Children's Home run by Rising Star Homes Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 1 Rising Star Homes Limited

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for 2 children who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home, and two children had moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the manager has resigned from their post. Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

An acting manager has been in post since July 2026 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The current responsible individual is due to leave their post. A new responsible individual has been appointed. We are currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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This monitoring visit

Following an inadequate inspection on 5 May 2026, Ofsted imposed a restriction of accommodation and issued two compliance notices under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the progress made against the compliance notices and to assess the provider’s compliance with the restriction of accommodation. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 2 Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have adhered to the restriction and no children have moved into the home. Significant action has been taken to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection, including strengthening leadership oversight, improving safeguarding practice, enhancing staff training and implementing more robust monitoring systems.

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This monitoring visit

The visit considered the effectiveness of these actions and their impact on safeguarding arrangements, staff practice and the overall quality of care provided by the home.

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This monitoring visit

Significant changes have been made to the leadership team to strengthen oversight and improve the management of the home. A new responsible individual and interim manager have been appointed and have taken appropriate action to drive improvement and ensure greater accountability. In addition, a development plan has been implemented for the deputy manager to enhance their skills and support them in their role alongside the registered manager. Staff said that there have been noticeable improvements since the changes in leadership. They described the new leadership team as providing clearer direction, increased support and greater oversight, which is helping to improve practice and promote more consistent care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Extensive reflective work has been undertaken to review incidents, identify learning opportunities and strengthen practice. The deputy manager has completed comprehensive reviews that clearly identify shortfalls in practice and set out detailed action plans to improve staff knowledge and competence. Thorough analysis has been completed in relation to incidents, key-work sessions and children’s vulnerabilities, with a clear focus on understanding the impact that poor practice has had on children’s experiences and outcomes. Actions identified through these reviews have been completed, and leaders have implemented effective systems to monitor and evaluate staff competence following training and development activities.

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This monitoring visit

Staff benefit from regular opportunities for reflection, including support from an external psychotherapist. This has enabled staff to explore missed opportunities in practice and develop their understanding of safeguarding matters, particularly in relation to child exploitation. Staff spoke openly and honestly about areas for improvement and reflected on previous inconsistencies in the boundaries provided to children. Discussions are characterised by a learning-focused, non-blaming culture. Staff demonstrated an increased understanding that behaviour is a form of communication and can indicate unmet need. This shows that reflective and educational work with staff has been effective in improving their knowledge, skills and ability to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have identified and responded to the shortfalls in practice identified at the previous inspection. Effective systems have now been implemented to strengthen management oversight of day-to-day recording, and staff have received targeted learning and support to develop their competence in the home’s recording systems. Risk assessments have been reviewed and updated to include clear chronologies of children’s ongoing vulnerabilities, providing staff with the information required to Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 3 respond effectively to children’s needs and manage safeguarding concerns appropriately. Team meetings have been strengthened and now routinely include discussions relating to safeguarding, incidents and learning from practice, ensuring that staff are kept informed of changes to practice expectations and policies.

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This monitoring visit

The condition of the home has improved significantly. The home is warm, welcoming and well maintained. Although no children are currently living in the home, bedrooms are inviting, suitably furnished and appropriate for children of different ages. Leaders have introduced robust monitoring arrangements to ensure that children’s bedrooms and the wider home environment remain safe, well maintained and ready to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have also reviewed the location risk assessment. This assessment now provides a comprehensive overview of known contextual and safeguarding risks within the local area and includes clear strategies to reduce and manage these risks. As a result, staff are better equipped to safeguard children and promote their safety within the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed a broad range of training designed to meet the needs of children and strengthen practice. Leaders have taken steps to evaluate the effectiveness of this training by implementing knowledge-based assessments following completion. These assessments are marked and individual feedback is provided, enabling any gaps in knowledge or understanding to be identified and addressed. Staff were able to confidently discuss their learning and demonstrated an improved understanding of key areas, particularly safeguarding responsibilities and the importance of professional curiosity when working with children.

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This monitoring visit

While managers have appropriately assessed staff knowledge and understanding following training, they have not completed individual competency audits in line with the actions set out in the compliance notice. Consequently, leaders do not yet have sufficient assurance that learning is consistently embedded into practice. Therefore, a requirement under Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, has been made to address this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Both compliance notices have been met, and the restriction of accommodation has been lifted. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/05/2026 Full Inadequate 29/09/2025 Full Good 12/06/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 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 with 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training that is appropriate to their roles and responsibilities, in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose and the requirements of the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that a comprehensive skills audit is completed for all staff to assess their knowledge, experience and competence. Where gaps in skills, knowledge or practice are identified, appropriate action should be taken to address these through targeted training, development opportunities, supervision and support. This will help to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and confidence to provide children with safe, effective and high- quality care. 2 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 6

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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: 2752707 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rising Star Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 134 Lillington Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 6LN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Hazvinei Manyonga

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Inspector

Louisa West, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2752707 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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