Children's Home run by Utopia Care Pioneer Homes in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 1 Registered provider: Utopia Care Pioneer Homes

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home and manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026. The home is owned by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is working towards the required qualification.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 and 27 May 2026. Serious and widespread failures that meant children were not protected and their welfare was not promoted or safeguarded were identified. In addition, the care and experiences of children were poor, leading to poor progress. Following the inspection, 2 compliance notices was issued under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. Leaders committed to not admitting children until shortfalls were addressed.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was conducted to review the compliance notices and the progress made to address the noted shortfalls. The requirements of both compliance notices and 2 requirements have been met. Four requirements and 2 recommendations have not been met and have been restated.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have undertaken a comprehensive review of the shortfalls identified at the full inspection and reflected on the previous child’s placement. As a result, support has been put in place so that staff and leaders better understand their roles and responsibilities and care planning processes. New systems have been introduced to Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 2 support and guide staff in identifying, assessing and responding to risks effectively. A new recording system has been implemented, which leaders aim to result in clearer and more consistent record-keeping and to help them have greater oversight of practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have strengthened their oversight of training and practice, as well as developing staff so they are better equipped to deliver care in line with the home’s statement of purpose. There is now a clear training plan for staff to increase their knowledge in safeguarding, online risks and exploitation. Furthermore, leaders have implemented new policies to help guide staff in care planning, providing consistent day-to-day care and using professional curiosity to support children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have addressed shortfalls in safer recruitment and implemented systems to strengthen oversight and assurance of staff suitability.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have improved the home environment, which is now a safe, welcoming and homely space. Fire doors are now fully operational, and fire exits are clear and accessible. Bedrooms have been redecorated and are ready to be personalised when children move in. The sensory room has been enhanced with additional resources and leaders have plans to further develop this area to create a fully equipped sensory space to support sensory play and relaxation. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/05/2026 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that care planning for children is timely, understood and promoted. In addition, the registered person must ensure that when input from others is not effective, they escalate this in a timely manner so that children receive the help, support and information they need to thrive.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 July 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— 19 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 5 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; and

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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

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles in how to support and protect children and apply this in day-to-day practice.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

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

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;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; 19 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 6 help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s education plans are implemented, and staff promote active engagement in learning. The registered person must also ensure that staff support children to participate in educational activities, addressing any barriers to learning, and follow a multi-agency approach as required.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have a clear understanding of children’s care plan arrangements and ensure that staff practice is effective in order to meet children’s needs to support them to achieve their full potential. The registered person must ensure that children’s 19 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 7 plans and risk assessments are written accurately, clearly and reflect both current and emerging risks and vulnerabilities. Leaders and managers must have a system in place to be assured that staff know and understand children’s plans and that staff can put any associated guidance to support children’s safety into practice. The registered person must also ensure that care planning is timely, purposeful and effective. Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that children experience positive beginnings and endings to their time living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should seek to involve an advocate for children where there are delays in care planning and ineffective input from the placing authority or another relevant person needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Utopia Care Pioneer Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2839370 9 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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