Children's Home run by Sunflower Children Care Services in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 1 SC449099 Registered provider: Aspris Care Leicestershire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home. They provided their views about the care they receive.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 3

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Summary of findings

The staff are nurturing and committed and provide consistently good care to children. They build trusting relationships with children and place children’s voices at the centre of their care practice. Staff receive regular supervision and development opportunities. The manager provides strong leadership and is a strong advocate for children. The home environment is personalised for children, although the garden has become overgrown.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is a clean, warm and welcoming environment where children feel comfortable and at ease. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and thoughtful touches, such as photos displayed throughout the home, help children feel valued and cared for. However, the garden has become overgrown over recent weeks. During the inspection, the manager took action to identify a new gardener to address this issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised, child-centred care. This supports them to make excellent progress from their starting points across all areas of their lives. For example, one child, who previously struggled to sleep through the night, now has a structured sleep routine. Another child, who previously had to wear reins as a safety measure when accessing the community, no longer requires them. Another child has been supported to develop their independence skills, which has increased the child’s confidence and abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built trusting relationships with children. Although some staff are relatively new, they know the children well and understand their experiences and aspirations for the future. Staff have built a sense of belonging that has created positive experiences and enabled children to feel settled and safe. One child said, ‘I’m really happy. I love it so much I think God chose this place for me because God knew I would love it.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in education from their starting points when moving to the home. One child had been attending school for an hour a day for a significant period of time. Following the child’s move to the home, their time in education has been gradually increased. This has supported them in adapting to this change, and they now attend for 4 hours a day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met by staff. Staff ensure children receive appropriate assessments and interventions. The team has worked closely with the in-house therapist to support one child’s progress in relation to toilet training. This Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 4 helps to ensure children get the support they need and improves overall health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see people who are important to them. Staff take children to see their family and friends and ensure that they speak on the phone. This is very important for children’s stability and sense of identity.

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

Staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. They have an empathetic approach to supporting children to understand their emotions and feelings. This helps children to build trust in the staff and their ability to keep them safe. Staff help children to develop an understanding of risk through open and age- appropriate discussions. These conversations support children to develop their own awareness of safety and promote safe decision-making.

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

Children’s risk management plans are detailed. Managers regularly review and update plans following any safeguarding incident. This ensures that staff have up- to-date and clear guidance on the steps they need to take to reduce risk. These plans are individual and reflect each child’s needs, their potential triggers and the strategies that best support them. Staff show a strong understanding of these plans and use them consistently to promote children’s safety and stability.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and, when they do, the manager supports the process with meticulous attention from start to finish. This means that children feel supported and listened to.

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

Staff use de-escalation and calming techniques effectively. As a result, there have not been any incidents of physical intervention. However, all staff are fully trained in the use of restraint to ensure they have the necessary skills if this is required. The manager has also used team meetings to strengthen staff understanding of the recording of incidents, improving staff’s skills and knowledge in this area. This helps to keep children safe.

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

The home’s location assessment has been updated. This now includes consultation with relevant people, such as the police, social workers and other involved professionals. This consultation is important and has enabled relevant people to comment on the suitability of the home’s location and for them to have the opportunity to share information which may have an impact on children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has worked hard to stabilise the staff team and improve staff retention. This has been effective and ensures consistency for the children, who are being cared for by staff members that they know and enjoy spending time with. Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 5 The manager has a clear and well-articulated vision for the home that is centred on providing children with an authentic and nurturing family environment. This ethos is consistently reflected in practice, with staff demonstrating warm, caring interactions and approaches that help children feel valued, supported and part of a family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management monitoring systems are effective and thoroughly embedded. The manager has implemented several systems and tools to support her to monitor and evaluate the continuous improvements in the home. As a result, the quality of care for children has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the lives and outcomes for children. This determination is evident in how she advocates for the children. For example, the manager has challenged the local authority on 2 occasions when plans for children to move on from the home were rushed and not in the best interests of the children. Her passion and enthusiasm are mirrored by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff speak highly of the manager and feel supported. They receive regular, reflective professional supervision. As a result, team morale has improved, and staff feel their ideas are listened to and acted on. Leaders and managers have clear plans to continue to develop the service further. They are aware of the strengths and areas they wish to improve. There is strong evidence of learning from the previous shortfalls and an aspiration to provide good help and support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that staff receive targeted training and participate in workshops designed to deepen their understanding of each child’s individual needs and the strategies implemented to support them. This focused approach equips staff with the essential knowledge required to provide consistent and effective support, enabling children to thrive and achieve. Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 6

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Recommendation

 The registered manager should ensure the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. This particularly refers to the external garden areas. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC449099 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Care Leicestershire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

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Inspectors

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Sarah Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 8 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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