Children's home run by Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 1 Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to six children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides long-term care as well as a short breaks service.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2017, and a new manager registered in 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: 1257022 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2025 Full Good 29/08/2023 Full Good 11/05/2022 Full Good 12/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide consistent care and routines to children that promote their stability. Staff utilise social stories to prepare children for changes to their routines and to ensure that they are well prepared for attending school and health appointments. Staff understand that changes to children’s care and routines can cause distress to some children. Staff demonstrate patience and care towards the children throughout these changes and support them to make positive choices. As a result, children are settled and making steady progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child who recently moved to the home has been supported to enjoy a healthier diet and to explore different food choices. Another child who previously experienced barriers in attending to their personal care and attending health appointments is now attending health appointments and confidently carries out their own self-care with the support of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who communicate non-verbally are supported to express their wishes and feelings through the use of Picture Exchange Communication Systems and devices. Staff observe children and understand their gestures and cues. They take note of children’s preferred mode of communication and support them to explore a range of communication methods while respecting children’s choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff collaborate with families and support family time both within and outside of the home. One social worker said that there is ‘cohesion between families and the home’. This ensures consistency of care for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children attend school, and there is steady improvement in educational attainment. Older children are supported to develop independent living skills. One child is now able to go to the shops independently and has been supported to manage their budget. They have also had opportunities for work experience and can now administer their own medication. The child has grown in confidence since being at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are transitioning from the home are involved in their care planning and are supported by staff to express their wishes and feelings. Children are prepared well in advance for transitions. For example, staff supported one child to visit a potential new home. This supports children to adapt to these changes at a pace that is comfortable for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been several improvements to the home environment since the last inspection. The home now has more of a family feel. However, further improvements to the bathrooms and furniture in children’s bedrooms are needed to ensure that children’s positive experiences are optimised. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 4

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

Children are safe in this home. When incidents occur, these are managed well. Staff have good relationships with children and understand when they are upset and how to help them feel better. Behaviour support plans are detailed, and there are effective strategies in place to support staff in responding well to children. Leaders and managers ensure that staff are spoken to following incidents and reflect on ways to constantly improve support for children.

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

Staff rarely use physical restraint. However, when required, restraint is used appropriately to ensure that children do not harm themselves and/or others. Detailed records are kept of all restraints. Risk assessments are detailed and individualised and support staff in keeping children safe. The strategies to mitigate risks are effective and are followed by managers and staff. A parent said that since their child moved to the home, there had been fewer incidents of concern, and they were able to spend more quality time with them.

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

One-to-one discussions take place with children and are used alongside social stories to help them understand a range of issues, including changes in their bodies, boundaries and essential life skills such as staying safe in the community. For children who communicate non-verbally, these discussions are primarily observational, and their wishes and feelings are not consistently captured.

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

Staff support children in developing autonomy while ensuring their safety. Where appropriate, children are involved in safety planning discussions and understand what is expected of them. For example, one child participated in creating a safety plan for phone use and understands both how to use the phone responsibly and when to return the phone to staff, along with the reasons for these decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers show high aspirations for the children in their care. Their vision is for long-term provision that supports each child to adulthood, enabling them to reach their full potential and participate fully in society.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work effectively with partner agencies to ensure that children’s needs are met. They ensure that children have access to the right support to express their views about plans for the future, including through advocates and independent visitors. In doing so, leaders and managers encourage children’s autonomy and personalities to shine.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a stable staff team that knows the children well. Staff enjoy working at the home and find leaders and managers supportive, both personally and professionally. Several staff have experienced challenging situations and feel that the registered manager has responded to them with sensitivity and care. This support enables staff to be responsive to the needs of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 5 Staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme that equips them with the skills needed to meet children’s needs. The registered manager provides bespoke training to help staff embed therapeutic approaches in their care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have not received consistent supervision for several months. The leadership team has recently introduced new supervision arrangements, with the registered manager supported by a deputy manager, to help provide more regular and consistent supervision for all staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 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 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

In particular, the registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. 28 February 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. In particular, this relates modernising the bathrooms and ensuring that wardrobes in children’s rooms are repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 11, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are sufficiently recorded. This specifically relates to children’s expressed views being captured in key-working sessions. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 7 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: 1257022 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 144 Old Oak Road, London W3 7HF

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Inspector

Angela Reid, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1257022 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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