Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care 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 is owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to 6 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of inspection, both children were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post.

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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: SC001452 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2025 Full Good 14/10/2024 Full Inadequate 20/02/2024 Full Outstanding 25/01/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Summary of findings

The children are happy and settled in the home, where they have developed nurturing relationships with staff. However, children spend little time together and largely lead separate lives. Children are safeguarded by the staff and managers in the home, who understand and respond to risks effectively. However, some restraints have been difficult, and children are not consistently informed of the outcomes of allegation investigations.

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Summary of findings

The manager is child focused and plays an active role in the care of the children. Staff receive regular and reflective supervision and report that the manager is supportive. The manager’s monitoring systems are not always effective in identifying shortfalls in practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled living in the home. They have developed positive, trusting relationships with staff, and there is a strong sense of warmth, connection and care throughout the home. Children enjoy spending time with staff and appear relaxed and comfortable in their presence. When they are struggling to manage their emotions, children confidently seek support and comfort from staff, who respond sensitively to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is spacious, welcoming and child focused. Carefully designed areas provide opportunities for play and relaxation, including a well-equipped playroom containing a wide range of toys and games. Children also benefit from access to a sensory room with an integrated soft-play area and ball pit. A large photographic display throughout the home captures children enjoying activities, celebrations and holidays with staff. This helps children to feel valued, secure and connected to the home, while promoting a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain good physical and emotional health. Staff understand each child’s individual health needs and vulnerabilities and provide personalised care in line with detailed care plans. Both children have access to specialist services, including weekly therapeutic support delivered in the home. Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles through play, physical activity and time spent outdoors. These opportunities help children remain active and support their overall wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in education. They attend the on-site educational provision located close to the home and are supported by staff and managers, who actively promote the value of learning. Both children are engaging well in their education and are making progress from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children spend limited time together and lead largely separate lives due to their differing interests and the challenges within their relationships. Activities are typically Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

planned on an individual basis rather than providing opportunities for the children to participate in shared activities together or alongside other children in the community. As a result, opportunities for the children to develop meaningful relationships with each other are reduced. This limits their experiences of forming peer relationships, developing social skills and increasing their confidence in social settings.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect children’s changing needs and circumstances. Staff manage behaviours effectively, helping to reduce risk and keep children safe. There have been no incidents of children going missing from home, self- harming or making complaints during the inspection period. This reflects the responsive and consistent care that staff provide.

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

Positive behaviour is actively promoted within the home. Staff use consistent and appropriate behaviour management strategies, including individualised de-escalation techniques that take account of each child’s specific needs. Staff maintain clear and consistent boundaries while seeking to understand the reasons behind children’s behaviours and identify potential triggers. This approach helps children to feel safe, understood and supported, contributing to their overall wellbeing.

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

The manager’s oversight of restraint records is not sufficiently effective to support improvements in practice or identify potential concerns. Although records show that physical interventions were proportionate and used for the shortest time necessary, there has been more than one occasion when a child reported being hurt following a restraint that staff described as unsuccessful. These incidents were not identified or sufficiently explored through management review. As a result, opportunities to identify learning, provide staff with additional support and strengthen safe care practice have been missed.

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

Children’s complaints are taken seriously, and allegations are subject to thorough investigation, including referrals to relevant safeguarding agencies when appropriate. However, children are not always informed of the outcome of their complaints or any actions taken in response. This may leave children with unanswered questions and reduce their confidence that their views and experiences have been fully listened to and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children and are committed to helping them achieve positive outcomes. The manager regularly reflects on staff practice to inform care planning and drive improvement. Staff speak positively about the manager, describing them as approachable, supportive and consistently focused on the needs of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are appropriately trained to meet the children’s individual needs. The home benefits from a stable and consistent staff team, whose members who know the children well and have a clear understanding of the home’s model of care and ethos. Staff are able to translate this understanding into practice, which helps to provide children with consistent, nurturing care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager fosters a supportive learning environment where staff are encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills. External professionals contribute to team meetings, providing valuable insight into children’s emotional, mental health and therapeutic needs. Meetings are well structured, with clear, child-focused agendas that promote staff learning and strengthen care practice. This helps staff to better understand children’s experiences and respond effectively to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Door alarms are used to monitor children’s movements within the home. However, these measures have not been regularly reviewed to assess their ongoing effectiveness, necessity or proportionality. As a result, there is a risk that these arrangements may place unnecessary restrictions on children’s privacy and independence and may not reflect their current needs and circumstances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems are not always effective in identifying shortfalls in practice or driving improvement. Some weaknesses in practice have not been identified through management oversight, which has limited opportunities to take timely and effective action. Consequently, not all areas of practice benefit from the level of scrutiny necessary to ensure continuous improvement and the best possible outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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)). 4 August 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should help each child develop skills to have positive relationships with others. ‘Others’ includes individuals both inside and outside the home, such as other children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6).  The registered person should inform children of the outcome following an investigation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17).  The registered person should ensure that limits on privacy may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10).  The registered person should routinely review the effectiveness of any restraint

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Recommendations

system commissioned and provide further training where necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.58). Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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: SC001452 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3UT

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Inspector

Amber Merriman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC001452 9 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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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