Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire 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 can accommodate up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: due to serious and widespread concerns about this provider, a notice restricting the accommodation at the home was issued on 19 June 2026. Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2025 Full Good 08/07/2024 Full Good 22/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 3

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Summary of findings

Children who live in this home receive poor-quality care. Children are not provided with the support that they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, engage in positive activities and engage with education. Staff do not implement boundaries and children are not helped to have a good routine. As a result, children do not make progress.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children receive care from a consistent, sufficiently trained and experienced staff team. Managers do not provide staff with adequate support and guidance. This has led to instability for the child living in the home and for staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have received poorly planned, inconsistent and ineffective care. The majority of staff do not have safe, secure and trusting relationships with the child who lives in the home. This has had a significant negative impact on the child's day-to-day life. Their need for stimulation, routine, boundaries and good-quality parenting is not met. The overall progress made by the child is significantly limited. In some areas, the progress that they have previously made has deteriorated. The weaknesses in practice have had a detrimental impact on the child's experiences and outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not promote education and educational activities. The lack of effective care, relationships and boundaries means that the staff are unable to support and motivate the child living in the home to get up and attend school. They are provided with extremely limited levels of social and learning experiences and limited stimulation. Staff facilitate the child spending extended periods of time in their bedroom with no interaction. This does not support a positive and healthy lifestyle. This also limits the child's opportunities to make progress, develop skills and resilience and receive the learning and development that they will need for independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not help the child living in the home to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They do not promote consistent mealtimes or a healthy and varied diet. On occasions, staff leave food and drink outside the child's bedroom door. Insufficient action is taken to support the child to achieve good personal hygiene and attend essential and routine health appointments. This does not provide assurances that the child's health needs are met and that they will not experience health concerns in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child made the decision to move out of the home. However, staff had not completed all work necessary to ensure that they had the necessary skills to independently manage their finances, transport and medication. Despite the child remaining registered at the home for almost 3 months and staff seeing them most days, staff did not provide them with the learning and guidance that they needed to develop these essential skills. Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 4 Staff support children to spend time with those close to them. However, staff do not take effective action to ensure that all family time is positive. Due to the weak relationships between staff and the child, and staff's inability to enforce boundaries, they are unable to ensure that family time is safe, structured and ends positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Ensuring that children are provided with lasting memories of their time and experiences in the home is not prioritised. Despite a child having already moved out of the home, staff have not prepared anything to document their journey. The book of memories that has been started for the child who lives in the home lacks details that are essential for supporting their understanding of their significant life events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff gather children's views and, where appropriate, they are acted on. They have effectively challenged external professionals to advocate for what they believe to be in the children's best interests.

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improvement to be good

Support provided to children to reduce risk is not always effective. At times, staff provide children with information and guidance. However, this is not well planned and targeted. Staff do not provide effective parenting strategies or provide children with the knowledge to know and recognise that there are consequences for their actions and behaviours. There has meant that risks, including smoking cannabis, aggressive behaviours and self- harm, have not reduced.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not implement boundaries to avoid incidents taking place. This has reduced the number of serious incidents in the home but has negatively impacted on the overall care and support that the child receives.

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improvement to be good

When incidents happen and children go missing, they are generally well managed by staff. They are responsive to children's needs and attempt to engage with the child to end incidents promptly and safely. Staff rarely engage children in reflective conversations following incidents of concern or behaviour. When staff do talk to children and complete work with them, their approach is inconsistent. This does not provide children with the stability and consistency that they need to reflect on their behaviours and make positive changes.

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improvement to be good

Children's plans are not always helpful for staff. They do not always clearly outline children's needs and the range of strategies that staff can use to support them. The expectations of staff are not always clear and are inconsistent between different documents. As a result, risks are not well identified and staff's responses to children are not always consistent.

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improvement to be good

Children have been appropriately restrained on 2 occasions since the last inspection. Following a restraint, staff checked children's wellbeing and explained the reasons for the restrictive practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that there are consistent, experienced and adequately trained and skilled staff working with children. This has meant that children have not received appropriate, consistent care or fulfilled their potential. Children have experienced care from staff who they do not know. One child raised concerns about the inconsistencies in staffing and the negative impact that this has on them. This led to the child choosing not to return to the home for an extended period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The recruitment of staff does not consider the high level of skills and experience that children in the home require. This has led to unskilled and inexperienced staff working with children with complex, high needs. Staff are not always provided with the training and support that they need to meet children's individual needs. When staff have received training, managers have not ensured that approaches to care are embedded in the staff team's practice. This does not provide assurances that staff have the ability to meet children's needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff who were spoken to raised concerns about the quality of care that children receive. Due to the churn and movement of staff and staff sickness, they have not had opportunities to form effective working relationships as a team or time to form safe and secure relationships with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is poor management oversight in the home. When an incident is considered to be low level, managers do not provide any oversight of children's actions and experiences of care. When oversight is completed, there is an overall lack of evaluation and analysis. As a result, children's care planning is not informed by their experiences, behaviours and emerging care needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not provided with regular, reflective, practice-focused supervision sessions. Within supervision sessions, there is a limited focus on safeguarding and the care provided to children. New and inexperienced staff, including staff with whom practice concerns have been raised, receive inconsistent support from managers. This does not ensure that staff receive the monitoring, guidance and support that they need to provide children with good-quality, safe care. Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 6

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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 to aspire to their full 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 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. 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 7 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leaders, managers and staff have the required experience, skills and knowledge to provide consistent and effective care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that there is a consistent, permanent staff team in place that can meet the needs of the child.

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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

understand and apply the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child's welfare;

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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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children's care needs are understood and met by those who care for them. This includes providing staff with comprehensive, clear and child-focused care planning.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and direction necessary to provide children with the 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 8 boundaries, guidance and support that they need to engage in positive activities and routines and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that managers and staff have the necessary skills and knowledge for children to make positive progress in all areas in readiness for independence.

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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

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

help each child understand how to keep safe;

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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

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

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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)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff, including managers, have sufficient resilience, knowledge, understanding and skills to implement robust risk reduction and mitigation strategies.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that all staff have sufficient skills, knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibilities in protecting children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff are supported to implement robust risk management and behaviour management. 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 9 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child's learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to maintain a healthy routine, which enables them to attend and engage with education.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff engage children in positive learning activities that develop their confidence and mitigate the gaps in their education. 7 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and wellbeing standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and wellbeing needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and wellbeing; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 staff help each child to— 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 10 achieve the health and wellbeing outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child's health and wellbeing needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child's wellbeing. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the children are supported to attend routine and essential medical appointments.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff provide care to children that supports them to recognise and meet their health heeds. This includes their oral health.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children are provided with the routine and boundaries necessary to support a healthy diet and a good routine for eating and drinking.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2732313 11

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury B69 2DG

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Inspector

Carla Simkiss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2732313 12 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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