Children's home run by Heartwood RSL Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 1 Registered provider: Heartwood RSL Ltd

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Full inspection 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 five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2019. A new manager was appointed since the last inspection from August 2024 and registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection, who both spoke to the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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: 2528264 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2022 Full Good 23/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points, particularly in developing their communication skills and self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home provides a warm and welcoming environment where children and staff can build positive and trusting relationships so that children can thrive physically, emotionally and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are dedicated in promoting children’s learning. One child, who previously was not engaged in school, is now attending daily and is preparing to take their GCSE exams. When children face challenges in attending school, staff take a creative approach to support them. Staff use activities such as movie nights to support children with revising for their English curriculum.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to take part in various activities tailored to their interests. These include holidays, attending festivals and bespoke experiences that reflect their hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support to stay in touch with family and friends who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend children’s meetings and participate in key-work sessions. These opportunities enable children to express their wishes and feelings. They actively take part in planning the weekly menus, creating the weekly shopping list and identifying activities. This helps to foster a sense of responsibility and involvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Encouraging independence is a core focus. Children take part in cooking, doing their own laundry and keeping their bedrooms tidy. The manager and staff came up with some creative strategies to help one child manage their personal hygiene.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager understands the importance of children maintaining their cultural traditions. The manager has for one child been a role model on loving their natural hair. Staff have further supported the same child by regularly taking them to a hair salon that caters to their specific hair needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals praise the work that the staff do and can recognise the progress children have made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 4

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s risks and needs. Children’s risk assessments, behaviour support plans and care plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain aligned with the placing local authority’s care plan.

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

All plans identify triggers and de-escalation strategies to help reduce and minimise risks to children. This approach has been particularly effective in decreasing incidents for one child.

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

Incident reports are comprehensive, providing a detailed chronology of each event, including full documentation when physical restraint has been used. Children are offered debriefs in a thoughtful manner, and management oversight is consistent and effective.

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

Episodes of children going missing from home are reducing, and when they occur, these are reported to the right safeguarding agencies and recorded thoroughly. On a child’s return, they are debriefed by staff and offered a warm meal or one-on-one support. One of the staff’s key strengths is their commitment to keeping routine contact with children during missing-from-home episodes. In most cases, staff successfully maintain communication throughout these periods.

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

The manager ensures that incidents and concerns are escalated and reported to the children’s professional network. When necessary, they request strategy or professional meetings to inform a child’s safety plan.

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

Positive behaviour is reinforced through rewards that support children in reaching their personal goals. Consequences are rarely used.

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

Staff ensure that bedroom searches are carried out appropriately and only in response to identified risks or concerns. Children are informed in advance that searches will take place, and if they are not present, they are notified once the search has been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current registered manager joined the home in August 2024, and a responsible individual has recently joined. Ofsted is waiting for the necessary paperwork to be submitted by the registered provider to confirm the responsible individual’s suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that safer recruitment practices are maintained. However, not all staff have the required qualification in residential childcare in the timeframe set out in regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undergo a comprehensive induction process with extensive training. This helps to equip them with the skills needed to provide the best possible care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 5 The manager and staff benefit from regular reflective supervision sessions that help them meet children’s needs. Team meetings are well attended and held frequently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively oversee the home by carrying out audits to assess children’s care and their progress while also identifying any areas that require improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), 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. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are enrolled onto the relevant courses within two years of their employment. 31 July 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: 2528264 7

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2528264 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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