Children's home run by ZST Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2820492 1 Registered provider: ZST Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who have social, emotional or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the home was registered, one child has been living there. The child was spoken to during the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2820492 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress since moving into the home. Staff ensure that the child’s health needs are met and arrange support as needed from a range of professionals, including specialist services and an in-house therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager advocates for the child when there are difficulties with them attending education. This has included creative measures to engage the child in educational activities in the home until plans with the placing authority and education provision have been finalised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the individual needs of the child. They ensure that the child’s progress is discussed with them during key-work sessions. This is helping the child to understand their personal vulnerabilities and how staff aim to keep them safe while supporting their physical, emotional, social and educational development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed an open and honest relationship with the registered manager and some other staff. This gives them people with whom they are confident to express their views and opinions. However, the child does not have access to advocacy services, to ensure their voice is being heard independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is offered a range of activities to explore their interests, which includes going bowling, go-karting and to crazy golf.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support family time and ensure that the child’s parents are regularly updated. The registered manager, with the placing authority’s agreement, arranged for the child, who was subject to a deprivation of liberty order, to attend a concert and have an overnight stay with their family for their birthday. A celebration was also organised at the home, which the child’s family attended.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and well decorated. However, some areas of the home have not been refurbished to the same standard as others, and this does not ensure a warm, homely environment throughout.

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

The home’s care plans and risk assessments for the child are regularly updated. These help staff to identify the child’s emotional triggers and strategies for de-escalation. However, leaders have not ensured that they receive minutes and care plans from the placing authority in a timely way, to strengthen internal plans.

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

The registered manager considered the child’s needs before the child moved into the home. This assessment was recorded across more than one document and analysis of how staff could meet the child’s needs is confusing. Inspection report for children's home: 2820492 3 Staff generally understand the child’s medication and administer this according to the doctor’s instructions. The registered manager reviews medication logs regularly and has swiftly identified any errors. When errors have happened, they have been managed appropriately by the registered manager, and staff have received further training.

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

Staff follow the directions in the child’s safety plan when they fail to return home at curfew, due to the child’s risk of exploitation. When this happens, staff maintain communication with the child and actively look for them. Relevant professionals are usually informed, and multi-agency strategy meetings are held to share information. This supports the regular review of safety planning. However, meeting minutes and plans are not received in a timely way. In addition, on some occasions, leaders have not appropriately escalated concerns to ensure identified risks are mitigated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers understand some areas of practice strength in the home and some areas where practice needs to develop. They are committed to ensuring that the child in their care receives the high standard of care they deserve. However, some areas of practice are negatively affected by the pressures on the registered manager’s time, for example, as a result of them working shifts in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff promptly report allegations against other staff and managers investigate these well, to ensure the continued safety of the child. However, after investigations are concluded, restorative work is not always done with all involved. This limits the opportunity for closure for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have invested in their relatively new staff team by ensuring that they receive adequate training. Staff also complete a thorough induction that begins to equip them with the necessary skills to support the child in their care. Staff have had trauma-informed training and an in-house therapist supports the child regularly. However, this training and support from a therapist is not yet fully embedded in the team’s working practices. This impacts on staff’s ability to work in accordance with the therapeutic approach outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers generally follow safer recruitment processes. However, recruitment practices could be enhanced by ensuring that relevant checks have been fully completed when recruiting staff who have worked abroad.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and the registered manager receive regular supervision and attend team meetings, giving them opportunities to discuss the child’s progress and reflect on their own practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2820492 4

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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

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

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the child’s care plan from the placing authority has been reviewed and a copy is on file and available to staff. They must also ensure that concerns in relation to the child’s risks or needs are escalated appropriately to ensure safety and progress. 2 January 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, for the home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children, they continue to refurbish all areas of the home’s interior to a similar standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported, where necessary, to access an independent advocate to ensure their wishes and feelings are heard by their Inspection report for children's home: 2820492 5 placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that the suitability assessments clearly include how the provider will be able to support and manage the identified needs and risks of the child and how this will be managed in the home, taking into account not only staff

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Recommendations

skills but also any training needs for staff, and clearly outlining why the referral has been accepted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice and attempt to obtain police information for staff who have lived outside of the UK to ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.19)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose appropriately reflects the models of care which are being used in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 6, paragraph 1.12)  The registered person should ensure that opportunities for resolution between the child and staff are offered after investigations into any incidents, allegations or

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Recommendations

complaints are concluded, when this is appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6)

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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: 2820492 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 Roebuck Road, Hainault Business Park, Ilford IG6 3TZ

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Inspectors

Salean Bryant, Social Care Inspector Jo Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2820492 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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