Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 1 SC025813 Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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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 8 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged requires improvement to be good for overall experiences and progress of children and inadequate in leadership and management at the full inspection on 7 and 8 October 2025. Leaders and managers failed to take effective action to ensure that compliance notices raised by Ofsted were met. As a result, two compliance notices were reissued. These were under Regulation 13, the ‘Leadership and management’ standard, and Regulation 32, the ‘Fitness of workers’ standard. This monitoring visit was carried out to review the provider’s progress against the requirements set out in these compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met the requirements of the notice under Regulation 13. However, the provider has not met the requirements raised under the compliance notice issued under Regulation 32. This has been issued for a fourth time.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of training has improved. The workforce development plan clearly details training that is mandatory and training that is more specific to children’s needs. All the staff now have the relevant training to provide safe and effective care in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This includes training about trauma, exploitation, and emotional and behavioural difficulties. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 2 Leaders and managers now ensure that an external fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person. This gives assurance that the physical environment of the home complies with fire safety laws.

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This monitoring visit

The child living at the home is settled and has positive relationships with staff. The child is in college and plans to do an internship next year. They are also engaging well with the home’s independence programme, and their progress is well reflected in the home’s care plan.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers were unable to evidence that gaps in the employment histories of staff have been suitably addressed. This shortfall has been raised 5 times at successive visits and inspections, twice as a requirement and 3 times under a compliance notice. This raises concerns about leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the safer recruitment process and their capacity to address shortfalls in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Three requirements raised at the last inspection were met at this visit. However, some requirements made at the last inspection were outside the scope of this visit and were not considered. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/05/2025 Full Inadequate 26/02/2025 Full Inadequate 06/09/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 9 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma").

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 9 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 5 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers receive regular and effective supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 9 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they have regular and effective monitoring and oversight systems to ensure that staff provide high-quality care for all children living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025813 7 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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Inspector

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