and staff are successfully building warm, trusting relationships with families. Leadership and oversight have been highly effective. Although the home has been without a registered manager since January 2026, the organization has ensured continuity by utilizing experienced managers from sister homes. While there have been some shortfalls in practice, the response from leaders has been swift and effective. These proactive measures highlight a service capable of addressing challenges as it continues to grow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a happy space for children to stay. Adults maintain the environment to a high standard, and it feels homely. Since the home was registered, there has been the introduction of a sensory cabin in the garden. Adults are slowly developing shared spaces to accommodate the needs and preferences of children who stay. There is a proactive approach to making alterations in the home. This is done through reflection on what children have enjoyed or found difficult to manage within the environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The process of introducing a new child to the service is effective and carefully planned. Adults support the transition at a pace that works for the child and considers their needs. Adults understand and empathise with the trust parents place in someone new to care for their child.Visits to the home are combined with adults spending time with children in their familiar environments, such as home and school. This is ensuring that adults learn about children’s needs and routines prior to the child’s stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults are continually capturing children’s views and requests. This is done to prepare and plan for future stays at the home. Adults have a proactive approach to children doing activities and things they enjoy. Additionally, there is an ethos of children exploring and trying new things. Because of this, children are making progress with things like being more independent when they use the service. This is being recognised by parents and professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults are working collaboratively with specialist services. There is an effective multi- professional approach to ensure shared practice and knowledge from the team around the child. Children’s individual health needs or diagnoses are carefully considered through this process. This is ensuring that adults in the home have the skills to care for children appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s preferred methods of communication are embedded into their care plans. Additionally, the environment of the home supports this with the use of picture and Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 4 symbol communication aids where children are non-verbal. This helps adults to build positive relationships with the children despite their limited visiting time.

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

There was a medication error putting one child at significant risk of harm. There has been a thorough and effective response to this incident. Leaders and managers have conducted a full investigation. There has been a review of medication practices and protocols in the home. External professionals have been consulted with to improve the safety of this process. Parents have been involved in the process throughout. This has restored confidence in the service’s ability to keep children safe. The handling and administration of medication have improved.

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

Children who have specific health needs have this reflected within their care plans. Some children who access the service have epilepsy. Adults have undergone training in relation to the condition. However, there is not enough detail in plans as to the expectations for the steps adults should take in the event that a seizure takes place. Some adults spoken with were not clear on how to monitor and manage a seizure.

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

There is a group approach to the development of knowledge regarding children’s behaviours. Adults effectively learn and share information about how children respond to their environment and process their needs and emotions. This is ensuring that there is a consistent approach to behaviour support. Adults are learning children’s triggers and ways to help them regulate when they become distressed. Behaviour is universally seen as a form of communication that needs to be understood to be supported.

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

Incidents have occurred in connection to children becoming upset and displaying unwanted behaviours. There is a process of review and reflection after each incident. Managers ensure that they support adults to discuss and learn from incidents. Adults and children’s welfare is prioritised. The learning is used to review and develop children’s safety plans.

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

The home uses some specialised equipment when children stay. Bed guards and baby monitors provide safety for children and are agreed for use by professionals. There is no evidence that these interventions were assessed and agreed on in the children’s care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager left the service soon after the home was registered with Ofsted. This did cause a period of instability within leadership and oversight of the development of the service. The organisation has utilised the experience of a manager from a sister home to provide consistent support. Additionally, the deputy manager has demonstrated a high level of commitment to their role. They have shown dedication to achieving positive outcomes for children and families. The organisation has appointed a new manager, who was due to start in post soon after the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 5 Adults in the home fed back that they felt supported in their roles. They feel that the dynamics in the team are positive and effective and that they enjoy working there. Adults are supported to develop professionally. Managers prioritise specialist training in line with children’s varied needs. Structured training and competency systems ensure

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

that children are consistently supported by adults with the required skills and experience. New needs are identified through a thorough referral process for children being assessed to stay. Training is then prioritised for the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from parents about the service being provided was very positive. One parent said, ‘They have been amazing. It is so much more than we expected. They have offered additional opportunities for our child that we have been requesting for years. We could not be happier.’ Leaders are prioritizing the wellbeing of parents in equal measure to the service being provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals said that the service is operating well. They said that communication has been consistently strong from adults who represent the home. Schools reported in meetings that they are reassured by the approach to planning children’s stays. The process of matching children with each other is robust and thoughtful. This is ensuring children’s stays do not impact on those of other children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All adults in leadership roles have high expectations for what they want the service to offer and represent in terms of respite. Leaders are looking beyond simply providing a break and want to help children make progress and for parents to feel part of the plan. Managers are open to identifying shortfalls and adopting a continual program of improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 6

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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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff having clear guidance on how to support children who have epilepsy. 6 August 2026

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘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: 2859630 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardo’s, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2859630 8 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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