Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential 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 run home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 21 October 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2024 Full Good 16/07/2024 Full Inadequate 05/12/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive exceptional care and support from very caring and dedicated staff. Staff understand the importance of caring relationships and they build trusting and nurturing relationships with the children. This has helped the children to settle at the home, creating an environment in which they feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children form strong attachments with staff and benefit from highly effective specialist therapeutic intervention. Children consider this to be their home; one child refers to the staff as their ‘family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff use a range of innovative dynamic approaches in applying research to their direct practice and planning with children. This practice has become embedded into the work with children, resulting in effective care plans that capture children’s progress and achievements. Children are actively involved in the plans, and successes are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress at the home and in the community. They learn and develop skills that contribute to positive outcomes in their lives. Staff have been creative and adaptable when working with children and their families, supporting the children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Educational achievement is highly valued by both children and staff. Staff work with a range of education agencies, and they strongly advocate for the children. This ensures that children engage with a range of educational programmes suited to their individual needs, from mainstream provision to bespoke courses in animal care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children take part in a wide range of activities. For example, they go to the cinema and visit local attractions, take mystery bike rides, walk in the community and go to the gym. Children have fun and value their time at the home.

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

Children have comprehensive risk assessments that identify potential areas of risk and include outline strategies to mitigate them. Staff understand the complexities of familial risk and have worked creatively to reduce such risks. This has included using innovative approaches to breaking cycles of risk taking by engaging children’s families and friends in plans.

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

Risks have reduced significantly for children who have moved to the home. Children are no longer going missing from home and there has been a significant reduction in substance misuse. All children, including the most vulnerable, have a strong sense of safety and well-being. This has been pivotal in keeping children safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 4 Leaders and managers have ensured that the practice in the home is underpinned by evidence-based research; this has been achieved by working with a therapeutic service. Children’s behaviour support plans and risk assessments include critical analysis and reflective evidence. The plans include individual therapeutic trauma-informed approaches to support children through crisis; these approaches have reduced the need for physical intervention.

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

Key-work sessions with children are highly effective and are completed using a range of resources. Key themes include discussing risk and vulnerability. As an example, staff use board games adapted to the key themes of child sexual exploitation in order to convey a serious message in a fun manner. Children engage well with staff and can discuss issues that were previously very difficult for them to address. When additional support is identified, staff actively support children in attending appointments to ensure that they receive the best possible support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are driven, ambitious and motivated, and they provide dynamic models of care. They have ensured that the approaches to care and how they work with children and professionals are embedded in the home’s culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are creative and innovative, always striving to do things better and working collaboratively with others to share good practice. This has included creating different styles of documents that are engaging for children who live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers complete a range of comprehensive reviews. The reviews ensure that they have excellent oversight and understanding of the operational functioning of the home and of the children’s progress and care. They have clear insight into the home’s weaknesses and they have created a dynamic development plan to support their focus on ensuring that the home continues to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have received excellent feedback from other agencies. When necessary, they will vigorously challenge other agencies to ensure that children are at the centre of decision-making. They hold other agencies to account and have consistently achieved improved outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have fostered an environment in which there is a high expectation of engagement in reflective learning. Staff feel encouraged and supported to engage in self-reflection. They benefit from working with the home’s therapeutic team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have supported staff to access a wide variety of high-quality and specialist training, enabling them to enhance their professional knowledge and skills. Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 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: 2711614 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 30 Chadwell Avenue, Romford RM6 4QH

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Inspectors

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2711614 7 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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