Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 1 SC384018 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited - The White Trees Group

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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 four children who may have experienced significant trauma and have behavioural and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, in July 2024, the home was judged as requires improvement to be good. Since this inspection, there have been delays in recruiting a suitable manager. Leaders and managers recognised the instability that would be caused by the home not having a manager. As a result, the home remained empty after a child moved out in October 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the home not accommodating children for longer than a three-month period, Ofsted added a condition to the home’s registration. This condition stipulated that the organisation must notify Ofsted of its intention to accommodate children at the home in advance of it doing so.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 April 2025, the registered person informed Ofsted that they would like to accommodate children from 1 July 2025. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to establish if the provider has made suitable arrangements for the home to resume operation and whether the condition on the home’s registration could be removed.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation has made clear efforts to recruit suitable staff. Some of the staff have a good level of experience and are transferring from other homes within the organisation. Induction for new staff has begun. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 2 A new manager has been in post since May 2025. She has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The house has been renovated. The children’s bedrooms are decorated in neutral colours. The communal areas are homely, and furniture and furnishings are of a good standard.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has demonstrated that they have suitable resources to resume operation in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the requirements made at the last inspection have not been met. It has not been possible to measure these as the home has not been operational. These have been restated.

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This monitoring visit

Although the home has continued to be registered with Ofsted, external monitoring visits have not taken place since February 2025. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2022 Full Good 19/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 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 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;

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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

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)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager supports the staff to use a trauma-informed approach.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans include neurodiversity and how children’s individual needs are to be supported.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that therapeutic assessments are included in care planning documents and that these are incorporated in staff’s approach.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are provided with training in sexually harmful behaviour. 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 5 If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(30) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees) are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire doors close when the fire alarm sounds. 15 August 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This refers in particular to an incident that the acting manager agreed should have been sent as a notification. 15 August 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all relevant information is gained about children moving into the home and that the impact on children already living there is considered beforehand. 15 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 15 July 2025

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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: SC384018 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited - The White Trees Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Whitetrees Group, The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Industrial Estate, Twyford Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspector

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC384018 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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