Children's Home run by Caring Feathers Ltd in Brent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 1 Registered provider: Caring Feathers Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in January 2022 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025 and is suitably qualified.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good 13/03/2024 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build positive relationships in the home. Staff are consistent and warm in their approach and provide individualised care. This supports children to settle well into the home and have stability there. One social worker said, ‘The staff have shown great dedication and have tailored their approach to ensure that [child’s name] receives the appropriate support and care.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to education, although their attendance is variable. Staff work in close partnership with children’s social workers and education providers to promote children’s attendance, encourage academic achievement and ensure that they have suitable school transport arrangements. The registered manager advocates for local alternatives when children do not attend school.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet children’s physical and mental health needs well. They are proactive in promptly seeking the input of health professionals when needed and supporting children to attend health and therapeutic appointments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to maintain relationships with their families. They support arrangements for family time inside the home and in the community. Feedback from children’s social workers is positive. One social worker said, ‘They accommodate [child’s name’s] contact needs with their parent visiting the home regularly. They liaise with the parent directly to make these arrangements and keep them updated.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is well maintained, clean and tidy. It has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their own tastes. One child has recently had their bedroom decorated with their choice of colour, and there are plans for another child to have their bedroom completely restyled.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff’s management of incidents in the home is variable. Staff are trained in a therapeutic approach that enables them to effectively de-escalate incidents, and they are consistent in using this approach. However, there were significant shortfalls in staff practice on an occasion when a child was able to leave the home unnoticed during the night. When they were later returned by the police, the necessary reports of the incident were not made, and a missing-from-home record was not completed. Leaders and managers took prompt action to reduce the risk of this happening again.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff practice in physical intervention is inconsistent. Children and staff are not routinely debriefed following the use of restraint, and manager oversight is sometimes missing. One record lacked key information about the circumstances leading up to the use of restraint, and, on another occasion, a restraint was attempted by a staff member who Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 4 had not been trained. This denies children and staff the opportunity for a restorative response after an incident, and for leaders and managers to reflect on and challenge staff practice.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not effective. They do not include information about the triggers for unsafe behaviours and contain detailed information about individual incidents that distract from the risk management strategies. Children’s main risks are not always kept under regular review. This limits the team’s ability to respond consistently when behaviours that expose children to risk emerge.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff follow the home’s missing-from-care procedures when children are missing. They make reports to the relevant agencies and regular efforts to maintain contact with children. However, staff do not record when return home interviews are requested, and children do not have up-to-date grab packs. There is delay in the registered manager signing off some missing-from-care records, which means that children’s files do not always have the most up-to-date information when they have been missing from the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children’s bedroom searches are not recorded in line with the home’s own policy. Records do not include the reason for the search, the child’s consent, or the manager’s oversight. This reduces the opportunity for the registered manager to have an overview of this area of practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have regular key-work sessions with children to discuss their feelings and behaviours. Sessions are sensitively delivered and recorded. However, staff have struggled to engage one child, and as a result there has been no meaningful work with the child recently to help them learn how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff follow safeguarding procedures when children make allegations. The local authority designated officer (LADO) and children’s social workers are promptly notified, and leaders investigate concerns raised in line with the LADO’s guidance. Staff talk with children about the outcome of their allegations. This helps children to understand that their concerns are taken seriously and that actions have been taken to keep them safe.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager started working in the home as the deputy manager in March 2025 and took over as the manager in June 2025. She is suitably qualified and experienced and is supported by an experienced responsible individual who is a visible presence in the home. The registered manager has a good knowledge and understanding of the children living in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff like working in the home and feel well supported by their leaders and managers. The home has a stable team of permanent staff and does not use agency workers. This provides consistency for the children and enables them to develop trusted relationships with adults who know them well and understand their risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 5 Leaders and managers provide staff with effective supervision sessions. These meetings include a review of staff well-being, children’s needs and risks, and performance and training. This helps to boost resilience in staff, support their professional progress and development, and maintain consistent practice across the team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication with children’s families and external professionals is a strength. Staff are proactive and responsive and provide regular and timely updates on children. One social worker said, ‘There is great communication and professional interactions with staff, and everyone is in the know and communicates with the local authority on incidents and concerns.’ This approach enables good partnership working to achieve the best outcomes for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained. The home’s induction programme is thorough and makes them feel well prepared for their role. Staff are either enrolled and working towards the required level 3 diploma or have already gained it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, are robust and correctly identify the triggers for risks and the strategies to help staff to manage and reduce children’s individual risks.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all missing-from-home episodes are recorded and that they provide timely oversight of missing-from-home episodes. They must also ensure that all children have a missing person grab pack and that these are regularly updated, and that requests for return home interviews are clearly recorded. 20 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 7 Leaders and managers must ensure that staff work consistently with children to support them to understand how to keep safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.7

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 20 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 8

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all bedroom searches are appropriately recorded, including the reasons for the search, efforts to seek the child’s consent, any risk assessment and management oversight of a decision to carry out a search. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.20)

p.8

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: 2653894 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caring Feathers Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4b, The Park Estate, Bury Park Road, Luton LU1 1EN

p.9

Inspector

Jo Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2653894 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10