Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s

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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 registered with Ofsted on 7 May 2020 and is owned by a national charity. It provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 13 April 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2024 Full Good 28/03/2023 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care and make significant progress from their individual starting points. Staff support children with consistent routines and encourage independent skills. As a result, children’s sleep routines and personal care skills have improved. One child’s family member has praised staff for the significant progress the child has made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use various methods of communication to engage with children. Children’s wishes and feelings are gained through social stories, one-to-one interactions and simple language to communicate with them. This has helped children to increase their vocabulary and learn to speak in sentences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood and met by staff. Staff prepare children very well before vital health appointments and support them to attend. This helped one child feel reassured and calm before and during a dental appointment. As a result, they were able to receive appropriate treatment, which has improved their health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families. They enjoy celebrations together, including birthdays and festivals. Staff are learning to cook family recipes for children to enjoy their favourite foods in the home. This supports children to maintain important family relationships and stay connected to their identity and culture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is physically safe and comfortable. There is a well-equipped sensory room and a spacious garden for the children to enjoy. Children’s bedrooms are clean and personalised to their likes and wishes. Their personal achievements are displayed in the living room. This supports children’s sense of belonging and helps them to feel valued.

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

Managers work closely with children’s families and professional networks to assess and understand their needs and behaviours. They visit children in their personal environments, and children are supported with a transition plan before they move in, including visiting the home. Managers develop support plans that are regularly reviewed and updated, helping staff to meet the unique and individual needs of children.

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

Children’s risk assessments identify triggers, with clear strategies in place to reduce and manage the potential risks that children may pose to each other. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and guide children to different spaces in the home Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 4 when they are unhappy or unsettled. This reduces the possibilities of children upsetting one another and ensures their safety and well-being in the home.

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

Staff guide and support children in key-work sessions. They teach them routines, prepare them for future plans and address any concerning behaviours. Children are reassured and benefit from these conversations. As a result, challenging behaviours have reduced, and children are calmer when faced with new experiences and changes.

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

Staff know safeguarding procedures and how to report concerns to managers and leaders. They have high expectations of themselves and their team. This gives confidence that they can challenge any poor practice, which helps to increase children’s safety in the home.

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

Safer recruitment practice is not robust. Leaders and managers do not explore gaps in staff’s employment history.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management of the home are good. The home is overseen by the registered manager, who is strongly supported by the children’s service manager with close support from the responsible individual. All three individuals understand the children’s needs and advocate strongly for them. They challenge children’s placing authorities when they have concerns about future plans for children’s care, including the timing of moving children into alternative placements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers make child-centred decisions about children coming to live at the home. They work closely with children’s placing authorities, schools and families to understand their needs and to develop home care plans. They consider staff skills and provide specific specialised training relevant to children’s needs. However, some staff have not yet completed all relevant training to help them understand and meet children’s needs. When children are being considered for admission to the home, planning does not always consistently consider the needs of the children already living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When a young person moved to an adult placement, managers and staff made sure it was a well-planned and supportive move. The welfare and well-being of the young person remained the most important focus, and staff provided outreach support to help them settle with their new carers. This support has helped to make their adult placement stable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are regular and effective. They are used as a learning forum where they focus on standards of care, and guest speakers from various health and social care services attend the meetings to share experience and knowledge. It is a reflective space, which supports staff to strengthen their childcare practice and helps to ensure that children’s needs are well met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 5 Supervision is regular for staff and supports their learning and development. However, they do not consistently focus on children’s needs, progress or behaviours. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect on how they can individually support and care for children to ensure they make positive progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers build effective working relationships with children’s professional network and their families. Feedback from a social worker about the care delivered to one child is excellent, and they report that communication is good. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they obtain information from staff about their previous employment history and explore any gaps in employment. 31 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff complete specific training in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder within reasonable timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that all staff reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care during individual supervisions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2593095 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardo’s, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Danielle Rebbitt

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Inspector

Amena Begum, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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