Children's Home run by Heartwood RSW Ltd in Redbridge

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 1 SC461865

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been in post since December 2024 and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There was only one child living in the home at the time of this inspection, and the inspector was not able to speak to the child.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 26 November 2024

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home from another home owned and operated by the provider. The manager ensured that the transition for the child was positive, although the planned move-in date was changed. This meant that the assessment of the child’s needs and risks was not completed before they moved in. In addition, some staff started in their roles on the day the child moved in. There were concerns at the full inspection about leaders and managers’ planning and decision-making in relation to children moving into the home. There remain some doubts about this at this visit.

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Findings from the inspection

Despite this, the child has started to develop positive relationships with the manager and staff, and staff understand their needs well. The child attends children’s meetings and regular key-work sessions that are used as an opportunity for the child to share their wishes and feelings. Staff also use this as an opportunity to help the child understand their own risks and the impact of their behaviour. This particularly relates to their relationships with their family and to the times the child is missing from the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has established a positive relationship with the child’s placing authority. This has led to the manager being able to work constructively with the placing authority in respect of the child’s needs and safety. In addition, the developing professional relationships have supported working with other professionals to identify an educational provision to support the child’s return to education. The manager and the child’s professional network have also ensured that an agreement is in place to safely support the child to see their family.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff make sure that the child’s risk assessment is clear. This enables staff to understand how to respond effectively to keep the child safe. Staff follow a clear protocol when the child goes missing from their care. This includes contacting parents and maintaining communication with the child until their return home. When they do return home, they are warmly welcomed, which helps the child to feel cared for and valued.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders have ensured that they have all the relevant documents relating to the child that they need. This includes the placing local authority care plan. However, the child’s care plan that staff have created has not been reviewed since they moved into the home, so it does not include information from these documents. As a result, staff do not have easy and collated access to the most up-to-date information to inform their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a change in leaders and managers of the home, and a new staff team has been recruited. A manager has been appointed and has submitted their Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 3 application to register with Ofsted. Before the manager started in the home, the responsible individual was suspended. Senior leaders informed Ofsted of a plan for oversight of the home. However, the plan of oversight was not shared with the newly appointed manager or the interim responsible individual for a month. A new permanent responsible individual has also been recently appointed, but Ofsted has not yet received the relevant information to consider their suitability.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior leaders have changed their policies to ensure that new staff are safely recruited. All staff are currently in their probation and are offered a thorough induction, including mandatory training. Most staff have completed this and any gaps in training completion are being picked up and addressed through the manager’s monitoring systems.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive fortnightly reflective supervision to enhance their practice and identify any further training needs. The manager also observes care practice so they can feed back to staff to help them continue to develop.

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Findings from the inspection

While the care and safety of the child have not been impacted, leadership and management of the home remain largely untested. The manager has created a plan to rectify the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection, but this has not been prioritised by senior leaders. In addition, the manager was not provided with sufficient support at the start of her role. Without this support, the steps to address shortfalls from the last inspection have not been fully realised. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/08/2024 Full Inadequate 20/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 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 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

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that, before children move into the home, full consideration is given to children’s needs in the context of staff experience and skills, the potential impact on children already living in the home and how children’s needs will be met.

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Requirement Due date

Also, leaders and managers must ensure that they have up- to-date plans for children, so they can apply the information in these to other supporting documents for staff, such as risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and has been restated. 21 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 416 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG3 9JX

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Inspector

Salean Bryant, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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