Children's Home run by Caring Feathers Ltd in Derby

Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 1 Registered provider: Caring Feathers Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026.

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Information about this children's home

There was one child living at the home at the time of inspection. The child was seen but did not wish to speak to the inspector.

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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: 2803209 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2026 Full Good 03/03/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 3

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Summary of findings

The children's home is clean and well maintained. Staff care for and speak positively about children. Staff ensure that children's views are respected and children are supported to make complaints. Staff seek to build relationships through activities in and out of the home with children. Children are supported to undertake activities that align with their interests and identities. Risk management plans are clear so that staff understand what actions are needed. Staff work positively with professionals to promote children's safety. Staff work with children to help make positive and healthier choices in their lives. When notice is given to end children's placements, leaders do not reflect on alternative strategies, which prevents learning for future transitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is always clean and well maintained. Routine maintenance and unexpected repairs are quickly resolved. Children are encouraged to personalise their spaces and share ideas for shared spaces. Staff adapt the home to suit the interests of the children who live there. For example, one child currently has a punchbag in the garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive relationships with children, which supports them to feel valued. Children's meetings are held regularly. Children are encouraged to participate in activities, which staff also use as opportunities to build positive relationships. Activities are aligned to children's interests and cultural needs. One child has been supported to explore their religious beliefs and physical fitness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff write children's care records in a clear and child-centred way. They avoid language that could feel blaming for children. Staff ensure that children's wishes and feelings are clearly recorded. This ensures that records are easily understood by children should they wish to access them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The complaints procedure is child friendly. One child was supported to make a complaint about their care. One child was supported to access an advocate due to a disagreement about their care plan. The registered manager advocated for creative education provision due to the views of one child. This ensures that children feel valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers are not proactive in reflecting on the reasons why notice has been given to end placements for children. This limits opportunities to identify alternative strategies or future learning. Two children received immediate notice to end their placements, which resulted in unplanned endings. This means that children cannot be fully supported practically or emotionally to move from the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 4

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

Children's risk management plans are clear. Staff understand how to keep children safe. Risk management plans provide background information, guidance to reduce risk and what to do in the event of situations. Risk management plans are reviewed regularly and updated when needed. One child's risk management plan was updated to better address the risk factors associated with sexual exploitation.

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

When children go missing from home, staff take appropriate action in line with agreed protocols. Staff carry out searches to try and locate children and notify police when required. Staff regularly communicate with professionals and parents to share information to support a safe return. Staff speak with children to explore their reasons for going missing and identify how they can be better supported to reduce the likelihood of further missing-from-home incidents.

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

Children's bedrooms are searched when it is necessary to ensure their safety. Children are informed why their room is being searched. When children are not informed, this is because they are unavailable and immediate searches are necessary for their safety. Items found that present a risk to children are safely disposed of.

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

Staff help children to understand risks and make safer, more positive choices. This is done through key-work sessions that aim to increase their awareness of risk and promote safer decision-making. One child has been supported to understand why more robust safety measures are needed to help keep them safe.

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

Staff remain calm and seek to ensure that situations do not escalate. When required, the use of physical intervention is proportionate and necessary. However, staff are not consistently trained in the chosen method of physical intervention. The registered manager does not consistently ensure that when physical interventions are used, the duration of the physical intervention is detailed and recorded within 24 hours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child focused and aspires for all children to make progress. The manager uses feedback and learning from incidents to identify new ways of monitoring care and developing staff to meet children's needs. The manager ensures that children's care records are written in a clear manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is calm under pressure and remains child focused during safeguarding incidents, providing leadership and support to staff to help safeguard and support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works with professionals and families to promote the welfare of children. Professionals report good communication with the manager and staff team. The manager is a strong advocate for children and ensured that one child's support plan was more robust when the child moved into the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 5 Staff feel supported by the leadership team, consisting of the responsible individual and registered manager. Staff described feeling valued, that they are given opportunities for development and that practice is child focused. Induction and training plans are clear and overseen by the manager. Training includes safeguarding practices that are applicable to all children and tailored for those who live there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. These sessions cover pertinent topics, such as the care of children, safeguarding and staff wellbeing. This ensures that the manager can regularly evaluate staff performance and support needs. Staff also attend monthly team meetings, which focus on children's care and experiences. Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving, both practically and emotionally. 23 October 2026

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 23 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 7 In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are trained in the same physical intervention technique as the registered manager's chosen method of practice.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure within 24 hours that the record is completed, which includes the duration of the measure. 23 October 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: 2803209 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Caring Feathers Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4b, The Park Estate, Bury Park Road, Luton LU1 1EN

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Inspector

Nile Blanchard, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2803209 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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Inspector

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