Children's home run by Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 1 Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment (care) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to six children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities. The home provides long-term care as well as a short breaks service.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in July 2017 and the manager was registered in 2024. At the time of this inspection, three 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: 1257022 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2023 Full Good 11/05/2022 Full Good 12/05/2021 Full Good 30/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at the home are cared for by a staff team that understands their complex needs. Staff and children have warm relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children receive adequate support during changes in their home environment. For instance, on the first day of the inspection, the manager created a social story to help the children understand the reason for the visit and what the experience would entail.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have comprehensive care plans. Staff employ a range of compassionate and supportive strategies to meet the children’s needs. When there are changes to a child’s needs, staff promptly share the information among the team and update the care plan to reflect these changes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual communication styles are respected and actively supported by staff. Various communication techniques are used to enhance interaction. Staff wear lanyards equipped with Picture Exchange Communication System cards, enabling children to point to images and communicate more effectively when engaging with their carers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive physically and socially. They are given numerous opportunities to develop their skills and take part in a wide range of activities. Some of these activities have been instrumental in fostering their life skills and preparing them for independence. For example, children have learned to confidently use public transport, which is a significant step towards self-reliance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home supports children to make meaningful progress in all areas of their lives. Education is a priority, and children are encouraged and supported to attend school regularly. They also value the chance to enjoy independence from staff, which allows them to explore new opportunities to grow, develop and learn at their own pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While the home is well equipped, including a sensory room and a playroom with toys, it needs some modernisation. Timely repairs of items are necessary to ensure that the environment stays conducive to children’s well-being.

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

Children in the home are protected well from harm. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the risks associated with each individual child. Behaviour support plans and risk assessments are comprehensive, offering clear guidance to help staff identify when children need support and how to respond effectively to meet their needs. The home adopts a positive and restorative approach, focusing on helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Rather than implementing Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 4 punitive measures, staff encourage children to recognise the impact of their behaviour and work collaboratively to address and reduce harmful behaviours.

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

When children are considered for placement, the manager ensures that a comprehensive suitability matching assessment is completed. This supports the manager to understand the impact on the children living at the home before a placement is agreed to be suitable. This reduces risk to the children living in the home and reduces the need for a placement move, which creates stability for children .

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

The administration of prescribed medication is managed effectively in the home. Children’s records are meticulously maintained, ensuring that their health needs are met and supporting their overall well-being. Medication records are aligned with the children’s care plans, providing staff with clear guidance to meet the children’s specific health requirements.

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

Children living in the home have high levels of need, requiring additional supervision. Adequate staffing ratios are in place to meet these needs, helping to minimise risks and to ensure that children are safe. The high level of supervision of children means that children do not go missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is motivated and driven and has high aspirations for the children who live at the home. The manager works with a range of agencies to ensure that children’s needs are met. When there are gaps in services and children are not receiving the correct levels of support, the manager is swift in advocating for the children to ensure that they get the right services that will support them to make ongoing progress .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. They ensure that there is an established, stable staff team. This continuity of care helps children to feel secure and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are offered a wide range of training opportunities to develop their skills. The manager prioritises specialist training to ensure that staff gain a thorough understanding of the complex needs of the children in their care. However, there has been a delay in some members of staff completing their Level 3 qualification in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management team fosters a reflective learning environment, promoting an open learning culture in the home. This approach supports staff in continuously developing their abilities to meet the needs of the children. The positive atmosphere extends to staff’s interactions, highlighting strong teamwork and mutual support. One member of staff described the home as a welcoming and supportive workplace, saying, ‘It feels like a family.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 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 within the given timescales.

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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

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)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to modernising the premises and carrying out timely repairs of items as necessary. 9 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph, 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

The relevant date is— 9 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 6 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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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: 1257022 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment (care) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 144 Old Oak Road, London W3 7HF

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Inspector

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 8 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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