Children's home run by Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 1 Registered provider: Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider and is registered to care for one child with a learning disability. It is set in a semi-rural location near a major town. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2024.

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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 outstanding

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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: 22 October 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: 2680923 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2024 Full Good 15/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home is making good progress. They are supported by a caring, patient and friendly staff team. When the child struggles with their emotions, staff use well-planned and structured approaches to help them calm and manage their feelings. Staff also work with external professionals and the family to ensure the child’s safety. This collaborative approach has helped the child to settle and enjoy their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff share positive relationships with the child and with external agencies. They are sensitive to the child’s needs and their relationship with their family. Information concerning the child is shared promptly, and all relevant individuals are involved in making decisions regarding the care provided. This multi-agency working promotes an effective, holistic approach to the child’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is currently not attending education, and an education placement has yet to be identified. Staff have implemented a home-based routine and use online materials to support the child to complete educational activities. However, this is not guided by the current curriculum, and the process is not thoroughly reviewed to support the child’s positive reintegration into school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager acknowledge the importance of capturing the child’s views. They use well-planned, playful and child-centred approaches to creatively involve the child in one-to-one key discussions. These protected spaces encourage the child to talk about their daily experiences, feelings and wishes. This approach improves the child’s social skills and helps them feel heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has fun engaging in a variety of activities, including going for drives, swimming, shopping, skating, bike riding and feeding farm horses. This active lifestyle helps the child remain mentally and physically stimulated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager support the child in developing life skills. They guide the child in cleaning areas of the home, including their bedroom, and carrying out laundry tasks. The child also helps with cooking meals and packs their own lunch before attending clubs. These responsibilities help prepare the child for adulthood.

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

Leaders and managers promote a strong safeguarding culture in the home. They achieve this through careful planning and by educating the child about risks and how to reduce them. The manager engages in reflective discussions with staff during meetings, handovers and supervisions. These discussions actively consider concerns and risks, while exploring strategies to keep the child safe. Risk assessments are in place to guide staff in ensuring the child’s safety. Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 4 The child had previously gone missing from their former home. However, since moving to this home, there have been no such incidents. On occasions when the child has wandered out of sight while in the community, staff have quickly located them by working collaboratively with the police.

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

Staff have secure relationships with the child and use these bonds to support them during emotional challenges. Physical interventions are rarely used, as staff prefer to talk with the child and help them calm. When the child self-harms, staff use therapeutic and nurturing approaches to help them express and explore their emotions. The child also receives support from external professionals, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The child now seeks staff support when upset and has developed strategies to manage their emotions independently.

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

The child lives in a safe environment. Regular health and safety checks are carried out, and a well-documented, robust personal evacuation plan has been implemented in line with the child’s needs and understanding of fire risk. This ensures the child’s safety during evacuation processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly ambitious and has high expectations for the care and progress of the child. She ensures that the child receives a high standard of care from a valued and committed team. She works alongside staff, coaching and guiding them to maintain good and consistent practice. Staff collectively praised the manager, with one member of staff saying, ‘She is very friendly, supportive and caring.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers use a variety of effective programmes to review the child’s progress. Child-centred weekly targets are used to encourage and support the child to achieve and track their own development. Information about the child’s progress is regularly shared with the local authority and the child’s family. Everyone involved in the child’s life is aware of their achievements and celebrates them, no matter how small.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and the manager receive regular and effective supervision. This is supplemented with safe spaces for staff to reflect on their practice, feelings and emotions during regular team meetings. The manager promotes a culture of openness, where staff feel confident to consult her and seek support. Some staff members acknowledged the personal and professional support they received from leaders and managers at times of recent bereavement and personal challenges.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers place a high value on staff’s professional development. Staff are offered opportunities to learn new skills and grow within the organisation. They receive diploma level training to enhance their practice and support their professional development. Additional training is provided in response to the child’s current needs, helping staff deliver highly effective care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. The manager identifies issues and acts swiftly to address them. For Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 5 example, when staff struggled to meet the needs of a previous child, the manager implemented workshops to test and build staff understanding and resilience. Leaders have also introduced systems to capture staff voices effectively and provide safe spaces for raising concerns internally and externally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff from a range of diverse cultural backgrounds encourage the child to explore their self-identity. The child attends a diverse youth group where they meet likeminded peers. Staff, the manager and the child respect each other, regardless of their differences. Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(x)(b)) 24 November 2025

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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: 2680923 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2680923 8 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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