Children's Home run by Catherham Lodge Limited in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 1 Registered provider: Catherham Lodge Limited

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Full inspection 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 two children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, two children were living in the home. The inspector spoke to one child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager’s post has been vacant since July 2025. A manager has recently been appointed and has submitted their application to register with 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 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: 2733828 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home provides a warm and welcoming environment for the children who live there. Leaders, managers and staff enable children’s progress by developing positive and trusting relationships that support the children to thrive emotionally and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers are dedicated to promoting children’s learning. They advocate for the children and work with the placing authorities and the professional network to ensure that the children have a school placement. One child has been enrolled in education after a significant period away, having previously faced challenges reintegrating into the school environment. Staff are consistent in their efforts to encourage positive routines for them, and leaders and managers are exploring additional private tuition to support and motivate them to attend school daily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans in the home are personalised and clearly identify the children’s needs and risks. However, the care plans from the placing authorities are not always clear and up to date; this impacts on the ability of the staff at the home to ensure consistent and well-targeted plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual needs and encourage their participation in key- work sessions. These sessions are not only opportunities for children to express their wishes and feelings, but they also serve as a way for staff to support children in exploring their vulnerabilities and helping them to understand why staff might sometimes be concerned about their safety and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to engage in activities that build their social skills and enable them to explore and pursue their interests. One external professional commented that staff, leaders and managers have successfully motivated a child to agree to work with a mentor, which is regarded as a notable achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Rewards are used to promote and encourage positive behaviour, especially when children engage with tasks that they would normally find difficult, such as attending school for consecutive days, participating in their review meetings or doing their own laundry.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. They assist with their travel, advocate for their needs, and, where necessary, work with the placing authorities to ensure consistent and safe arrangements for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 3

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

Risk assessments, behaviour management plans and safety plans for children detail their risks, needs and behavioural triggers. De-escalation strategies are customised for each child; these documents help staff to understand how to keep the children safe.

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

Episodes of going missing and unauthorised absences are managed well, with staff reporting and recording these events effectively. Staff maintain contact with the child and provide regular updates to external professionals and family members. The positive engagement of staff with the children has meant that staff are now able to maintain contact with the children throughout periods away from home, and episodes of going missing are reducing.

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

Leaders and managers appropriately escalate any concerns about the children to the relevant authorities. They participate in multi-agency meetings, collaborating with the placing authorities in managing risks and concerns effectively.

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

The manager ensures that children’s transitions into the home are carefully planned and well considered, with the support of the placing authority. This helps to establish a strong relationship with the children before their arrival. This also includes ensuring that the children’s needs, risks and suitability for the home have been evaluated. However, these assessments do not clearly identify the impact on any other child living in the home, the associated risks, and how they could be managed.

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

Staff have received relevant training in risk management and safer caring, including de- escalation techniques. This training has been effective, as few incidents of physical restraint have occurred in the home since the home opened. Incidents are thoroughly documented, and reflective conversations are subsequently held with staff and with the children. All incident reports are reviewed by managers.

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

Bedroom searches are conducted in response to identified risks or concerns. However, the recording of these searches does not consistently indicate why some room searches are completed or whether all children are debriefed following these searches.

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

Since the home opened in June 2025, there have been significant changes to the staff group. The registered manager’s post became vacant in July 2025. It was filled temporarily in August, and a new manager was appointed in September. The new manager has submitted an application to Ofsted; this is currently in progress. This created some instability in leadership in the early days of the home being open.

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

Staff receive an effective induction into the home and have access to extensive training opportunities which are appropriate for the children’s needs. This means that staff are skilled and able to provide good-quality care to children. Staff and the manager benefit from regular supervision sessions, which include group supervision; these help staff to Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 4 reflect and support the children’s needs effectively. Team meetings are regular and they are well attended by staff, but they include little discussion regarding the children’s progress and risks.

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

Staff report that they are happy in their roles and feel valued. The manager has incentives in place, such as ‘Staff Member of the Month’, which gives staff an opportunity to celebrate each other and maintain positive relationships.

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

The responsible individual appropriately managed and investigated an allegation made by a child, consulting external professionals and safeguarding agencies accordingly. However, another incident, while having no impact on a child, showed inaction by staff and a failure to escalate concerns. Staff felt unable to use the whistleblowing policy, which is designed to enable them to raise concerns confidentially. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 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 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—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s internal whistleblowing procedures and ensure that staff can raise concerns or complaints confidentially so that children in their care are kept safe. 12 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 12 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have up-to-date care plans from children’s placing local authorities to support their day-to-day care planning. In addition, staff should have access to these plans.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that pre-admission risk assessments clearly identify the impact and rating of risk for children already living in the home. In addition, leaders and managers should clearly indicate the decision they have made regarding the decision for children to move into the home and why that decision was made. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that they clearly record the reason for a room search, when they take place and details of discussions they have with the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20 and page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff are kept informed of the children’s needs, risks and progress so that they are aware of any actions or changes to the children’s care plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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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: 2733828 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Catherham Lodge Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspector

Salean Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2733828 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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