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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC449099 1 Registered provider: Sunflower Children Care Services 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 2 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, one child was living at the home. They provided their views about the care they received.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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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 outstanding

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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: SC449099 2

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Summary of findings

The environment is maintained to a very high standard throughout, and it is warm and welcoming. The staff are dedicated and deliver consistent, good-quality care. They build trusting relationships with the child and ensure their voice is at the heart of practice. The child is encouraged to reflect on their experiences and supported to keep themselves safe. The team is well supported with regular supervision and development opportunities. Leadership is strong, with a clear focus on driving improvement and high standards.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is maintained to a very high standard and is beautifully presented. It replicates a family home that the child is proud to call home. The child has been supported to personalise their bedroom and there is thoughtful attention to detail throughout. The home is warm and welcoming, providing the child with a strong sense of stability and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well, enabling the child to form meaningful, trusting relationships. This connection has enabled the staff to ensure the child’s health needs are met. When the child expressed anxieties about attending health appointments, the staff reassured them and implmented incentives. This has led to the child attending appointments despite their worries. The manager is working proactively with health professionals and has made referrals to identified health services to ensure any additional needs are identified and investigated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is at the heart of everything the team does. The manager and her staff are passionate about ensuring that the child receives the best care. They ensure that care plans are regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the child’s objectives and goals. This provides consistent guidance to the staff, enabling them to support the child to make progress and thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of careful transition planning. They ensured that the child was part of this process from the start. This has supported the child to settle quickly and safely. One relative said, ‘They are a different child. The child is settled, progressing and getting everything that they need, which has enabled them to turn their life around.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education provision is in place for the child. However, they have missed a lot of formal education prior to moving to this home. Leaders and managers have responded creatively to the child’s educational needs, sensitively supporting the child to begin to feel able to engage in education activities. This has included being creative in identifying work experience opportunities. Although it is still early days, this is a significant Inspection report for children’s home: SC449099 3 achievement for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are purposeful, reflective and tailored to the child’s level of understanding. They help the child explore their experiences, build resilience and set personal goals. The work consistently completed with the child is focused and impactful. There is clear evidence that this ongoing, high-quality support is helping the child make strong and sustained progress in all areas of their life.

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

The child feels safe and secure. They speak with confidence about the trust they have in staff and the care they receive. Incidents are rare, and there have been no physical interventions since the home was registered. This reflects the calm, nurturing and supportive environment staff create.

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

The child has individualised and up-to-date risk assessments in place that address their known risks and vulnerabilities effectively. These assessments clearly outline the actions staff should take to manage identified risks, and they reflect learning from incidents to reduce the risk of recurrence. Importantly, the child’s wishes and feelings are explored following incidents. Their views directly inform future planning, helping the child feel listened to, understood and safer as a result.

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

Incidents of the child going missing from care have significantly reduced since they moved to the home. There is a good system in place to address missing-from-care incidents. The manager demonstrates a strong understanding of the triggers that may lead to the child going missing and has implemented creative strategies to reduce these risks. The child is actively supported to spend time with important people in their life as a preventative measure against further episodes of going missing from care, and this is good practice.

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

Safer recruitment processes are followed, ensuring that all necessary checks are completed before staff begin working at the home. This solid and consistent approach to recruitment is key in maintaining the safety and security of the child in the home.

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

Managers use the location risk assessment as a live working document, reviewing this on a monthly basis. The assessment is informed by meaningful conversations with the child, placing their views at the centre of the process. It is also strengthened through ongoing liaison with professionals, including local authorities and police. This collaborative and responsive approach ensures that risks associated with the location are understood, managed effectively and mitigated.

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

The manager ensures that the child is able to have a voice in how the home is run. The child understands their rights and knows how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care. They understand that any concerns will be taken seriously and responded to by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: SC449099 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a committed registered manager, who is supported by an equally dedicated deputy manager and responsible individual. Together, they have driven significant improvements since the home was registered. Their vision is clear: to provide children with the best possible experiences and outcomes. This commitment is evident in the way they model high expectations, encourage innovation and continually seek opportunities to develop practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management team provides exceptional leadership that brings clear direction, strong ambition and continued commitment to staff development. The manager’s commitment to reflective practice has significantly strengthened the team’s understanding of the therapeutic approaches they use, embedding regular workshops and thoughtful discussions that build staff skills, confidence and professional curiosity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have created a research-informed learning culture where training is bespoke, not generic. There is a strong focus on continuous improvement. Leaders invest in staff’s development by funding specialised qualifications and access to therapy- related training to improve outcomes for children. This commitment is strengthened through partnership working with the NSPCC and the NHS to further develop the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak very positively about working at the home. They describe feeling well supported and valued, and their enthusiasm for their work is clear. They speak about the child with warmth and dedication, demonstrating a shared commitment to achieving the best outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are recognised for strengthening outcomes for the child through a nurturing, caring environment. One social worker described the staff team as ‘brilliant’. A parent also said, ‘The team has worked miracles,’ adding, ‘I do not know what I would have done without them.’ Feedback further indicates that the child is being supported to recognise and achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has established robust, well-embedded systems that guide and strengthen practice. Supervision is regular, reflective and focused on professional development, while team meetings provide valuable opportunities for in-depth discussion about the child’s progress, needs and care plans. Staff knowledge is continually enhanced through scenario-based learning and reflective workshops, all of which reinforce core safeguarding principles. Inspection report for children’s home: SC449099 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: SC449099 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunflower Children Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cawley House, 149-155 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7HR

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Inspector

Sarah Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC449099 7 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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