Children's home run by Hebron House Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 1 Registered provider: Hebron House 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

The home is operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2024. The registered manager post is vacant. An interim manager is currently in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home and were spoken with by the inspector.

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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: 2795346 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children currently living at the home. Two children have moved on since the last inspection. This was a planned move to a new home owned by the same provider, and it supported their reunification with a sibling. As part of this process, some of the carers moved with the children to their new home. This provided consistency of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a well-planned approach to children’s arrivals. Where possible, children meet staff and visit the home before moving in. This helps staff to understand the children’s needs and makes children feel more comfortable on arrival. When children arrive on an emergency basis, staff are sensitive to the difficulties they have faced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm environment that is homely and welcoming. They contribute to the decoration of the home and personalise their bedrooms. Children’s voices are listened to, and they are able to share their views through regular meetings with their key workers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the children and speak about them fondly. They are passionate about their future development and have trusting relationships with them. Staff work closely with children to agree age-appropriate boundaries, which helps maintain structured routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to education and there are clear plans in place to meet their educational needs. If a child’s education is withdrawn, the registered manager works with partner agencies to resolve this promptly. When formal education is absent, staff support the child’s education in the home until the correct support is in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical health needs are recognised, and they are encouraged to attend health appointments. If appointments are missed, these are promptly rescheduled. Children have broad and varied diets. Children shared how they enjoyed the meals prepared for them by different staff members, who helped them explore different cuisines. The children’s emotional wellbeing is prioritised. The provider has commissioned a psychologist to work with staff to support their delivery of research- informed practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to access activities in the community, such as visiting the park, going swimming, bowling and bike riding. Their activities are captured in dedicated memory books, which highlight their achievements while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value the importance of children’s family relationships and work hard to support their contact with those important to them. Parents and social workers praise the staff’s commitment to ensuring that children are able to spend time with those close to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 4

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

Children are safeguarded effectively. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are thorough and regularly reviewed following incidents. The manager has used a trend analysis to explore a rise in incidents for one child in order to review how best their needs can be met. When incidents occur, managers take swift and appropriate action. Information is shared with multi-agency professionals to ensure that risk management strategies are collaborative.

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

Leaders provide children with behaviour support plans that are strength based and written in participation with children. Staff use these plans to help them identify the focus of children’s direct work, which includes key topics such as safe relationships, substance misuse and weapon awareness. Children’s progress is evaluated at team meetings, and staff receive updated information at daily handover meetings.

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

Incidents of children going missing from home are managed effectively, and staff respond promptly and effectively. Staff know the areas where children spend time and often locate children without the need for police support. Missing-from-home assessments are reviewed regularly to ensure that strategies take account of all current information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An interim manager is currently overseeing the home following the promotion of the previous manager. He is supported in his role by the senior leadership team, including the deputy manager, head of service and responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager leads by example and is suitably qualified. Staff speak positively about his introduction to the team and report high levels of staff morale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals speak positively about the communication shared by the staff and the leadership team within the home, with one teacher describing practice as ‘second to none’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team benefits from a blend of gender, skills and experience. Leaders and managers provide staff with regular, reflective supervision, and staff are committed to supporting one another. As a result, children benefit from consistent care and the employment of agency staff has not been necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide staff with regular, reflective supervision and annual appraisals that support their professional development. However, appraisals do not use feedback from children and external professionals. The manager has implemented changes to the appraisals and probation procedures to improve the quality of them but the impact of this cannot yet be seen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses various approaches to monitor practice within the home, including regular audits, team meetings and maintaining a home and workforce development plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 5 This ensures that managers are equipped to meet the needs of the children they care for. Alongside this, the members of the management team have appointed a new independent person to ensure that the practice in the home remains subject to close external scrutiny. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2795346 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hebron House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Brewershill Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 1AA

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Inspector

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2795346 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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