Children's home run by Lemur Care

Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 1 Registered provider: Lemur Care

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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 one child with learning disabilities and/or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 8 September 2025. The current manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this 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 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to engage with education. Since they have moved into the home, there has been significant improvement with engagement and attendance with online tuition. Activities are also used successfully as an incentive to support the child to complete learning tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff also provide a wide range of activities that promote choice and independence. These activities are tailored to the child’s interests and needs. Staff promote positive relationships through playful approaches, using games and shared activities to build trust and strengthen connections. The child responds well to these strategies and, as a result, is now participating in a more varied range of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of maintaining family contact. They actively facilitate visits, phone calls and video call communication between the child and their family. They provide regular updates to family members to ensure that they remain involved in the child’s life. The child’s family are included in decision-making processes where possible and alongside the child, promoting an approach to the child’s care that supports consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. The child’s learning aids and tools are placed in a way that fits naturally with the decor, creating a homely feel, while supporting the child’s development. The child is involved in decisions about the decoration of the home environment and personalisation of their bedroom. Staff painted the bedroom with the child, giving them a sense of pride and ownership. Photographs of the child are displayed in the home, helping the child to feel valued and creating a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-worker sessions take place regularly and are meaningful to the child. Staff use social stories to support the child’s understanding and reduce their anxiety around routines and changes. The personalised stories are delivered in a clear and accessible format, focusing on what is relevant and important at the time. This approach helps the child process information, prepare for events, develop confidence and manage difficult emotions.

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

Staff understand the child’s triggers and behaviours, which has led to a significant reduction in incidents. Importantly, physical intervention has not been required, as staff successfully use strategies to de-escalate situations before they reach crisis point.

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

Staff are creative in how they support the child. The child and staff completed first-aid training together to address some of the child’s fears and reassure them that staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 3 equipped to support them in an emergency. This helped to build the child’s confidence in the staff’s ability to respond to them if needed.

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

Risk assessments are in place to help staff understand the child’s needs and risks. However, the child’s risk assessments are overly lengthy and do not reflect the child’s most current risks. The volume of detail means that key information becomes lost, which limits their effectiveness. As a result, staff do not have clear and concise guidance to help them respond to emerging concerns.

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

Allegations against staff are managed well. Safeguarding procedures are followed robustly, with prompt escalation to the local authority where required. Leaders and managers have ensured that following allegations the child was listened to and felt safe throughout the process and investigations.

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

High staffing levels provide the child with the supervision needed to go out into the community safely. This has had a positive impact on the child and enables them to engage in day-to-day outings that promote well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management of the home are improving and becoming more stable following recent changes. A senior member of the team has been promoted as the proposed registered manager and is currently progressing through the Ofsted registration process. The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is in the process of assessing their suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers demonstrate good leadership qualities and are positive role models for staff. The new manager is a visible presence in the home and works closely with both staff and the child. This hands-on approach enables the manager to develop an understanding of the child’s needs, feelings and overall well-being, while ensuring that there is effective management and oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and thorough probationary reviews, which include clear goals and performance reviews. These processes have contributed to professional development of staff and internal promotions. In addition, when practice has needed addressing, this has been managed effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from staff is positive. They say that they feel supported, empowered and confident in their roles. They report improvements in practice because of guidance from the leadership team and working with an external therapist monthly, which provides additional expertise in supporting the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents, staff and external agencies consistently highlight the manager’s strong communication skills. This includes proactive escalation of concerns when a child’s needs are not being met, particularly in relation to education and healthcare. Such actions have Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 4 resulted in specialist interventions being implemented to ensure that the child’s needs are addressed effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the child’s risk assessment and behaviour support plans are kept updated and give clear guidance to staff. 7 January 2026

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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: 2837910 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Woodman Road, Coulsdon, CR5 3HQ, Coulsdon CR5 3HQ

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2837910 7 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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Inspector

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