Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 1 SC025813 Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to eight boys who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 and 27 February 2025. As a result, two compliance notices were issued, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This monitoring visit was carried out to review progress against the requirements in these compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is making progress in addressing the concerns in the compliance notices. As a result of this progress, both notices have now been met.

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This monitoring visit

Children have up-to-date risk assessments that reflect their current needs. Staff understand the risks to children and how to manage these vulnerabilities. Feedback from social workers highlighted that children are safe in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand their role in keeping children safe when they go missing from the home. When a child went missing, staff informed their family and professional network. Leaders and managers requested an independent return home interview for the child and staff also had conversations with the child when they returned home, to check on their well-being. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 2 Despite the progress made, management oversight is still not consistent across records. There has been one incident since the last inspection and staff support was recorded in detail. In contrast, while staff say they receive training to meet the specific needs of children, leaders and managers’ oversight of training records are not yet complete. In addition, details of staff meetings are not suitably recorded so they can be easily accessed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are in the process of putting in place a central monitoring and review process to support their oversight.

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This monitoring visit

Damage in the home has been repaired. However, further work is needed to make the garden more welcoming. Leaders and managers acknowledge this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Most requirements made at the last inspection were outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. While some progress was noted in relation to recruitment, this will be fully reviewed at the next inspection. The registered manager understands the importance of recording their rationale for decisions about children moving into the home. However, the admissions process was not reviewed at this visit, and this will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2025 Full Inadequate 06/09/2023 Full Outstanding 01/11/2022 Full Good 24/02/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 3

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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 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

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

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 April 2025

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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 (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 4 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34 (6))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the missing policy is up to date. In addition, they must ensure staff have access to the revised missing policy which supports them to follow and understand the missing protocol when children are missing from the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 April 2025

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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 kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must keep children’s records up to date and ensure information in children’s files is clear and accessible.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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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) (b)(e)) 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 5 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 April 2025

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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.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must clearly record their rationale for children moving into the home so this can be easily accessed if needed. 25 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all parts of the home are welcoming and homely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC025813 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57-61 Lodge Road, CROYDON, CR0 2PH

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Inspectors

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Natalie Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC025813 7 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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