The Banyan Tree

Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 1 SC396186 Registered provider: Living Life (UK) Limited

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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 home is privately owned and can provide care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

One registered manager is on extended leave and therefore was not present for the inspection. The other manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection and their views were obtained.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 1 and 2 April 2025. Following the inspection, several statutory requirements were set and three compliance notices were issued in relation to regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 35.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice to ensure that no further children were admitted, given the identified shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 2 A monitoring visit was undertaken on 20 May 2025 to evaluate the progress against the notices issued. Sufficient progress had been made in regard to regulation 12 and regulation 13. Therefore, these compliance notices were considered met. Insufficient progress had been made with regulation 35, which was reissued. The restriction of accommodation notice also remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/04/2025 Full Inadequate 22/10/2024 Full Good 23/01/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff support children to be active and live a healthy lifestyle. Specialist help is sourced to support children’s individual health needs. Children are helped to attend required medical appointments, ensuring that they are safe and well informed. Information provided by medical specialists is fully aligned with the existing risk assessments, and staff follow these plans consistently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who find school difficult are supported to learn and achieve. Staff work well with teachers and social workers to support children at school. As a result, one child who had been out of education for a significant period has returned to school. Another child has successfully completed their exams. A professional said, ‘[The child] has made significant progress. They were at the point where they did not want to engage in education; they have been supported, and staff have even been to school to do sessions with them. This has worked and they have completed their exams.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop hobbies, such as joining local groups. This helps the children to become involved in their community and develop support and friendship networks. Staff use their knowledge of the children’s interests to encourage their participation in activities both in the home and in the local community together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is undergoing renovation. The rooms that have been completed are finished to a high standard. However, one of the children’s rooms has not yet been renovated or personalised. Staff are working closely with the child to complete the required work in line with their wishes and feelings.

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

Staff know the risks that children can be exposed to. Risk assessments and safety plans are made in collaboration with other professionals, such as the local authority and teachers. Assessments of risk are well balanced between keeping children safe and allowing them to take age-appropriate risks. This ensures an effective approach to safeguarding.

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

Risk management documents have been strengthened and reflect the children’s complex needs. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are regularly reviewed and updated. Any emerging concerns are discussed in regular team and multi- disciplinary meetings and staff are provided with clear direction to manage risks safely.

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

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to keep children and others safe. Each incident is reviewed by the manager and reflections inform staff practice through team meetings and individual learning reflections. Debrief discussions with the child take place and their views are revisited at a later date, if required. Physical intervention plans are Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 5 updated following each incident. This means that staff have accurate information and plans to follow to ensure the children’s safety during any incident.

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

Staff have received targeted training in relation to the children’s specific needs, such as missing from care and the home’s preferred model of care. Regular supervision sessions and team meetings provide further opportunity to upskill staff and promote team bonding. As a result, staff feel well equipped in caring for children and work cohesively. One professional said, ‘Changes have happened in the home; the main thing is the training that the staff have done. Staff using reflective practice means they respond to [the child] appropriately.’

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

Children feel able to make a formal complaint. Staff listen to children and take their concerns seriously. Managers undertake thorough investigations. Complaints are resolved effectively within appropriate timeframes. Children are kept updated and receive a final response. Consequently, children feel heard and valued in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate and committed to her role. She is enthusiastic about how she can develop the home. The manager is supported by a leadership team that is equally as committed to the care and progress of children. Dedication is evident in the swift and effective action taken to address the shortfalls identified in the last inspection. Consequently, rapid improvements have been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s oversight of the care provided to children is good. She knows what is happening in the home daily. The manager reviews staff recordings and all incidents of concern. Shortfalls in practice are now quickly identified and appropriately addressed with staff to aid their development without delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed good systems to help her monitor the overall quality of care and the functioning of the home. However, there has been no quality of care report for this inspection period. This is an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel able to express their views and opinions and feel supported by the manager through regular, reflective supervision and team meetings. However, although some progress has been made, not all staff have received an annual appraisal yet, which means that some opportunities for development have been missed. The manager is aware of this and is in the process of completing appraisals for all staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Thorough recruitment procedures are in place that ensure staff working with the children are suitable to do so. The manager has effective systems in place to monitor and review their current suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sufficient progress has been made and demonstrated in relation to regulation 35. Therefore, the compliance notice is considered met. The restriction of accommodation notice expires on 25 June 2025 and is not reissued. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 5 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 5 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 7 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC396186 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Living Life (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 212 Ballards Lane, London N3 2LX

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Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Rebecca Dalton and Lucy Campion

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Inspector

Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC396186 9 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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