Children's Home run by NOVA CHILDREN'S CARE LTD in Derby

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 1 Registered provider: Nova Children’s Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 6 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2026. However, the manager has since submitted their application to cancel their registration.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, children have been placed at risk of harm. In response, Ofsted has issued a compliance notice under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and is working meaningfully with partner agencies to safeguard children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are not accurately recording when children have bruising or marks, and there is very limited information about how injuries occur. Staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity when considering the causes of children’s injuries or marks.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff and leaders are not taking their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. For example, staff have started to record some injuries on body maps, but these are poorly recorded. Management oversight of children’s injuries is poor and there has been a lack of tenacity from leaders in identifying why or how children have injuries.

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Findings from the inspection

It is known that some children display self-injurious behaviours, which can result in injuries. However, it is unclear why children show such behaviours, or what staff are doing to reduce such risks for children. When children show self-injurious behaviours, it is unclear what staff need to do in response to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

There was a delay in Ofsted being notified of a serious safeguarding concern where a child had unexplained bruises. Leaders did not ensure that the local authority is aware of the bruising in a timely way and therefore there was a lack of opportunity for multi-agency response to ensure safeguarding procedures were followed.

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Findings from the inspection

There was an incident where staff took a child out in the car without appropriate equipment. This resulted in a significant incident where there was a risk of harm to the child, staff and others. Staff were injured. There has been a lack of management oversight of the incident and subsequent learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Recording of physical interventions is poor. Staff do not consistently record physical interventions with children. The manager did not undertake debriefs with staff or with the child following identifying a physical intervention that had not been recorded as such by staff.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been continued shortfalls related to medication practice, which has resulted in children being overdosed with medication on 2 occasions. Staff lack the necessary competency in medication management, but they have still administered medication to children at times. Leaders have not ensured staff competency to administer medication, and risks to children have increased. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 4 Children living in the home are pre-verbal, and it is unclear how staff communicate with children fully to understand their needs and to gain their wishes and feelings. The lack of recording by staff means there is a lack of understanding of children’s lived experiences. Leaders have not taken prompt action to address these shortfalls.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment is tired and in need of refurbishment and redecoration. There has been a recent specialist assessment regarding the home and how it can be adapted to meet the needs of children. However, progress in this regard has been slow.

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Findings from the inspection

The leadership arrangements are currently unstable. There is currently no registered manager in post. The responsible individual is yet to be assessed as suitable. Leaders supporting the inspection raised concerns that there has been a culture of lack of accountability and recording.

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Findings from the inspection

On occasion, staffing ratios have been reduced and at times children have been cared for solely by agency staff, which does not align with regulations. The induction of agency staff does not provide evidence that staff understand plans for children prior to working with them. These shortfalls have resulted in there being a lack of consistency of care for children. Staff are not consistently supervised nor offered regular appraisals. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/07/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/08/2025 Full Good 02/12/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 25 September 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— 25 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 7 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that agency staff receive a thorough induction and that they meet employment eligibility requirements.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff receive regular supervision and appraisals.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff access handovers and recording of handovers are thorough.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff recording is improved so that records are clear, accurate and provide a comprehensive account of children’s experiences, needs, the support they receive and the progress they are making.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the manager delegates tasks appropriately, ensuring that they maintain effective oversight of children’s needs and actions that need to be taken to promote their care. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 8 The registered person must ensure that leaders have effective oversight of all areas of staff practice and the experiences of children, and evaluate the quality of care in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when there are medication errors, prompt action should be taken to address shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 25 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support; 25 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 9 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(b)(i)(iii)(c)(d)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that communication needs for children are consistently met, children should have access to advocacy services and the children’s guide should be child friendly.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii)) 25 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 10 In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is welcoming and meets children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. 25 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 11 (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that recordings of physical interventions are clear, and that staff and children receive debriefs following physical interventions.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to contribute to meetings regarding their care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 25 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). 25 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 12 When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to: respond to the health needs of children; administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment; help children to manage long-term conditions and, where necessary, meet specific individual health needs arising from a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs; and, in particular, support children with their dental hygiene needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered person should ensure they actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under Regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. This includes gaining feedback from key people via independent visits and the point-in-time survey. Further, Regulation 45 reports should be sent

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Recommendations

to the regulator in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Recommendations

These recommendations were raised at the last inspection and are restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nova Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Para Group House, 6–11 Riley Street, Willenhall, West Midlands WV13 1RH

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Inspectors

Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Sarah Orriss, Regional Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785955 14 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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