Children's Home run by Willcob Care Ltd in Bexley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 1 Registered provider: Willcob Care Ltd

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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 privately owned home provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities. There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered since March 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided very good care and benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with stable and consistent staff. Parents and professionals are complimentary about the care the children receive. One parent commented their child was able to participate in structured activities and this helped the child to settle well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and professionals are kept informed about children’s progress through regular information-sharing and videos of the children. Video records provide information about children’s daily routines and provide a comprehensive record for their life-story books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff who meet their needs exceptionally well. Children progress from their starting points, developing self-care and independence skills. Staff focus on children’s well-being and help children to develop social skills through the pursuit of their hobbies and interests. Children participate in a variety of outings, for example visits to local farms, activity parks and going swimming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Activities are planned and communicated to the children, so that they are prepared for outings. Staff use pictures boards and social stories to assist communication and to understand what children want. Children develop a greater understanding of the world around them through the excellent communication skills and techniques used by staff. Staff are knowledgeable about children’s presentation and gestures, so they can anticipate children’s needs and incidents are mostly prevented, and children’s anxieties alleviated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from organised family time. This is facilitated in different forms, for example video calls and face to face, so that children maintain relationships with their family and people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children and work conscientiously to enhance the skills of staff. This means that staff become experts in caring for children who are nonverbal and have significant additional learning needs. Education plans inform children’s development and learning. However, further work is needed to ensure the timely sharing of information from partners including education and care plans.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities, and comprehensive risk assessments inform behaviour management plans. Staff in the home go above and beyond to ensure that children’s experiences are consistently good. Through effective key-working sessions, children progress their independence skills, for example taking their meal trays into the kitchen and washing dishes or helping with laundry. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 4 Transitions are planned exceptionally well, whether children are moving into the home or moving to new environment. Staff create bespoke story boards to plan visits and support children getting to know new people and prepare for visitors to the home. The registered manager careful considers the skills of the staff group and the children’s needs to ensure that the home is suitable for all the children to live together.

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

Staff are trained to restrain children safely when required. There have been no incidents of restraint being used since the last inspection. When incidents happen, the registered manager thoroughly reviews the circumstances of the event and provides advice and guidance so that, if necessary, children’s needs are responded to better.

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

Staff are knowledgeable about missing-from-home procedures, and no children have gone missing since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the leaders and managers have continued their strong commitment and ambitious plans to develop the care for children. The leadership team, along with committed staff, has embedded a very stable and calm home environment where children flourish. Children settle well, progress and have very positive experiences. The registered manager responds to the advice and recommendations made by the independent visitor and regulator. This promotes the home’s transparent and open learning culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In some places, the home needs refurbishment, and the registered manager is taking steps to improve the decor of the home so that children live in a comfortable environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Medication is kept appropriately, and most medication records are kept carefully. However, care needs to be taken to ensure they are always accurate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and appraisals are consistently in place and staff work to the high standards set by the registered manager. Staff report they like working in the home and feel they are supported in their ambitions to achieve qualifications and develop their careers. The training offered helps staff to provide effective safe and nurturing care to children. The stable staff group is testimony to the supportive management and leadership of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(vi)) 26 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 26 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have copies of children’s care plans and education plans. 26 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 6

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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: 2769384 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cavendish House, Hoddesdon EN11 0LB

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Inspector

Naintara Khosla, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2769384 8 inspects 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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