Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in DerbyshireOfsted inspection, 22 Sept 2026

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 1 Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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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 one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home. The inspectors spoke with the child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025 and is suitably qualified.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to review progress against compliance notices issued following the previous monitoring visit on 19 August 2026. The compliance notices were issued under Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard). At this visit, the actions outlined in the compliance notices had not been met. This lack of action from the provider and the manager to ensure compliance notices were met raises concerns about their understanding of the seriousness of enforcement action being taken by the regulator to improve practice.

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This monitoring visit

There have been persistent shortfalls in physical intervention practice, which have now been identified at the last 6 inspections. Leaders and managers have repeatedly failed to meet the requirements of this regulation, and learning has not been embedded. There continues to be a failure to ensure that all staff involved in physical interventions receive appropriate debriefs. A member of staff involved in a physical intervention had not received the necessary training. The manager did not have effective oversight of this incident. They provided no reflection about guidance given to the staff member to ensure that they were acting in a way that would not cause harm to a child. As a result of these shortfalls, a compliance notice has been issued under Regulation 35. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 2 Following a significant incident of self-injurious behaviour, the manager did not notify

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted in line with regulatory expectations. Behaviour support plans for the child are not clear on what action staff should take should an incident occur again. Not all staff read the risk management plans that are in place, including agency staff who work in the home at night. The manager has not had oversight of this shortfall, which means that staff are supporting children without having an awareness of how to manage and mitigate risk. Essential safety equipment that may be required to manage risk is not easily accessible, and staff thought the equipment was in a different location.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the environment has improved and feels more homely; however, the manager has not considered potential hazards related to self-injurious behaviour. Consequently, it is unclear how the manager is assured that staff understand how to safely care for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour support plans for the child do not include key triggers for behaviour that have led to incidents. There continues to be shortfalls related to the use of e- cigarettes, and staff have been unable to support the child to reduce their use of these. Staff are not always provided with the child’s plans before working in the home, and it is unclear how staff understand the child’s specific care needs.

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This monitoring visit

Medication audits now take place more regularly, and there have been no medication errors. Despite increased auditing, the manager has not had oversight of staff members who have not received medication training. There have been occasions where staff have been involved in medication administration despite not being trained.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not have oversight of the training needs of all staff who work in the home to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to meet the child’s needs. Several staff have not completed mandatory training, including one member of staff whose fire safety training is several years out of date. Some staff have not completed self-injurious behaviour or medication training. Although these issues were identified at previous inspections, the manager has not taken sufficient action to address them. This raises concerns about staff competency to safely care for children and the manager’s ability to effect change.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership arrangements remain unstable. The temporary responsible individual has been away from the home. In the interim, another temporary responsible individual has been identified; however, change is yet to be effective.

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This monitoring visit

A new independent visitor has been identified by the provider. However, there has been a delay in the regulator receiving the independent visitor reports. This limits Ofsted’s oversight and understanding of the experiences of the child. The continued failure to provide these reports in a timely way demonstrates shortfalls in leaders’ understanding of regulatory expectations. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 3 When allegations have been made, leaders have carried out investigations and made referrals to external agencies as necessary. There has been a further occasion of staff not following care plans for the child during an incident. Leaders have taken action to address this shortfall. The manager has undertaken learning sessions with staff and reiterated expectations of practice during team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have supported the child to engage in education, and the social worker for the child gave positive feedback in this regard. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/06/2026 Full Inadequate 02/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2025 Full Good 23/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff involved in physical interventions should receive a debrief.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 1 November 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 1 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 6 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 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;

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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)(c)(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

staff receive specific training relating to children’s needs and that leaders have monitoring systems in place to support oversight of staff training;

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose is updated regularly, including regarding staff working in the home and their qualifications;

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Requirement Due date

leaders have effective oversight of all areas of staff practice and the experiences of children;

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Requirement Due date

leaders have systems in place to drive improvements in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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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

that staff— 1 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 7 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments clearly set out how children’s needs will be managed by staff;

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Requirement Due date

staff support children to reduce their use of e-cigarettes;

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Requirement Due date

the home environment is suitable for the child’s needs and free from potential risks.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 8 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders should inform Ofsted of significant self- injurious behaviour. 1 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 1 November 2026

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that leaders and staff consistently follow plans for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 1 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and 1 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 9 to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, feedback should be sought from professionals and parents, and visits should ensure that independent oversight is thorough. Ofsted should receive the report in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been 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 personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, care plans should be kept up to date with key information relating to education and health.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 1 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 10

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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: 2762776 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TX

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Inspectors

Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Rachael Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2762776 12 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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