Children's Home run by Caring Hearts Homes Ltd in Harrow

Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 1 Registered provider: Caring Hearts Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025. The manager is currently working towards an appropriate management qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection : not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 2

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improvement to be good

The child currently living at the home is the first child to live there. Leaders and managers demonstrate a clear commitment and desire to do what is best for the child. They acknowledge areas that require improvement and understand their efforts have yet to provide consistent and positive outcomes for the child.

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improvement to be good

The child said that they want to be at the home, but they are struggling to settle. The child said that they have only built a relationship with one staff member. Staff and managers have tried to improve the child’s daily experiences by offering activities to support them, but these efforts have been inconsistent and unsuccessful. The child usually sleeps during the day and stays awake at night, which affects their health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

No clear plan has been established for the child’s education. Staff have not provided structured activities to support the child’s learning at home. The lack of planned support has contributed to an absence of routine, which further undermines the child’s ability to settle and make progress.

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improvement to be good

When leaders and managers have concerns relating to children’s plans, they do not challenge the placing authority effectively. For example, the placing authority has requested that staff regularly check on the child throughout the night. This is affecting the quality of the child’s sleep and their overall well-being. Leaders and managers have raised concerns to the placing authority; however, action has not been sufficient or robust enough to improve the child’s day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise that the child has developed some independence skills through their earlier lived experiences and is very independent. To support the child further, they are helping them build on their skills in a nurturing and caring manner. However, the child often refuses to allow staff to help them with daily tasks, such as cleaning their bedroom or preparing food. Despite this, staff have continued to encourage the child by offering help, menu planning, and ensuring that the child’s preferred foods are available.

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improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff understand the importance of family relationships to children. They have strongly advocated for the child to spend time with family members, which has enabled them to enjoy important family events and celebrations, such as birthdays.

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improvement to be good

The home is well maintained, welcoming, and has a homely atmosphere. Staff have encouraged the child to personalise their bedroom to make the space feel personal, but the child said that they do not want to do this. When repairs are needed in the home, these are arranged and addressed promptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 3

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improvement to be good

Staff fail to implement effective safeguarding measures to protect the child. They do not take the necessary actions to minimise risks for children. For example, despite the child needing a high level of staff supervision, they have been able to leave the house. Staff were present but did not intervene to prevent the child from leaving.

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improvement to be good

Staff are provided with a range of online and face-to-face training. However, staff training is not sufficient to equip them to meet the child’s needs. Not all staff have received relevant training to ensure that they have the specific skills and knowledge to support the child’s needs. For example, not all staff have been trained in physical intervention. This has led to serious incidents that have not been managed well.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have recognised that there are weaknesses in staff practice. They acknowledge that there may be fear and anxiety about the need to physically intervene. Leaders and managers have scheduled training for staff and are repeating other training to support them and build their confidence.

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improvement to be good

Risk management arrangements require improvement. Children’s written plans do not include all known risks. Plans to manage risks do not address the vulnerabilities for the child effectively. They do not clearly set out what actions staff should take to mitigate these risks. Where plans include clear strategies, these have not always been followed by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are gaps in the current management structure that prevent the registered manager from having effective oversight of the home. While tasks and responsibilities appear to be delegated, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate how oversight is maintained, particularly where key decisions are made. This raises concerns about how the registered manager and responsible individual assure themselves about the quality and safety of the service provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Transition plans and processes are in place for children moving into the home. However, they do not demonstrate consideration of the child’s individual needs and risks in relation to the skills and experience of the staff team. This compromises the stability and effectiveness of the placement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff said that they feel well supported by colleagues and managers. However, leaders and managers fail to provide crucial guidance through supervision and team meetings. The lack of support and effective oversight limits the opportunity to help staff improve their practice and professional growth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to appoint an independent visitor. As a result, monthly independent visitor reports have not been completed or sent to Ofsted as required. This limits external oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 4 Feedback from the child’s social worker acknowledges that the home is newly established and identifies some areas for improvement around supporting the child with routines and activities. The social worker confirmed that they are kept well informed about the child’s day-to-day experiences and progress, as well as any challenges. Additionally, they noted that managers are responsive, and communication is effective. Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(viii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the child must be provided with structured routines during school hours when they are not in education. 20 August 2025

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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— 20 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 6 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments are robust, correctly identify risk levels, and include strategies to help staff manage and reduce children's individual risks.

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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; 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

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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate support, challenge, and relevant training specific to children’s needs and risks to provide good-quality care. 20 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. 20 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must fully consider the needs of children moving into the home and whether the staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of all children in their care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular and effective supervision. They must ensure that supervision sessions are recorded. 20 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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent persons report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 20 August 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: 2826739 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caring Hearts Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 105 Stanmore Business Centre, Howard Road, Stanmore HA7 1FW

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2826739 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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