Children's home run by Evoke Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 1 Registered provider: Evoke Care Group 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 five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2025 Full Good 01/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke with four of the children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a supportive and nurturing environment where they are happy and empowered to express their individuality. One child said, ‘It is the people who make the home good.’ Another child has excitedly planned a party with staff for their upcoming birthday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Disagreements between children mean they are not always happy. Staff work tirelessly to help children learn to live well together. Children value this support, which helps them develop social skills they will need in adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

From decorating their bedrooms to influencing how shared spaces are used, children actively contribute to making the home their own. One child proudly shared their excitement about their artwork displayed in the hallway. The child donated it to the home, and they are happy to leave it behind when they move on. Decorating continues steadily throughout the rest of the home to provide a welcoming environment for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is a priority, and staff encourage all children to attend school or college. Children have recently returned to school following the summer break and are keen to do well in their studies. This is a great achievement for one child, as they had not attended school for some time before moving into the home. Staff and managers are ambitious for the children and speak proudly about what they would like them to achieve after school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy various activities that nurture their hobbies and interests. These include shopping, cooking, baking, swimming, attending the gym, and going to the cinema. One child made brownies and offered them to everyone. Another child discussed a holiday abroad they enjoyed with staff earlier in the year. Children also participate in shared activities, such as visiting an escape room. Children have recently enjoyed applying makeup, dressing up and participating in a photo shoot, which helped boost their self- esteem. They will receive printed photos as a reminder of the enjoyable time they had with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Time spent with family and friends is meaningful. Parents visit their children at the home, and staff work diligently to strengthen these connections. One child has made substantial progress, and staff are proud of them. Plans are now in place for the child to return to live with their family. Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 4

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

Staff show a clear understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. They work in partnership with external safeguarding professionals, including the local authority designated officer, to ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect children. Professionals spoken with have no concerns about children’s safety.

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

The independent person who visits the home each month raised concerns following their visit in July 2025 about weaknesses in the provider’s safeguarding practices. These concerns related to delays in addressing urgent repairs, reliance on agency staff, and staff not acting promptly to record and report incidents. Leaders acted quickly to address these shortfalls, so the quality of the care children receive has not been affected, despite the potential risk to their safety and well-being.

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

During the summer school holidays, children spent more unstructured time together, which led to an increase in disagreements and interactions that could be perceived as bullying. Staff responded appropriately to manage these situations and reduce the risk of harm. The rise in notifications to the regulator reflected these challenges.

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

Staff provide guidance to children about staying safe outside the home. This support has contributed to fewer incidents of children going missing. This is particularly evident for one child, who has had a significant decrease in missing-from-home episodes. This improvement reflects how much more settled the child now feels at the home.

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

Safer recruitment practices ensure that only suitable staff work at the home. Since the last full inspection, eight members of staff have been employed, which has reduced reliance on agency staff. As a result, children receive consistent care from staff who know them well. This helps children feel safe, develop trusting relationships, and experience a stronger sense of belonging. However, some staff recruitment records lack a date and the author's signature.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ actions to employ more staff have resulted in a more stable staff team. These arrangements ensure that children receive consistent and effective care. An agency member of staff, who has worked at the home for two years, spoke positively about their experience. They said they feel part of the team and that staff work well together to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some records are not up to date, which raises concerns about the effectiveness of the registered manager’s oversight. Recently, the registered manager experienced a personal challenge that limited her availability in the home. Furthermore, she manages two homes, which means that she cannot always be present. However, the deputy manager provides consistent day-to-day oversight and ensures that key tasks are carried out. The registered manager also reviews electronic records remotely, which keeps her informed about what is happening at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 5 A skilled deputy manager is leading the home effectively and remains in regular telephone contact with the registered manager when she is not at the home. The recent employment of another deputy manager, who was completing their induction at the time of this inspection, has further strengthened the leadership capacity. Leaders and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

managers say this is a positive step towards ensuring that records are reviewed and updated promptly and that staff receive timely support. Management meetings help leaders and managers identify shortfalls in the operation of the home and implement effective plans to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive effective training and support. Regular supervision and team meetings pro- vide opportunities for staff to discuss children’s care, reflect on their work, and share learning. Staff say they feel well supported and enjoy their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations were raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 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: 2626961 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Evoke Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2626961 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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Inspector

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