Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 1 SC489036 Registered provider: United Childrens Services 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

The home is run by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to 6 children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of inspection. The children contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that a serious incident occurred at the setting since the last inspection. This is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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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: SC489036 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/04/2025 Full Good 14/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 3

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Summary of findings

The home is welcoming and personalised to the children. The relationships between children and staff are positive and trusting and this is a real strength. Staff speak highly of children and demonstrate genuine care and commitment to their welfare and progress. Children benefit from consistent support from staff who know them well, and staff continue to maintain appropriate contact with children when they move on to independence.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand how to keep children safe and act appropriately when children are at risk of harm, working with the team around each child to help meet children’s needs and support them to make progress. However, when notice is given to end a child’s placement, leaders do not consistently reflect on whether alternative strategies could have been explored to avoid the move. This limits opportunities for learning in relation to future transitions. In addition, the manager has not consistently notified Ofsted of serious incidents. This hinders Ofsteds ability to monitor the quality of care being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is welcoming and well maintained. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms. Children are actively involved in decisions about the decoration of shared areas in the home, ensuring that their views and preferences are valued. Photographs of children and staff are displayed throughout and create a warm and nurturing environment that promotes a strong sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop positive relationship with one another. This is strengthened through a range of activities, both in the home and in the community. When children experience difficulties with peer relationships, staff respond appropriately, providing guidance and support to help find a resolution. One child shared how much they valued the time they spent with their peer. This promotes children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress and benefit from effective, individualised support from staff. Children are supported with well-planned, personalised care that meets their needs effectively. They enjoy good-quality relationships with staff and receive continuity of care, which sustain their positive attachments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work effectively with a range of professionals to support children to make progress in education. When children experience difficulties in this area, staff are proactive in identifying alternative approaches to help them make progress. One child has recently completed their exams and is going to college after several years of limited education. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 4 This demonstrates the positive impact of staff support and reinforces the importance of education for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend regular house meetings and discuss a variety of topics. Staff use these meetings to obtain children’s views, wishes and feelings. The manager has oversight of these records. This information is used to inform the day-to-day running of the home, including meals, activities and other aspects of their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have not consistently reflected on the reasons why some placements have ended. As a result, opportunities to identify lessons learned and consider alternative approaches have been missed. Children do, however, receive practical and emotional support when leaving the home. One child was successfully supported to transition into independent living. The manager has also promoted ongoing relationships, enabling children who have moved on to maintain meaningful connections with the home and continue to receive support from staff.

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

Staff understand how to keep children safe. Individual plans and assessments clearly identify children’s known and emerging risks. This provides staff with detailed guidance on the actions needed to safeguard children. These assessments are reviewed and updated regularly, ensuring that they remain accurate and reflective of each child’s evolving needs.

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

Staff take prompt and appropriate action when children go missing from home. This is in line with individual missing-from-home protocols, ensuring that return home interviews are requested and conducted. Staff speak with children to explore their reasons for going missing and identify how they can be better supported to further reduce the risk of children going missing. This proactive approach helps children to feel well supported while promoting their safety and wellbeing.

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

Staff work with children to help them understand risks and make safer, more positive choices. This support is provided though reflective discussions following incidents and key-work sessions. An in-house therapist also works directly with children, providing emotional support and helping children to adopt different strategies to manage their worries. In addition, staff support children to work with professionals from specialist services to promote their wellbeing and resilience.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort when all other de-escalation efforts have failed, and children are placing themselves or others at risk. Detailed records are kept of incidents and have managerial oversight. However, when staff speak with children, they summarise their views. The exact words children use are not always recorded. This limits the ability of managers to identify practice learning.

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

Staff undertake searches of children’s bedrooms in response to identified risks. These are necessary and proportionate to the concerns presented regarding children’s safety and Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 5 welfare. However, staff do not consistently inform children prior to their rooms being searched.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a registered manager who demonstrates a strong commitment to children’s care and wellbeing. The manager speaks positively about the children and has clear aspirations for their progress and future outcomes. Staff report feeling well supported by the manager and are confident raising any worries or concerns. This contributes to an open culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed good relationship with professionals, supporting children’s progress and outcomes. Feedback from professionals is consistently positive, highlighting the strong communication and collaborative approach. The manager has also worked with the local police, helping children to develop positive relationships with police officers. This has supported children to view the police positively and see them as a trusted source of support to help keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that provides opportunities to reflect on their practice. These sessions also cover pertinent topics such as the care of children, safeguarding and staff wellbeing. This enables the manager to evaluate staff performance, identify development needs and provide appropriate support. Staff also attend monthly team meetings that maintain a clear focus on children’s experiences and outcomes, while promoting shared learning within the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training that is appropriate to meet the needs of the children they care for. Staff are up to date with their mandatory training, including safeguarding, which strengthens their abilities to keep children safe. New staff members benefit from a structured induction and additional support to help them develop the skills and knowledge required for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not consistently notified Ofsted when there is an incident in the home they consider to be serious or that has included police involvement. This hinders the ability of Ofsted to monitor the quality of care being provided and the safety of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 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 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are assessed to be suitable for living together. 6 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should notify Ofsted if there is an incident requiring police involvement in relation to a child or welfare of a child living in the home that the registered person considers to be serious. 6 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a child’s bedroom is not generally entered without their permission. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or wellbeing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident. The registered manager should ensure that the records detail what the child has said about the restraint alongside any summary or analysis of the discussion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph

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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: SC489036 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Childrens Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit J The Quays, Burton Waters, Lincoln LN1 2XG

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Inspector

Nile Blanchard, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 9 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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