Children's Home run by Ravensbourne Project in Lewisham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 1 Registered provider: Ravensbourne Project

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This short-break residential home and day service registered with Ofsted in July 2017. It provides care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including sensory impairments. The home offers overnight short breaks for up to five children aged between eight and 18 years, provided that two of the five children are siblings of the same gender. The home operates on weekends, during term time and throughout all holiday periods. Children using the overnight short-break service stay on either a Friday or Saturday night.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two registered managers at the home. One manager, who registered with Ofsted in October 2019, is on long-term leave. A second manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024 and has managed the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The second manager is working towards a suitable management qualification.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance inspection took place on 23 April 2025 in response to concerns raised about the home. The home was judged as having serious and widespread concerns. As a result, the home was suspended from operating on 24 April 2025.

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This monitoring visit

Since the assurance inspection, no children have attended the day service, and no children have used the overnight service.

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This monitoring visit

At the assurance inspection, it was identified that there were failures to ensure that there are effective systems in place to review and investigate any concerns or allegations about staff. Leaders and managers have not implemented effective systems to deal with concerns about staff practice. For example, they did not undertake an investigation into the concerns about the practice of an agency worker, and safeguarding concerns were not appropriately addressed. This has meant the Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 2 agency was not informed of the person’s failure to provide adequate safeguards to children. The registered manager informed the agency during this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The chair of the board has stepped in to lead and manage the home. The provider has begun an internal investigation regarding the management of the home, but this has not concluded. As a result, the responsible individual is currently suspended. The inspector was informed that this investigation will include the registered manager and staff to assist the provider to address the failures highlighted in the assurance inspection. Since the assurance inspection, two members of staff are no longer employed.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment practices have been strengthened. Recruitment processes have been reviewed, and new systems are in place. Key staff have attended safer recruitment training. Staff who do not have direct contact with children now have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in place.

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This monitoring visit

At the last full inspection, new CCTV had been installed throughout the communal areas. Since the assurance inspection, the provider has disabled these.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has referred to a plan to address the issues identified at the assurance inspection. However, Ofsted has not received a copy of the plan.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and management of the home are unsettled. The provider has not demonstrated that enough progress has been made to ensure that children would be safe in the home. As a result, the operation of the home remains suspended. Ofsted will continue to monitor and review actions taken by the provider. One requirement has been met, and five requirements are restated. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2025 Full Good 10/08/2023 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 21/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children 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—

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff provide the level of care and support required for each child in accordance with their needs. Leaders and managers must ensure that the home is a safe place for children and only accessed by people who have been safely recruited and vetted. 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 5 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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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)(b)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must have effective leadership of the home and have adequate monitoring and reviewing system to ensure that they have effective oversight of the service. This includes following up on incidents and concerns regarding children’s welfare. 27 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(a)(b)) 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is an effective disciplinary process used to address practice- related concerns.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the responsible individual must ensure that they demonstrate that they have the skills to effectively supervise the management of the home and behave professionally when working in the home. 27 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure they demonstrate that they have the skills to manage the home 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 7 effectively and take appropriate action when there are concerns about staff and other managers.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, actions regarding training and development needs should be set. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 1257289 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ravensbourne Project

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1257289 9 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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