Children's home run by Barnardo Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 1 Registered provider: Barnardo Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is managed by a charity working in partnership with a local authority. The home can provide care for up to three children who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children's home

The manager is suitably experienced and registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

Three children were living at the home at the time of inspection. Two children were spoken to.

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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: 2715700 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2024 Full Good 08/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care about the environment children live in. The home is welcoming and well furnished. Children are involved in the improvement and decoration of the living spaces. This helps children to take ownership and pride in their home. Photos of children and staff are displayed, and communal spaces are personalised and reflect children's hobbies and interests, such as gaming and crafts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff. Some children have lived in the home for over 2 years. Core staff and leaders know the children incredibly well. There have been some changes in the staff team, and some children have seen staff that they have positive connections with leave to work in other homes in the organisation. Children are supported to understand why staff move or progress in their roles. The organisation supports staff to keep in touch with children and maintain relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain positive relationships with children's families. They are regularly communicated with and integral to children's care. Children spend time with their families, and they are made to feel welcome in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's education, learning and development is a consistent focus for the team. Some children have been out of education or have struggled in mainstream provisions. Staff see past their experiences and the barriers to education. Staff have supported children to access alternative provisions that meet their needs and ignite their interests. Children now enjoy learning and vocational training. Children are aspirational for the future and in what they could achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health and wellbeing is continually prioritised by staff and leaders. Leaders promote an environment of recognising and nurturing children's needs. Specific health needs are explored collaboratively with specialist professionals. Staff know the plans to improve children's health. Meals are home cooked, and staff encourage children to explore healthy and varied diets. Children nearing independence are supported to plan and prepare meals in preparation for when they leave the home. Staff know the signs of when children's mental health is fluctuating. Staff help children navigate low mood with a consistent and caring response built on established relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively involved in the care they receive. Their views, wishes and feelings are regularly captured, considered and responded to. The manager takes time to review children's views and experiences before writing to them each week, promoting positivity and praise and building their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to access activities they enjoy. Memories and milestones are recorded in 'wow books', which keep a record for children about their time living in the home. There has been a significant drive from leaders to improve how Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 4 staff plan and instigate meaningful discussions with children. Staff skills in this area are being developed, and access to resources to support this process has been increased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have had positive experiences of leaving or moving into the home. Staff organise time for children to say goodbye and have positive endings. One child's admission to the home has been well planned. The child's needs and experiences were carefully considered alongside the children already living there.

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

Children have safety plans in place that contain relevant information about identified risks. However, some plans are confusing and overcomplicated. This means that new and developing staff do not have clear guides on how to manage risk. One child's safety plan lacks clarity in relation to how they should be monitored and supervised in the home or community.

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

The response to elevation in risk for children has been robust and effective. Leaders and staff utilise a multi-agency approach to manage emerging risks. In addition, the provider understands that navigating risk and incidents of concern with children is reinforced by a commitment to supporting the child's time at the home. Children see the home as their secure base and know that staff will not give up on them. For some children, this has been instrumental in a reduction in some risk-taking behaviours.

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

Children are supported in managing their emotions and processing their experiences and the challenges of life. Children have plans that guide staff in how to recognise warning signs in children if they are struggling. Plans help staff identify triggers for children. As a result of building this information into children's plans and trusting relationships, children can regulate better. Incidents do not escalate to the need for staff to physically intervene.

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

There have been several incidents of children going missing. Staff follow children's individual plans when they cannot be located or there are concerns for their welfare. There is strong communication with wider professionals and a joint approach to bringing children home safely. The reasons that children have gone missing are always considered through detailed reflection from the manager and caring discussions with children when they return.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a strong management team, with a registered manager, home manager and deputy. The leadership team is dedicated and committed to children making progress, staying safe and having positive outcomes and futures. This is at the core of their thinking and leadership. The deputy has been at the home for the duration of the children's time there and has ensured consistency for children during staff and management changes. Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 5 The home is part of a larger organisation of homes. There have been continual changes in the staff team supporting the children. Some staff have left and some have transferred or progressed to more senior roles in sister homes. Shifts are often covered by staff from other homes. There is a lack of experience and qualified staff in the home at present, and this is recognised as challenging by new staff and commented on by children. Staff

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

spoken to are positive about working in the home. They feel supported with their development and through the challenges they face. They feel managers are approachable and that their views are listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported with tailored and well-planned supervision. Staff receive effective training. There are regular team meetings for reflection and learning. These take place in the home, and, where appropriate, children are encouraged to be part of the meeting. One staff member said, 'The meetings are great. We get so much from them.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak positively about the home and the progress that children have made. They say the home communicates effectively and professionally. One professional said, 'They really care about [name of child], and they want the best for [them]. They work brilliantly with me.' Professionals expressed how helpful continued communication is. Education providers said this meant they could always tailor their support for children knowing how the child was feeling or any concerns that may be new or emerging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have effective oversight of the home. There is regular reflection and review of children's progress, concerns, incidents and staff practice. This is used to drive improvement of the experiences of children and the care provided. Managers implement regular monitoring and auditing processes to raise standards of care. Managers explore creative ways to provide staff with learning materials and resources.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are supported by a strong team of senior leaders. Staff and children know and like senior leaders, and their presence in the home is natural and unimposing. Senior leaders implement a shared ethos of commitment to children's life journeys. The director ensures that children have access to opportunities within the wider organisation's multi- layered services. Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 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 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

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;

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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

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to risk assessments being clear about the risks for each child and being reviewed regularly to ensure that staff have clear guidance when using the plans to keep children safe. 10 February 2026

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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— 10 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 7 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to consistency in staffing for children being prioritised and consideration given to the numbers of qualified and experienced staff on shift.

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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: 2715700 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Barnardo Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Barnardo House, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2715700 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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