Setting run by Branch Out Residential Services Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 1 Registered provider: Branch Out Residential Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 29 July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was due to leave their post on 15 October 2025. A new manager is in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home. Only one child has lived at the home since registration.

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Inspection date: 30 September 2025

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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Inspection date: 30 September 2025

Judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Inspection date: 30 September 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was carried out to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of the child at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 There were shortfalls identified in staff practice that led to a child’s welfare not being effectively safeguarded and promoted.  There were shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home, in particular the oversight and monitoring, sufficiency and suitability of senior leaders and staff and the assessment of risk for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

As a result of this assurance inspection, a restriction of accommodation notice and two compliance notices have been served on the provider.

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Findings from the inspection

Since registration in July 2025, only one child has lived at the home. The child moved in in an emergency. The leadership and management team gave immediate notice on the child’s placement after five days following a series of poorly managed incidents. During this time, the child spent one night in hospital and two nights in a police station. Staff were not ready to care for the child and were unable to manage the child’s needs and vulnerabilities safely.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to establish a consistent or suitably vetted staff team. The required recruitment checks for several staff, including a director who worked with the child, were incomplete. There were missing references, outdated or absent Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and incomplete employment histories. This creates significant risk to the safety and welfare of any child who may live in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The process for assessing how staff could care for the child and meet their needs was poor. A director made the decision to place the child without consultation between the responsible individual, the registered manager and the newly appointed manager. The assessment carried out did not thoroughly consider the child’s needs, staff training or the location of the home. Staff were not trained, including on autism and trauma-informed practice, to meet the child’s individual needs, as described in the statement of purpose. Consequently, staff were unable to respond appropriately to the child’s distress or escalating behaviours.

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Findings from the inspection

Safeguarding practice is weak. Leaders and managers failed to ensure important information was detailed in the child’s risk assessment. Staff did not follow the local authority’s advice when the child went missing from home. There was a delay before the incident was reported to the police, as staff wrongly assumed that police were already involved.

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Findings from the inspection

Leadership and management arrangements are unstable. The registered manager handed in their notice soon after registration, before any child had lived at the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 3 home. Directors’ roles and responsibilities are unclear. One director, who had previously informed Ofsted they would not take a direct role in the running of the home, was providing care for the child and did so without appropriate checks having been carried out.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that there is an accurate staffing list or rota. They do not demonstrate knowledge of staff’s terms of employment at the home or their experience.

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Findings from the inspection

The newly appointed manager started on the day the child moved in and had limited opportunity to establish effective systems for oversight and monitoring. Records of incidents are inconsistent with other documents held in the home and do not clearly identify which staff supported the child. These incidents lack critical evaluation by the newly appointed manager.

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Findings from the inspection

The newly appointed manager submitted a poor-quality notification to Ofsted, under regulation 40 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Monthly visits by the independent person have not taken place, reducing external scrutiny of the home’s operation. This hinders Ofsted’s regulatory oversight of safeguarding practice in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 4

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care

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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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 17 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 5 *The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 17 November

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 17 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 6 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that relevant support strategies and guidance around missing-from-home procedures are recorded and are understood by staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 17 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home;

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Requirement Due date

any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation. (Regulation 49 (b)(e)(i)) 17 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Branch Out Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 205 Parkside Avenue, Bexleyheath DA7 6NR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle de Souza

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2828155 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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