Children's home run by Barnardo’s

Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a charity working in partnership with a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably experienced and registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of inspection. Both children were spoken to.

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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 good

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children’s home is well maintained and cared for. The home is vibrant and warm and feels like a family home. Children respond to the care provided by the staff by respecting and contributing to the environment. There is artwork on the walls that is personalised. Photos of children enjoying experiences with staff are displayed in shared spaces. Children’s bedrooms reflect their characters and interests. Children like their rooms. One child said, ‘This is my safe and happy space.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The matching of children has been carefully considered by leaders and managers. Children are supported with positive moves into the home. This ensures that children’s anxieties are reduced, and they are given opportunities to familiarise themselves with these significant changes. Children living in the home have been consulted with and included in the process of a new child moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are developing and nurturing positive relationships with children. This is led by the manager, who continually emphasises the importance of this with the staff team. Children trust the staff in the home and feel supported and championed by them. Some children had a negative view of staff of a specific gender due to adverse experiences in the past. This has been particularly well considered by the manager. Careful and positive role modelling has ensured that the children are being supported to change their perceptions over time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise and encourage education for children. Where children have found attendance and engagement difficult, the staff have focused their support in helping the children to improve on this. Positive reinforcement and routines have seen one child improve their attendance. Staff have developed constructive and effective relationships with schools. This has ensured that there is a shared approach to helping children to engage and achieve. Where children have missed significant periods of education, the staff are providing home education for them. Children are being supported to explore what interests them and develop aspirations for what they can achieve by applying to further education provisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and people who are important to them. The manager recognises the importance of developing positive relationships with children’s families. This ensures a more consistent approach to care from those closest to the children. Children’s identity and culture are celebrated and explored. Staff support children to be curious about their cultural background. Staff ensure that children have access to services that meet their cultural needs and celebrate their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings with the staff. Staff provide a wide range of opportunities for children to do this. Children contribute to the way they are cared for. Requests from children are always considered and responded to. Children trust the staff and share their feelings in an open way because of the relationships Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 3 between them. Children in the home have positive relationships with each other. This is encouraged by the staff in the home and also through shared activities and interests.

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

The manager ensures that there is a culture in the home where staff have a clear focus on the children being safe and learning to make safe decisions. Children have clear and effective safety plans in place. The plans are subject to continuous review from leaders and key members of staff. This ensures that staff are acting on up-to-date and relevant information when safeguarding children. Staff know the risks for children and know their plans.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. Children feel safe with the staff caring for them and do not feel a need to distance themselves from that care. Children can share their concerns and worries with the staff. Staff work through issues with children when they have been open about incidents or risks.

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

Staff monitor children’s online activity in a measured and age-appropriate way. Children accept checks being carried out because they are given freedom to explore and make mistakes like any normal teenagers. There are realistic restrictions in place for children that keep them safe but also ensure downtime, away from devices, is protected and prioritised.

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

Children receive effective support in understanding how they process emotions and experiences through behaviour. Children have effective plans in place that guide staff in how they deliver that support. Plans ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge needed to help children when they feel distressed or emotionally upset. Additionally, plans contain information to help staff understand triggers and background experiences that may lead to some behaviours that challenge.

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

The approach to supporting children who may express emotions and thoughts through self-harm is caring and understanding. The manager has not settled for simple action plans for staff to follow. They ensure that the reasons children express their feelings this way are better understood by the staff. The manager is exploring how children can express their feelings in safer ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a dedicated manager who is committed to the safety and progress of children. The manager has high expectations for staff practice, and this is matched by their aspirations for children. The manager’s leadership is consistent and meticulous. It creates confidence in the staff team and impacts on the culture in the home. Staff unanimously expressed the quality of leadership and support that they receive. One staff member said, ‘The manager is the best manager I have ever had.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 4 The staff team is relatively new, and some staff lack experience of working in residential homes. However, recruitment has been carefully considered, and staff have a wealth of transferable experience that they bring from previous roles working with children and vulnerable adults. The combination of age and experience is effective and allows natural roles to develop within the dynamics of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received the required training as part of effective inductions into the organisation. However, the manager does not have effective oversight of training needs moving forward. There are not yet effective systems in place to monitor staff training. Rolling plans in relation to workforce development are not in place so that bespoke training in line with children’s needs can be identified and planned. Staff are receiving supervision regularly, and their development is discussed as part of that process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Other areas of oversight and reflection from the manager are robust and effective. The manager reviews and reflects on a wide range of records made for children. The manager offers feedback to staff and timely responses to children as part of this oversight. This ensures that the manager knows the strengths of the home and the areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All professionals spoke highly of the care the home provides to children. They feel that children have made progress since moving to the home. Professionals say that communication with the home is excellent. Family members spoken to were equally positive. One parent said, ‘It is clear that they really care about what they do. The difference since [name of child] moved there is night and day.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the monitoring of staff training needs and completion dates to ensure that staff are suitably qualified and skilled in the care of children and that the manager has the systems in place for having oversight of this. 31 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by the staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of the staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 6

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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: 2823759 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardos, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2823759 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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