Children's Home run by Action for Children in Kent

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 1 Registered provider: Action for Children 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 registered to provide care for up to four children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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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. 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: 2742583 2

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff demonstrate a commitment to meeting children’s health needs, and individual care plans are implemented effectively. Children’s health requirements are addressed promptly, which supports their physical well-being.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff work collaboratively with children’s placing authorities and specialist services to promote children’s educational progress. This partnership working is a strength and contributes to improved learning opportunities for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Communication with children has improved due to staff making more use of appropriate communication aids and Makaton sign language. This enables children to express their views and wishes more freely, which enhances their participation in decisions about their care.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have introduced monthly reviews of children’s records and use supervision to address staff strengths and weaknesses. Staff speak positively about the support that they receive, which helps maintain a stable workforce.

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Findings from the inspection

Several shortfalls remain in relation to the quality of care that children receive. Key- work sessions are not consistently aligned with children’s care plans, which restricts the staff team’s ability to monitor progress and demonstrate the impact of interventions.

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Findings from the inspection

Social stories are used inconsistently and are not always relevant to children’s individual needs, particularly in preparing them for medical appointments. Staff are not actively seeking support from external agencies to ensure children’s emotional well-being. Furthermore, there are insufficient strategies for staff to follow when children are displaying sexualised behaviour. This particularly relates to children who display these behaviours while they are out in the community, which has the potential to place children at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

When daily routines are disrupted, staff do not consistently plan alternative activities in advance. This lack of proactive planning leads to children becoming dysregulated and experiencing unnecessary distress.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk management is weak. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are not consistently tailored to individual needs. Incident records are completed, but risks are not clearly analysed, and lessons are not drawn from these events. This reduces opportunities to improve practice and safeguard children effectively. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 3 Agency staff do not receive supervision from managers and are unfamiliar with children’s care plans. This undermines consistency and accountability in care delivery and does not reinforce the importance of their role in safeguarding.

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Findings from the inspection

The physical environment requires attention. Essential maintenance work and updates to soft furnishings have not been prioritised, which detracts from the overall quality and homeliness of the setting. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/05/2024 Full Good 31/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 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

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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they have oversight of all work being completed. Incidents and work should be evaluated to establish patterns and trends 20 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 6 and identify areas of learning to make continuous improvements. The registered person should ensure that there is consistency of oversight across the service, including in relation to staff supervision, challenge to partner agencies and working with multi-agency professionals.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; 20 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 7 help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. 20 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 8 (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix))

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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— that staff— 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; 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(b)(d)(e)) 20 April 2026

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; 20 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 9 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 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; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Action for Children, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road Watford WD18 8AG

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 11 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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