Children's Home run by DNA Care Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 1 Registered provider: DNA Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a multi-building setting operated by a private provider. The setting operates across 2 properties, caring for up to 2 children who may require support with emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living across the 2 homes. They were both spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff are referred to as adults in the home, and this is reflected in 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 requires improvement to be 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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 2

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Summary of findings

The home was previously operating as an unregistered setting. Inspectors found there to be a culture of development and learning in respect to becoming a regulated setting. The attitude of leaders and managers has been one of positive change and transition. There was a child living in each home, and inspectors found that both children had made significant progress and that there had been a reduction in risk. What matters most to children is a priority. Managers have an open and transparent approach to discussing how to improve outcomes for children. However, there are some shortfalls in some leadership responsibilities. This has not directly impacted on children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support children to make good progress in all areas of their lives. They understand the needs of the children and treat them as individuals. Children feel settled in their home and have adults they feel close to. Adults are proud of children’s achievements and talk about children with care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults prioritise gathering and considering children’s wishes and feelings. They enable children to have regular and meaningful support from their advocates. Key professionals said that adults really understand the purpose of advocacy for children and understand how to support them to share their views. Professionals give good feedback about the care children receive from staff and feel that children are making positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support children with their learning. Children who have experienced significant gaps in their education are now making progress. Adults and leaders champion children’s aspirations to increase and improve their education experiences. This has meant that children have started to have education out of the home, which additionally supports peer relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support children to access and engage with health services in accordance with their individual needs. Adults provide appropriate guidance to encourage children to attend appointments and to follow recommended courses of treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults take a sensitive and considerate approach when talking to children about topics that are important to them or that are linked to specific vulnerabilities. Adults choose appropriate times and settings to have these conversations, which helps children feel comfortable and able to engage. Adults manage these conversations in a natural way, supporting children to talk openly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults help children to spend time with people who are important to them in ways that meet their individual needs. This has led to an increase in meaningful family time for children. Adults have developed positive relationships with key individuals in children’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 3 lives. This has supported a collaborative approach to caring for children and meeting their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults consider, and try to understand, children’s identity needs related to their culture, religion and heritage. This promotes children’s sense of belonging and shows that staff care about understanding children’s backgrounds. Adults and leaders encourage children to decorate their bedrooms in ways that are meaningful to them, and this supports the family feel of the homes.

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

Risks for children have significantly reduced since living in the homes. Restrictions and increased levels of monitoring to keep children safe have now been removed. There is a collaborative approach to risk reduction, with adults involving children in their safety planning. Children are supported to gradually build trust to gain more independence. Adults have a realistic approach to measured risk and understand that children need to be given opportunities to make mistakes and learn.

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

Adults invest in building relationships with children and know the children’s needs, triggers and unwanted behaviours. They recognise when and how to intervene to support children to express their feelings and emotions safely. Adults use different strategies to engage and distract children, such as doing art or karaoke. Children respond well to this level of connection and talk about their concerns openly.

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

There are shortfalls in medication practices. There have been errors in staff practice, including giving children homely remedies without consideration to the age guidance. Systems for the storage and auditing of medication are not effective. This resulted in medication being misplaced. This error was not appropriately reflected on or clearly communicated with adults afterwards.

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

The response to children who go missing from the home is robust and effective. Adults follow consistent steps to locate children and to return them safely. Children are routinely spoken with after incidents of them going missing to try to establish the reasons why and to explore any additional concerns while they were absent. Adults work effectively with wider professional services such as the police. There is effective reflection after each incident to identify any new information. Children are going missing from the home less frequently because of this approach.

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

When children have made allegations against staff, these have been managed effectively and in line with the provider’s policies. Leaders work collaboratively with the wider professional networks to explore allegations and determine outcomes. There are supportive systems in place for staff who have been subject to allegations, and any outcomes are shared with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 4

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good

The manager has a very proactive approach to learning and development. They welcome advice from professionals and use it to guide improvement. The manager is supported by a deputy manager, and both are committed to positive outcomes for children. Along with the team of adults, the managers have high aspirations for children.

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good

Managers consider the experiences and journeys of children before they come to live at the homes. This shapes the way that children’s care and support are approached. Managers ensure that information about children, and how to keep them safe, is continually recorded. There is too much information in specific plans, and key areas of guidance for staff in terms of safety and wellbeing are challenging to locate. Adults therefore lack clear and up-to-date plans to work from.

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good

There are adults within the leadership structure of the service who are closely related. This has not been appropriately addressed by the organisation. Leaders have not assessed and planned for how these dynamics should be managed and considered. There is no system for reporting should there be a conflict of interest regarding any concerns that may be raised.

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good

The service allows adults who work nights to stay over in between shifts. This is a supportive measure that is appreciated by adults because of how far away they live. There have been discussions with the child about this arrangement to ensure they do not have any objection. However, there is no support plan or risk assessment in place as to how this plan is managed.

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good

Adults said that they feel well supported by the managers and senior leaders. The manager describes a proactive support system in place between them and the responsible individual. They said that decisions are child focused when challenges and obstacles arise. The manager is present in the home and is approachable. They are determined to maintain an open and transparent culture within the team.

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good

Adults receive the required basic training for their roles. However, training that aligns with the specific needs or identified risks for children has not been prioritised. Adults have not undertaken training with regard to the exploitation of children. These were specific identified needs when children came to live at the home. Several staff have passed the date for achieving the required qualification. Some adults are now enrolled but some have still to be considered for the course.

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good

Managers have daily and effective oversight of care. They regularly review and reflect on all aspects of the children’s lives, and records are kept. The requirement for a 6- month review of care has not been understood, and the report was not an effective review of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to robust quality assurance and monitoring systems being in place to ensure children’s records and key care-planning documents are effective, up to date and provide staff with clear guidance. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to risk assessments being in place for family members working together and managing each other. It also relates to risk assessments being in place when staff are staying over at the home.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to staff receiving training that aligns with children’s specific risks, experiences or past traumas. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 31 December 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 7 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. Where the home has questions or concerns about a child’s medication, they should approach an expert such as a GP, a community pharmacist or a designated nurse for looked-after children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, obtain the qualification listed in regulation 32 within the

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Recommendations

relevant timescale. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12) Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 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: 2855952 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: DNA Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 9, Westleigh Business Park, Winchester Avenue, Blaby, Leicester LE8 4EZ

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Inspectors

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2855952 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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