Children's Home run by Warwickshire County Council in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 1 Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by the local authority and provides care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 2 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress from their individual starting points. They have good relationships with staff, who are child centred and understand their needs.

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Summary of findings

Children’s mental health needs are generally well understood and responded to. However, on one occasion, a potential risk was not identified by staff or management oversight.

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Summary of findings

The use of door alarms is not regularly reviewed to ensure they remain necessary and responsive to children’s assessed needs.

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Summary of findings

The manager and staff appropriately advocate on behalf of children, when necessary, to ensure their needs and wishes are at the centre of decision-making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and 2 children have moved in. One child spoke with the inspector during the visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm and welcoming environment. It is thoughtfully furnished and decorated with photos and artwork throughout. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individual interests and preferences. There is a large garden area where children can take part in a range of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress from their individual starting points. Education is a particular strength, with professionals reporting noticeable improvements in children’s engagement and attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in activities they enjoy and that reflect their individual interests, including football, youth clubs and other recreational pursuits. This helps them to develop confidence and build positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work proactively with partner agencies to ensure that children receive coordinated and consistent support. Feedback from professionals is positive. Although there have been occasional inconsistencies in communication, the manager has identified these shortfalls and is taking appropriate action to address them.

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond promptly and appropriately. Children are welcomed back in a sensitive and respectful manner, with a focus on their emotional wellbeing and safety. The manager and staff demonstrate Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 4 professional curiosity about the factors that may contribute to children going missing and the steps that can be taken to reduce these risks.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual needs, strengths and vulnerabilities. They use this knowledge to provide consistent, child-centred care. As a result, children feel understood and able to share their worries with staff.

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

The continued use of door alarms on children’s bedroom doors has not been reviewed consistently to ensure that this measure remains necessary, proportionate and in accordance with each child’s current assessed needs.

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

Staff respond effectively to incidents and are supported by good-quality care plans that clearly identify individual triggers, early warning signs and appropriate de- escalation strategies. Staff demonstrate resilience and respond with empathy and understanding. This approach promotes positive relationships and outcomes for children.

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

Overall, staff have a good understanding of children’s mental health needs and generally respond appropriately to them. However, on one occasion, a potential risk was not recognised, and management oversight did not identify or respond to this at the time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a manager who is committed to ensuring that children receive child-centred care, with their needs, wishes and feelings at the heart of decision- making. The manager and staff challenge other professionals appropriately when this is necessary to promote positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are purposeful and reflective. The manager proactively identifies themes and topics for discussion, enabling staff to reflect on practice and share learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they are happy working at the home and feel well supported in their roles. This is reflected in the stability of the staff team since the last inspection. As a result, children receive consistent support from adults they know well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When supervision takes place, it is reflective and provides opportunities to discuss practice and the needs of children. However, supervision and appraisal arrangements have not always been completed consistently or within required timescales in recent months. Leaders and managers have identified the reasons for this and have implemented measures to address the shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from regular input from a psychology service, which provides specialist consultation and guidance. This informs care planning, risk management and day-to-day practice. As a result, staff feel more confident in their roles, responses are more consistent and children experience positive outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure there is effective monitoring and oversight of incident records and that staff are receiving regular supervision to support their practice. 31 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that bedroom door alarms are used for welfare and safeguarding reasons only and that their use is kept under review. 31 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 6

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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: 2815615 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4RL

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Inspector

Sophie Coogan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2815615 8 regulates 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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