Children's Home run by Sweet Hope Manor Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 1 Registered provider: Sweet Hope Manor Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for up to 4 children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2026 Full Inadequate 20/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 3

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have made improvements since the last inspection and now maintain effective oversight of the home. Children benefit from care that is well planned and regularly reviewed. One child is receiving tailored support as they prepare for parenthood and is making positive, progress in education. Another child has spent extended periods away from the home; however, leaders have worked effectively with partner agencies to manage associated risks and ensure that important decisions regarding the child’s care planning are progressed in a timely manner. As a result, children continue to receive support that is responsive to their changing needs and circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to maintain the improvements made to the home environment. Children’s bedrooms are freshly decorated, welcoming and personalised, while communal areas are clean, well maintained and inviting. The home has a warm, homely atmosphere and children feel comfortable and settled. As a result, children benefit from living in an environment they can be proud of, and which reflects their needs, interests and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are detailed and individualised and provide a comprehensive understanding of their needs, strengths and areas for development. They clearly identify how staff should support children and effectively guide day-to-day practice, ensuring that staff understand children’s experiences and can promote their progress. This is particularly evident for one child who is being well supported as they prepare to become a parent. Staff work closely with the child to promote attendance at health appointments, encourage meaningful engagement with professionals and help them understand the responsibilities of parenthood. Through targeted direct work and careful planning, staff are supporting the child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for their next stage of life and planned move to a more suitable provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made progress in their education, having gained entry level qualifications this summer. Professionals said that staff’s encouragement for the child had refocused them on their learning for the first time since they worked with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders did not demonstrate sufficient professional challenge when considering a move for one child. Information provided by the placing authority was not explored in enough detail to ensure that new staff could confidently meet the child’s assessed needs. Although the child was supported to visit the proposed home as part of planning, the move did not proceed. This resulted in uncertainty for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 4

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

Staff manage children’s missing-from-home incidents effectively. One child has had a prolonged unauthorised absence from the home. Staff and managers quickly recognised the significant risks this presented and remained proactive in seeking reassurance about the child’s safety and wellbeing. Regular multi-agency meetings have been held to share information, review risk and coordinate plans. Staff understand the actions required to encourage the child’s return and have appropriately escalated concerns when these efforts were unsuccessful. The placing local authority praised the manager’s commitment to the child, noting that they had ‘stuck by’ them throughout this period. This persistent advocacy and partnership working has helped professionals make informed decisions and progress plans for the child’s future move from the home.

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

Staff take it seriously when children present with injuries at the home. They understand children well and do not make assumptions of safety. They remain professionally curious, escalating appropriately with involved safeguarding professionals when required.

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

When children make allegations, these are listened to by staff. Managers take decisive action when there are concerns raised about staff and ensure the staff involved do not work with children until deemed safe to do so. The manager is tenacious in following up concerns reported to the local authority and to safety plan accordingly.

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

When needed, managers have escalated concerns about the response of safeguarding partners, including the police and social care. This has ensured that their concerns about the potential exploitation of a child were heard and that momentum in care planning for this child was maintained.

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

Children’s risk assessments are robust. They offer a good level of detail and guide staff on practical steps that they need to take. Staff feel empowered by risk assessments and understand the actions required of them. Additional safety plans are completed when needed to respond to more nuanced or emerging risks. However, on one occasion, a safety plan lacked specific detail about how regularly staff should complete welfare checks when children were missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual have good oversight of the home. They have developed auditing systems to ensure the experiences of children are understood and areas for improvement identified. Leaders and managers understand the needs of children extremely well, and this has allowed for focused development of practice since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel well supported by managers, who are approachable and readily available to offer guidance, advice and reflective discussions. Staff value the support they receive and describe managers as positive role models who help them to develop their practice and confidence. There is a strong sense of teamwork in the home, with Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 5 staff working collaboratively and maintaining a shared commitment to providing high- quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported through regular team meetings and supervisions. These focus on staff learning while also recognising the impact of a recent challenging period for staff. Clear actions and guidance support staff to understand how they can best care for children and encourage their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete training that is tailored to the specific needs and risks of the children living in the home. They use this learning to develop their knowledge and improve the support they provide to children. The manager reinforces learning through targeted supervision sessions, which encourage staff to reflect on their practice and demonstrate how training is applied in day-to-day care. Leaders monitor staff development through a training tracker, which has helped to identify when training has not been completed within expected timescales. Action is being taken to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children have experienced multiple changes to staff who care for them in recent months. Subsequent recruitment has focused on bringing qualified staff to work at the home. This is strengthening practice and recording. However, several long-standing members of staff have not completed the required qualification within the regulatory timescale. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff are registered on the required qualification and completing this within required timescales. 26 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 7 play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each

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Recommendations

child’s transition is planned, and help each child to prepare for leaving, both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 8

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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: 2771481 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sweet Hope Manor Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2771481 10 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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