Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 1 SC025813 Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to eight boys who experience social and 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 March 2007.

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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 inadequate

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following the last inspection, two compliance notices were issued under regulations 32 and 13 due to ongoing shortfalls in safe recruitment practices and staff’s skills and knowledge. These compliance notices remain unmet and have been reissued following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Inadequate 26/02/2025 Full Inadequate 06/09/2023 Full Outstanding 01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 3

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improvement to be good

The child living at the home is settled and has formed positive relationships with staff. They regularly attend the gym and enjoy bowling and dining out. The child recently went on holiday with their favourite member of staff, which helped create positive memories.

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improvement to be good

The child is now attending college after successfully passing their exams. Staff at their previous school commented positively on the support provided by staff, which helped ensure that the child attended school and was able to complete their exams. The child is developing independence skills. They are currently studying for their driving theory test, learning to cook for themselves and managing a budget.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to attend routine health appointments, and they speak to the child about maintaining a balanced diet. The child engages in therapy and key-work sessions. This provides them a space to discuss their thoughts and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child in seeing their family. The child’s mother and social worker both value the staff’s diligence and commitment to the child.

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improvement to be good

Two children have left the home since the last inspection. Staff accompanied both children to their new homes and have remained in touch with them. A leaving party was hosted for one of the children, with the child’s family also invited.

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improvement to be good

Poor recruitment practices persist, including unchallenged gaps in employment history. Furthermore, leaders and managers have still not ensured that staff possess the necessary skills and knowledge to safeguard children with additional vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

The two children who previously lived at the home and had high levels of vulnerability have now moved out. The current child in the home presents a lower level of vulnerability, and staff have sufficient knowledge and skills to manage this lower level of risk and to ensure the child’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not ensure that an external fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person. This was raised as a recommendation at the last full inspection. This shortfall has still not been addressed.

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improvement to be good

The child does not go missing from the home. Staff are always aware of the child’s location and will check on the child if they are concerned about their whereabouts. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 4 The child’s risk assessment is up to date and details the child’s vulnerabilities. It also guides the staff on how to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

The child has not been involved in any incidents. The child’s mother is pleased that staff set boundaries and that the child follows the rules.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address all the requirements and recommendations from previous inspections, nor have they ensured that compliance notices raised by Ofsted are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The workforce development plan does not detail the mandatory training that staff must complete. As a result, the basic training that staff receive is inconsistent, and not all staff have undertaken essential training needed to care for children who have had adverse experiences or face specific difficulties in their family relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is not yet a central monitoring and review process to ensure that oversight of children’s care is effective. Consequently, leaders and managers have inconsistent oversight of the child’s documents. The child’s home care plan is not up to date. Despite the child developing their independence, records do not accurately reflect their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have attained the required qualification in residential childcare within the timescales set out in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive regular supervision. However, leaders and managers were unable to provide evidence that they also receive regular supervision. A leader is concerned about the quality of supervision they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive annual appraisals that focus on their knowledge, skills and development over the past year. Staff also attend team meetings that focus on how they can improve the quality of care they provide for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 21 December 2025

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 21 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; 2 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 6 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home’s fire risk assessment is carried out by an appropriately qualified body or individual. 21 December 2025

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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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers receive regular and effective supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 2 February 2026

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 21 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 7 In particular, the registered person must keep children’s records up to date and ensure that information in their files is clear and accessible.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have regular and effective monitoring and oversight systems to ensure that staff provide high-quality care for all children living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that workforce plans include sufficient details of all training that they deem mandatory. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC025813 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC025813 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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