Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 1 Registered provider: N H Care Limited

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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 registered to provide care for up to 5 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 5 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with some of the children and spent time observing and interacting with others.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. The manager is experienced and qualified.

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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: 25 February 2026

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following a full inspection in February 2026, Ofsted served compliance notices in relation to the leadership and management of the home and employment of staff. On 22 April 2026, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the provider's progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices. At that visit, all the steps in the compliance notices had been met; therefore, the compliance notices were lifted. Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2026 Full Inadequate 11/02/2025 Full Good 28/02/2024 Full Good 21/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 3

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Summary of findings

Progress has been made since the last inspection. Systems for oversight of the home and staff practice in response to incidents have improved. Children are settled and happy in the home. However, there remain shortfalls in the quality of care, which have affected children's experiences. Learning from the last inspection is not yet embedded. Managers' systems for monitoring the home have not always been effective at identifying shortfalls. Managers are reflective and have clear plans to address the concerns and to continue to develop the service.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved into or out of the home. Children are settled and benefit from the support of staff who know them well.

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improvement to be good

Staff use their knowledge of children to respond intuitively to children's needs. However, one child's communication system is not routinely used. It lacks the symbols staff need to hold relevant discussions with the child. This affects the child's ability to share their views with others and to be clearly understood. This is particularly important as the child is approaching adulthood and preparing to move out of the home and the care of the staff who know them well.

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improvement to be good

The home has benefited from extensive redecoration, and some rooms have been refurnished. Spaces are designed with children's needs in mind. Staff put photographs of children on display and support them to personalise their bedrooms. This contributes to a welcoming atmosphere and promotes a sense of value and belonging for children. However, the laundry room is routinely locked, preventing children from accessing it without staff support. The manager reflected on this practice during the inspection and made the room accessible.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always communicate information on children's routines clearly when there are changes in staffing arrangements. As a result, a child experienced distress because a staff member did not follow the usual routine.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. Children's families are welcomed into the home and kept updated on their children's care. A child's parent described the positive impact living at the home has had for their child and attributed this to the care of staff. Supporting children to maintain meaningful relationships helps them to feel connected and promotes their emotional wellbeing. Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 4

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always ensure that all steps are taken to reduce risk in the home. Cleaning fluid is not always put away promptly after use and a room containing hazardous chemicals had not been secured. This is against the policies for the home and places children at increased risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive training on how to meet children's health needs. Staff support one child to be involved in the management of their complex health condition well. However, staff practice in relation to medication management is not sufficiently robust. Staff do not always complete medication records accurately; this increases the risk of misadministration and undermines accountability.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive training on how to deescalate incidents. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort, and managers have good oversight of incidents and identify clear learning.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of new staff is robust. Checks help to ensure that children work with staff who are safe.

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

Leaders and managers have completed audits that have identified shortfalls in care. They have created clear plans, which they are working through to improve the home. However, these systems are still embedding and there are gaps in oversight, which mean that not all concerns are identified.

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

The manager is reflective and committed to improving the home. He aspires to provide good-quality care to children and is dedicated in his approach to his role. Staff describe the manager as approachable and say they feel well supported.

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

The manager fosters positive relationships with children, their families and professionals. Social workers describe good communication and say that the manager understands the children well.

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

Staff benefit from regular supervision. These discussions provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and identify areas for development. This helps to ensure that staff are continually developing in their roles.

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

Staff receive a comprehensive range of training. Training is individualised to children's needs and helps to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities.

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

Improvements can be made to the home's independent monitoring. The independent person routinely visits when children are in school, and consultation with stakeholders does not consistently take place. This undermines the value of these reports in helping the manager to assess the quality of care and develop the service. Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 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 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— that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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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)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is kept safe and that staff follow protocols relating to securing hazardous materials.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that staff understand their responsibilities in relation to management of children's essential medications, including effective and accurate recording. 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 6 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; and

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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; and

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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)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they use monitoring systems effectively to identify shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they promote and embed a strong safeguarding culture that consistently promotes children's wellbeing. 3 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them 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

understand and apply the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child's welfare; 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 7 treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child's relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that use of children's adaptive communication aids is actively promoted, and that aids include the information needed for children to communicate about their experiences.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children's daily routines and the support that they need.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any decision to limit a child's access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child's welfare. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards' page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. This particularly relates to ensuring that visits by an independent person include regular consultation with children and stakeholders to inform the assessment of the quality of care. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 8

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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: 1276111 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 69, Steward Street Business Lofts, Steward Street, Birmingham B18 7AF

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1276111 10 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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Inspector

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