Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Inspection report for children’s home: 2825327 1 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd - The White Trees Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. They provide care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. The inspector met with two children. One child was away on holiday.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025, when the home opened.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2825327 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and understand their experiences before they move into the home. Staff encourage children to participate in positive daily routines. This includes children being active and spending time with people who are important to them. Staff spend time with children and take them out to enjoy various experiences, such as horse riding, roller skating and bike riding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend school, and they show interest in their day and learning. The manager works closely with professionals to ensure that children receive appropriate support in the right learning environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children can access all key health services and receive support with any health concerns. One child uses vapes. Staff have discouraged the child from vaping in the home. While this issue has been identified, staff do not consistently speak with the child about the negative effects of vaping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to share their views about the home and to make requests for any changes they would like to see. Staff encourage children to consider the wider community and their role in participating in society. Children are happy living at the home and can identify trusted adults whom they can talk to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear systems are in place to identify and track children’s progress. The staff celebrate the children’s smaller day-to-day achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with their family. Parents receive weekly updates from staff and are pleased with the care their children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable, homely and well decorated. Staff support children in maintaining their bedrooms and ensuring that they are pleasant spaces. Window restrictors and door alarms are currently used for specific safety reasons. Children dislike these measures and say it feels restrictive. The manager continues to keep these measures under review.

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

There is a positive safeguarding culture in the home. The home has effective links with local authorities and safeguarding agencies. Investigations into concerns about staff practice are dealt with promptly. There is robust oversight and action from the manager.

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

Decisions about children coming to live at the home are inclusive. They balance the needs of children moving in against those of the children already living in the home. The manager also considers the skills and experience of the staff to ensure that they can Inspection report for children’s home: 2825327 3 support the children effectively. Staff regularly review this information to identify any changes or increased risks and how to adapt the care and support provided.

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

Staff use consequences in response to children’s behaviour. Measures used are logical, and staff speak to children about them. The manager reviews the measures used for effectiveness. Staff have conversations with children about what has happened as a restorative element of the response.

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

There have been times when children have been missing from home. When children have gone missing, staff have searched for them. However, children’s plans do not always make it clear what action they should take, such as notifying managers or how to search. The manager has thorough oversight of these incidents and identifies gaps in staff practice, implementing learning.

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

Incidents have occurred in the home. While staff have ensured that children are as safe as possible, their interventions have not always been effective. The manager continues to support staff with coaching conversations to develop their skills to respond to incidents.

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

Staff develop positive relationships with children. As a result, children speak with staff and explore concerns they may have. Staff hold more structured conversations to discuss important issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced manager leads the home. They understand the strengths and areas for development. As a new home, the staff have varying levels of experience. The manager and other senior staff in the home ensure that they provide mentoring and development opportunities to the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel well supported by the management team. Supervision sessions are detailed and robust. There is a focus on children’s care and support, team dynamics and safeguarding. Staff are supported in pursuing training and developing in their roles. Team meetings provide staff with a reflective space.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear systems in place for monitoring care in the home. The manager has good oversight of the quality of care and staff practice. Through their review of incident reports, they identify areas to develop and improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some of the language used in incident reports and other records can present as blaming or shaming children, and at other times it is direct and does not represent the nurturing approach staff take. The manager is already starting to address these matters with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals say that communication is positive, and they are kept up to date about what is happening for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2825327 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered advice, support and guidance in relation to vaping. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should ensure that plans are clear for staff and include action to take in response to missing-from-home incidents and other incidents in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s records for each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Staff should ensure that the language used in documents is child friendly and reflects the caring ethos of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: 2825327 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd - The White Trees Group

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Carly Parry, Social Care Inspector Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2825327 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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