Children's Home run by Visions Today Ltd in Newham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 1 Registered provider: Visions Today Ltd 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 December 2024 and is privately run. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home registered.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider had recently appointed a new responsible individual. Ofsted was checking whether this person had the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role. The responsible individual withdrew their application on 27 May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Information Ofsted received from the home about a serious incident that occurred after the initial inspection dates meant that it was necessary for Ofsted to carry out a visit to gather additional evidence. The incident was under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 6 May 2025. The inspector returned on 27 May 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 2 Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Shortfalls in safeguarding practices and leadership oversight have resulted in poor overall experiences and progress for one child who has lived in this home since its registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child had begun to make meaningful progress since arriving in the home. They had settled well and started to form some trusting relationships with staff. There was a notable reduction in incidents of concern, and the child’s achievements were acknowledged and celebrated. The child expressed determination to continue building on this positive trajectory.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

However, the poor management of a safeguarding concern has significantly undermined this progress. The child has been left feeling confused, blamed and upset. This has adversely affected their emotional well-being and trust in some of the adults responsible for their care and protection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is subject to high levels of supervision and restriction in response to their assessed risks. This includes three-to-one staffing in the community, restrictions on their access to the internet and mobile phone, and regular bedroom searches. While intended to safeguard the child, these measures have not been regularly reviewed or implemented in a way that is sensitive to the child’s previous experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager and staff are working hard to support the child’s return to full-time education. While a school placement is being secured, a tutor comes to the home each day for two hours during the week. Staff are generally successful in their efforts to encourage the child to engage with these sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is encouraged to spend time with their family. The registered manager has a good relationship with the child’s family. This helps to ensure that arrangements made are enjoyable and reliable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff encourage the child to take part in various appropriate activities, including visiting museums, shopping, go-karting and going to the cinema. The child has helped choose new items for the house as well as decorate their bedroom, which is personal to them. Staff and the child are planting flowers and plants in the garden and have bought a swing chair and paddling pool.

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

Despite some positive aspects to the care provided, the leadership team and some of the staff have demonstrated a lack of understanding of safeguarding practice. Concerns about staff conduct are not always appropriately addressed, and a disclosure of harm has been poorly managed. Following the disclosure, there were delays in notifying relevant safeguarding agencies. These delays, along with poor recording and decision-making, Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 4 compromised the child’s well-being and undermined their trust in the adults responsible for their care.

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

Leaders have failed to identify and address gaps in safer recruitment practice. Updates to staff’s Disclosure and Barring Service checks are not always subject to adequate scrutiny. Some essential pre-employment checks, including references, have not consistently been carried out to the required standard, and the home’s own safer recruitment policy is not always followed. For example, a member of staff’s employment history was not sufficiently scrutinised when determining their suitability and experience.

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

Leaders and managers do not have a clear understanding of staff’s experience or training needs. Not all staff have completed mandatory safeguarding training, and there is no adequate plan to ensure that gaps in their knowledge and experience are addressed. This undermines the staff’s capacity to keep children safe.

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

Risk management practices are inconsistent and poorly coordinated. A reduction in overnight staffing from three to two staff members was made without appropriate review of the child’s risk assessment.

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

Following a safeguarding incident, where staff had not consistently adhered to the agreed levels of supervision, staffing ratios were increased. However, these changes were not well communicated, and the child was left feeling as though they were to blame. Leaders did not reflect on how this would feel from the child’s perspective. Consequently, the child has experienced inconsistent and reactive staff practice.

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

Staff are trained in the use of physical intervention but have only needed to use it once. There have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home. However, the staff are aware of what action they need to take if a child in their care were to go missing from home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership at the home has been unstable. There have been several changes to the leadership team, including the responsible individual. This has led to a lack of clear direction and inconsistent oversight of key areas, including safeguarding practice, recruitment, staff training, auditing and support for the manager. The most recent responsible individual has withdrawn their application, and the role is now vacant.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are gaps in leaders’ and some staff’s understanding of safeguarding, particularly around how to manage allegations. This poses a risk to the child’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is not a consistent approach to reviewing the child’s risk assessments and care plans. The child’s views are not always sought, and consequently, they have limited say in decisions about their care. Recent changes in the home’s recording system have added further complications. The system makes it difficult for staff to access up-to-date information and maintain a rounded understanding of the child’s needs and risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 5 Despite some challenges, the staff team has remained stable, with no recent staff departures. This continuity offers consistency for the child. A new deputy manager has been appointed. The leadership team is committed to responding to feedback and addressing shortfalls in practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 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

The protection of children standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 4 July 2025

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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— 4 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 7 helps children aspire 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(c)(h))

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the child clearly understands why any restrictions on their liberty are in place, how they can be reduced and when they will be reviewed. 4 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 4 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 8 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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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: 2803004 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Longbury Drive, Orpington BR5 2JU

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2803004 10 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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