Children's home run by Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 1 SC063219 Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment 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

The home provides care for up to five children aged between 11 and 18 who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2005. The manager registered in September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 18 December 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2024 Full Good 18/01/2024 Full Good 05/10/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences at the home have been mixed. One child, now no longer living at the home, moved in during an emergency. Before the child moved in, the registered manager assessed their needs and risks, noting that they would need a higher level of supervision and some restrictions to help keep them safe. Staff welcomed the child warmly, decorated their room and helped them settle into a more consistent daily routine. They encouraged the child to try new activities and interests, including regular visits to the gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The other child has lived at the home for over a year and has made meaningful progress. They have settled well and built trusting relationships with staff. Restrictions under a Deprivation of Liberty Order have been lifted, and the child is working towards greater independence. They have developed a healthy daily routine, including good sleep patterns, and receive support from staff to manage their internet and gaming use. The child enjoys a range of activities, especially caring for their bike, which they received for their birthday. They are preparing to start school following a positive period of engagement with a tutor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote family relationships. The child’s mother visits regularly, and staff support time with wider family. The mother commented on how proud they are of their child’s progress, and the social worker reported significant improvements in the child’s self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the home. Staff prioritise shared mealtimes, and the child said they really enjoy the food prepared by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use both informal and formal discussions to help the child think about healthy relationships and resolving difficulties. The child said they feel their concerns are handled fairly and that they were truly listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is an older property and looks worn in places due to the need for cosmetic updates. Leaders recognise this and have plans to relocate to a new property; however, delays in planning permission have slowed progress. Recent repair work has addressed damage in some areas, although a small dent in one bedroom wall has not yet been fixed.

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improvement to be good

At times, staff lacked the experience and confidence to respond effectively to behaviour that was complex and required consistent, informed care. On some occasions, the police were called to support staff. Over a two-day period, a combination of challenges, including reliance on agency staff, led to two children Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 4 going missing from the home. The leadership team decided it could not meet both children’s needs and ended one child’s time at the home. This unplanned ending left the child without a suitable move-on option and facing further uncertainty.

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improvement to be good

Managers maintain oversight of incidents; however, their reviews are not always consistently robust. For one child, emerging patterns of behaviour, particularly difficulties at night, were not identified or addressed early enough. This shortfall was partly due to staffing constraints, leaving both children and staff vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

Staff and leaders have a good understanding of each child’s needs, risks, strengths and vulnerabilities. The leadership team works with staff to create plans that clearly set out individual risks and tailored strategies. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of contextual safeguarding and understand the specific risks children may face in the community.

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improvement to be good

However, the leadership team did not ensure there were enough core staff to meet one local authority’s supervision requirements for a child, leading to an over-reliance on agency staff. Managers also lacked effective systems to identify and address emerging concerns. For example, one child’s risk assessment was not updated to include guidance for staff about accompanying the child to hospital in an emergency. Additionally, robust out-of-hours contact procedures for staff were not in place. These shortcomings increased the risk to children’s safety and well-being, undermining consistent care and effective responses to emergencies.

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improvement to be good

All staff are trained in de-escalation and the use of physical holds. Recording systems are in place and cover all required areas, including consequences, room searches, restraints and incidents. However, staff do not always complete body maps for one child, despite these being an important part of the child’s child protection records. This shortfall reduces the quality and reliability of staff’s record-keeping and weakens oversight of the child’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and qualified registered manager, supported by a deputy manager and senior staff. Together, they work as a team, striving to make a positive difference in children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and consistently share positive feedback. Several staff describe the home as ‘feeling like a family’. They receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings that focus on children’s needs, encourage reflective practice and promote development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision records evidence detailed discussions about children’s needs, safeguarding and staff practice. In addition, the team meets monthly with a therapist for reflective supervision. These sessions help staff to explore their work with Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 5 children in depth and support valuable ongoing learning and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager thoroughly investigates complaints and allegations about staff practice to ensure children’s safety and well-being. The leadership and staff teams reflect regularly and work hard to learn from challenges they face. This commitment fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement that benefits the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are recruited safely, and thorough checks are completed on agency workers. Leaders notify Ofsted of significant concerns and are proactive in addressing complaints and practice issues. The child currently living at the home said they feel listened to and cared for, confirming that staff responded when they raised concerns about aspects of their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training, mostly delivered online, which helps them maintain core knowledge. However, opportunities for face-to-face learning are limited, and not all staff have yet been enrolled in the required level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. This is a missed opportunity to expand staff’s skills and knowledge through engaged, child-focused learning, which could enhance the quality of care and support for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relations to protecting children that are assigned to them;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a clear out-of-hours procedure for staff to contact the management team, that a robust handover process is in place to ensure staff follow and understand children’s care plans after they have been updated and, where required, that staff follow up appropriately with body maps for children. 20 December

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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; 20 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 7 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home is adequately staffed to meet the children’s needs and provide continuity of care and that staff are enrolled onto the level 3 training course.

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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: SC063219 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 144 Old Oak Road, London W3 7HF

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063219 9 and 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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