Children's Home run by Guiding Light Residential Care Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 1 Registered provider: Guiding Light Residential Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in January 2025 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since October 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted. The manager was present throughout the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking whether this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience warm and loving relationships with staff who spend time with them. Staff build positive relationships with children’s families and friends and support children to maintain contact with them. Children are supported to develop the skills and confidence needed for adulthood. Staff keep children safe. They respond promptly when children are at risk of drugs misuse and search for them when they are missing from the home. Staff monitor children’s safety online and help them to understand risk by encouraging safe choices. Children’s complaints and allegations are taken seriously. Staff feel well supported by the manager and receive training and supervision to understand children’s needs. The manager has good oversight of practice. However, some adjustments to recording systems are required to ensure comprehensive oversight of risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved into the home, and 2 children have moved out. Two children living at the home were consulted as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build warm and loving relationships with children through time spent with them. Staff talk positively about children. Daily routines and boundaries are encouraged for children to develop healthy patterns of behaviour. The impact of negative routines is discussed with children, and their behaviours are reflected on through informal chats. Staff also support children to consider the impact of their behaviours on others, helping to develop their social awareness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests are known by staff. They are encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities, including go karting and chess club. Staff seek opportunities for children to meet new people and establish relationships outside of home. They show interest in children’s friendships. Friends are welcomed to the home. Staff build relationships with friends’ carers to enable arrangements to be made for children to see their friends and strengthen social connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families are universally positive about the care children receive. They say the home helps children to have aspirations. Staff build relationships with people who are important to children and support children to maintain contact with them. The complexities of relationships are explored with children, who are supported to manage them effectively. This helps children to build healthy and secure relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to value education by seeking opportunities that reflect their interests. They work with professionals to find creative solutions to barriers that may prevent children from accessing educational opportunities. Staff take part in school life by attending meetings and celebratory events. This demonstrates to children that staff are proud of them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 4 Staff support children to think about what they need as they prepare to move on from the home. They spend time helping children consider what they want to say to others and use role play to increase their confidence in expressing their views and arranging to see people. Children are helped to budget and develop self-care skills, such as cooking and cleaning, to maintain a healthy lifestyle and environment. Staff talk to children about future risks and making safe choices, helping to promote their safety as they move

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

Where there is a concern that children misuse substances, staff check children’s rooms to ensure their safety. Staff seek support from professionals and specialist services to ensure that children’s experiences are understood. Staff spend time with children reflecting on alternative choices and consistently reach out to show children they care.

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

Staff search for children when they go missing from the home. They know children well and are attuned to changes in their presentation that may indicate increased risk. Information about children’s connections is recorded and shared with professionals, helping to give the best chance of locating children when they are missing from the home. Staff are curious about where children have been and welcome them back to the home, so they know they have been missed.

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

Staff physically hold children when necessary to keep them safe. Following such incidents, staff have reflective discussions with children to help them understand their experiences and consider alternative ways of responding in the future. Staff provide consistent care and clear expectations, helping children to build trust.

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

Staff monitor children’s use of social media and the internet to ensure their safety. They spend time with children exploring who they are talking to and what they are looking at, enabling them to better understand children’s vulnerabilities. Staff discuss any concerns with children, helping to increase their awareness of potential risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aspirational for children and seeks opportunities for them. They lead by example and are respected by staff. There is a strong culture of reflective practice, with a continued focus on improving children’s care. Staff receive child-specific training to ensure that they are confident in their practice. Staff are happy working at the home and say they feel supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides staff with regular formal supervision, during which practice and professional development are discussed. Where practice falls short, action is taken to ensure that children receive good care. The manager meets with the staff team regularly. They discuss the children and developments for the home, creating a unified approach to children’s care. Staff say they feel able to contribute and feel heard. Good care is praised, and staff are shown they are valued, creating a culture of worth. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 5 The manager spends time with children ensuring that they know how to raise complaints. When children raise complaints, the manager provides written responses acknowledging their feelings. The manager informs children about what actions have or will be taken to build trust. Action is taken when allegations are made against staff, showing an efficient management response to concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to record children’s care. While he is diligent in his oversight and in recording reflections and learning, the system does not consistently alert him when records have not been completed. In addition, it does not specify when records have been created, which limits the ability to ensure timeliness. As a result, the manager may not always have access to all the information required to maintain effective management oversight of risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that systems are in place to demonstrate the date on which documents are created, so that compliance with regulatory timescales following incidents when children are held can be evidenced.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that there is an effective system for recording checks of children’s bedrooms and devices in line with the timescales agreed in their care plans. 27 September 2026

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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: 2812944 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guiding Light Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Pandora Drive, Peterborough PE2 8HD

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Inspector

Rebecca Barker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2812944 8 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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