Children's Home run by Avellino Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 1 Registered provider: Avellino Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted in October 2024 and is privately operated. It is a multi-building home consisting of 4 properties, and it provides care for up to 4 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025 and is suitably experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 3 children living in the home when the inspection took place. The inspector spent time with all 3 children.

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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: 2800238 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 3

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Summary of findings

The 3 children living in the home are settled and are making good progress. They benefit from the support of a core team of staff who know them well and who provide them with individualised care and support. Staff communicate effectively with children and ensure their views are heard; this supports them to feel valued. The homes are designed with children’s needs in mind. However, some areas would benefit from repainting. Managers provide staff with good support. They are reflective and identify learning from experiences. There are some minor shortfalls in leadership and management. The manager has a clear plan to address these shortfalls and professionals are positive about the care that children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 4 children have moved into the home, and 2 children have moved out. The manager meets with children and the people who are important to them to understand children’s needs and views before they move in. Moves are tailored to children’s needs; this supports them to settle and helps ensure their experiences are positive. On one occasion, one child moved into the home and moved out shortly after as staff could not meet their needs. Managers reflected with staff on the child’s experiences and identified learning that they have implemented into practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in homes that are tailored to their individual needs. Staff ensure that children have a say in how they want their homes to look, and act on their views. Children enjoy access to trampolines, toys and games in line with their interests. This supports children to feel a sense of belonging and to feel valued. A maintenance person regularly attends and ensures the environment is safe for children. However, there have been delays in repainting some areas of the homes. The manager has a plan to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from empathetic care and support from staff who know them well. They were observed to have positive relationships with staff, who respond to them intuitively and provide nurturing care. One child said that they have people they can speak to in the home; they described feeling listened to and described staff knowing how to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled in communicating with children using their preferred methods of communication, ensuring that important discussions are accessible and meaningful to them. They recognise that children may require additional time and support to understand and process both significant and everyday changes in their lives, and take a proactive approach to preparing children for change. For example, a social story was used to help one child understand and prepare for meeting the inspector, while ongoing, age-appropriate discussions are taking place with another child to support Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 4 their understanding of a planned future move. This thoughtful approach helps to reduce anxiety while providing children with the opportunity to express their views and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children building and maintaining relationships with key people in their lives. Staff make regular calls to people who are important to children and keep them informed about their children’s lives. Parents and professionals describe children making good progress at the home and report that their children are happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers understand the importance of education for children. Managers advocate for children when they do not have provision and work closely with professionals to ensure children’s needs are understood and prioritised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a range of activities that enhance their experiences of living in the home. They write about children’s experiences and add photos to memory books that provide children with lasting reminders of their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills through regular discussions and structured tasks. Achievements are recognised and celebrated using rewards that are tailored to children’s interests.

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

Staff understand the steps that they need to take to keep children safe. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children safe. Clear plans provide staff with guidance on how to support children who may experience distress. Plans are individualised to children’s needs, and strategies to support children are continually updated. This helps to ensure that children receive tailored support. A reduction in incidents indicates that children experience an increasing sense of safety over time.

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

Managers review incidents and speak with staff and children, using their preferred methods of communication, afterwards. These discussions are reflective and ensure that children and staff have the opportunity to share their views. Reviews identify learning, which is implemented into practice. However, there have been occasions when managers have not identified information that is unclear or incomplete. This undermines the effectiveness of the manager’s reviews. The manager is aware that recording is an area for further development.

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

Staff benefit from the support of a therapeutic lead for the organisation. The therapeutic lead holds regular, reflective sessions with staff that promote their understanding and knowledge.

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

Medication is well managed and the manager works closely with health professionals to ensure that children’s health needs are understood and met well. Managers have Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 5 worked closely with medical professionals to create clear plans to ensure that children are able to access essential services without delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to staff, children and the home. She knows children well and is aspirational for the types of experiences she wants for them. She is supported by a responsible individual who is an active presence in the home and who provides additional oversight, support and guidance to staff and managers. Managers understand the strengths and areas for development well and have clear plans to develop the service and the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by managers, whom they describe as approachable and understanding. They praise the manager and say that they enjoy their roles. One staff member described the support they receive from managers as ‘unreal’; they reported that they had never had the levels of support that they receive here. Another staff member reported that this is the best place they have ever worked in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a comprehensive range of training, including training which is individualised to children’s needs. Managers create bespoke training to upskill staff and support them to continually develop in their roles. Children benefit from the support of staff who have the necessary skills and understanding for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from the support of a core team of staff who know them well. However, there have been periods where agency staff have been used to ensure sufficiency to meet children’s needs. Changes in staffing have impacted on the consistency of care. The manager has taken the time to understand the reasons for staff leaving the home and has taken steps to strengthen and stabilise the staff team through ongoing recruitment and comprehensive inductions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, and agency staff who are transitioning into permanent roles, receive regular supervision. These discussions are used to reflect on practice and help to drive staff development. However, not all agency staff receive supervision of their practice by a professional who knows the home. This reduces the manager’s capacity to fully review and monitor the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 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

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

reviews of incidents identify when language in records is unclear or incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

staffing remains consistent to provide children with continuity of care; and

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Requirement Due date

all staff, including agency and non-permanent staff, receive regular supervision. 24 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of the children, being homely and domestic. In doing so, the registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression, including ensuring that repainting after repairs is completed in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2800238 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Heritage Park, Hayes Way, Cannock WS11 7LT

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2800238 9 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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