Children's home run by London Borough of Croydon in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: SC041887 1 SC041887 Registered provider: London Borough of Croydon Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in 2003 and is owned by the local authority. It provides a short-break service for up to seven children with physical and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There are 46 children registered to use the service. At the time of this inspection, seven children were staying at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2024

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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: SC041887 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 23/11/2021 Full Good 20/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC041887 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the inspection, the inspector met all seven children who were staying at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create a warm and enjoyable environment, interacting playfully with the children. They encourage children to participate in various activities, such as football, bat and ball, and singing. Toys are easily accessible, and the home has an indoor sensory room, a soft-play area, and a spacious, well-equipped garden for the children to explore.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Recently, the kitchen has been refurbished, and the flooring and furnishings have been replaced. Although the home could not operate during this time, staff continued to support the children in the community. For example, they took the children on days out to ensure that they continued to have positive experiences and consistency with their short-break arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual ways of communicating. Many children express themselves without words, using gestures and glances. Staff give children choices, acknowledging their wishes and feelings. Staff said that they know that preferences can change, so they do not assume the children’s wishes stay the same from visit to visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s transitions into and out of the home are positive. When children start using the service, they have time to adjust. To meet the children’s needs, a tailored plan is created in partnership with schools, parents, general practitioners, and the children themselves. Visits take place at children’s schools, family homes, and the short-break home. Children begin with ‘tea’ visits at the home and then gradually move to overnight stays, but only when they are ready.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Many of the children have been staying at the home throughout their formative years. The staff have been working at the home for a long time, and the team is stable. When children leave, staff plan the process carefully. Children join the ‘transition group’, which helps them build and develop their independence skills. Staff organise a leaving party, and the child’s link worker assists with their move to adult services.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe and are aware of their risks and behaviour support needs. Staff discuss this information at every handover and during weekly team meetings, making it a crucial component of all staff communication and practice.

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

Parents said that they know their children enjoy their time at the home. Children socialise with other children and are safe, which makes them feel secure. Inspection report for children’s home: SC041887 4 Staff follow safe medication protocols. This ensures that children’s health needs are met. They have built a good rapport with the children’s health teams. Before children stay at the home, staff consult the child’s general practitioner about their medication. This also happens when there are changes to children’s medication.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that complaints and incidents are investigated effectively. However, not all incidents have been reported to Ofsted as required. This means the regulator has not had a sufficient overview of the home to ensure that the children remain safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management are very stable. The operations are overseen by the registered manager, who has over 30 years of experience. A dedicated team, including many long-term staff members, provides excellent care and support to children. Staff said they feel appreciated and enjoy coming to work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a structure in place to ensure the continual development and improvement of the home and its staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All professionals and parents report that communication is a strength of the service. This has improved children’s experiences, as all services work together. For example, exchanging information between experts and parents during review meetings facilitates the development of targeted behaviour plans for children and ensures consistency in their overall care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the team has developed the monitoring and reviewing system. The quality-of-care reviews now include feedback from children, staff, parents and carers. One staff member gathers data and shares it with the team. The registered manager acknowledged that this process has enabled reflection, leading to practice changes and highlighting good practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The standard of case recording varies. Some children’s files include out-of-date information, while others lack the necessary detail for an accurate account of events. Leaders and managers recognise this shortfall, and plans are in place to address it. Inspection report for children’s home: SC041887 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 registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that incident logs, children’s behaviour management plans and risk assessments are accurate, kept up to date and signed. 18 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 18 April 2025

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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: SC041887 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: P2P Team, PO Box 1967, Bernard Wetherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, Surrey CR90 9FL

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC041887 7 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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