Children's Home run by Zone Central Ltd in Lewisham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 1 Registered provider: Zone Central Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in June 2020 and is privately run. It provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking whether this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in July 2025 and is currently undertaking the relevant qualification.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was transitioning into the home. The inspector spoke with the child.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2024 Full Inadequate 01/11/2023 Full Good 12/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and one child is transitioning into the home at a pace that suits their needs. Transitions into and out of the home are well thought through. Careful planning ensures that children are supported effectively throughout this process, with their needs and routines well considered.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and professionals describe the transitions as thoughtful, well-coordinated and sensitive to children’s complex needs. They report feeling reassured by open communication and by the staff having an understanding of children’s communication needs and preferences. Staff use creative ideas, such as letter writing, to support children and to understand their wishes and views.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in activities that they enjoy. For example, they are supported to attend army cadets twice weekly and go on a holiday abroad, helping them to enjoy new experiences and to develop independence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education progress has improved in the home. Children’s education is carefully supported to maintain continuity, whether attending school or receiving home tuition. For example, staff create and mirror learning spaces that provide familiarity to children who struggle with change.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to make the home their own. Their artworks are displayed in frames and celebrated. Staff have been creative in designing children’s rooms, incorporating their ideas and ensuring that they represent the children and their interests.

p.3

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

Since the last inspection, there have been minimal incidents in the home, reflecting the effectiveness of staff support and their relationships with the children. When incidents have occurred outside of the home, such as in school, staff support the children to take time to debrief, to consider what happened and to think about changes that could be made to avoid such incidents in the future.

p.3

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

Children take an active role in drawing up their own risk assessments and behaviour support plans. Staff support the children to identify personal expectations and the potential consequences if they are not met. This empowers the children to contribute to the decisions made about them.

p.3

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

Staff understand that their role is to keep children safe. They all undertake suitable safeguarding training. Leaders and managers are strengthening staff knowledge and understanding by introducing question and answer sessions into team meetings and Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 4 supervision. Staff said that they are now completing risk assessments, and this is helping them to develop their skills and to build a safeguarding culture across the team.

p.3

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

The provider has promptly responded to an allegation of staff misconduct. They conducted a thorough investigation, took appropriate action and informed the local authority designated officer and Ofsted.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been multiple changes to the leadership and management structure since the last inspection. The provider has appointed a new responsible individual; this application is currently being reviewed by Ofsted. A new manager has been recruited and registered with Ofsted.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual are passionate and committed to providing a positive, nurturing home for children. Staff report that leaders are supportive, that they advocate effectively for children and staff and foster a culture of care and professional development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have implemented changes to strengthen the home’s stability and improve the quality of care. They have taken decisive action to address previous shortfalls, restructure leadership and build a confident staff team. Leaders recognise the impact of past instability and have prioritised rebuilding trust, communication and accountability across the team. Staff said they feel better supported, valued and increasingly confident in their roles.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have reviewed and improved systems for supervision, training and team meetings. They use these opportunities to embed learning, share practice and promote reflective discussions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered person has failed to submit the last quality of care review report within the expected timescales and has not sent Ofsted an updated statement of purpose. Though these shortfalls have not impacted on the delivery of care, they do affect Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.5

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1)(4)(a)) 24 November 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the statement of purpose is up to date, that an updated copy is sent to Ofsted and that it accurately describes the care provided. 24 November 2025

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2590934 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Towngate House 2–8, Parkstone Road, Poole BH15 2PW

p.6

Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 7 regulates 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7