Children's home run by Strides Childcare Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 1 Registered provider: Strides Childcare Services Ltd

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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 is a privately owned home that provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 8 August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 30 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was inspected on 30 September, and 1 and 9 October 2025. Serious and widespread concerns were identified at the inspection and the home was judged inadequate. There were significant shortfalls in leadership and management and the protection of children. As a result, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). The compliance notices were deemed to be met at a monitoring visit on 24 November 2025. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2025 Full Inadequate 29/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, leaders and managers have addressed the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The progress made at the monitoring visit on 24 November 2025 has been sustained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers now carefully consider the needs of children moving into the home alongside the needs of children already living there. Leaders and managers have been undertaking thorough matching considerations to ensure that any new potential placements are compatible and support the needs and wellbeing of the child already living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s engagement in education and maintain clear, accurate records of their achievements and ongoing progress. Staff also support the child to develop and maintain positive peer relationships both within and outside of school, enabling them to engage with people in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to participate in a range of activities that reflect their individual needs and interests. These activities include football, cinema trips, gaming, flip out, swimming, baking and shopping, which contribute positively to the child’s personal development and increases their confidence when socialising with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has positive, caring and trusting relationships with a stable staff team. The staff know the child very well, they invest time in the child and promote their wellbeing through shared activities and celebrating their achievements. The child has a strong sense of stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to develop their independence skills. This includes teaching them how to budget, shop for food and prepare healthy meals. The child is fully involved in their independence planning and wants to develop their self-care skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are highly regarded by staff and managers. The child has many opportunities to have their say, including general conversations with staff, children’s meetings and reflective discussions. This allows the child to share and talk about their achievements, reflect on events and learn how to keep themselves safe. These opportunities provide valuable life experiences for the child to learn how to communicate and listen effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff support the child to maintain relationships with their family. Contact arrangements are clearly defined and are consistent with the local authority’s plans. The registered manager has ensured that staff are well prepared to facilitate and supervise family time by delivering focused sessions, which clearly set expectations and promote safe, consistent practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 4 The home environment is now safe, clean and nurturing. Leaders and managers have taken appropriate and timely action to ensure that the child lives in a well-maintained home, including their bedroom. All the necessary repair work has been completed to address the damages and to ensure that the home remains safe and suitable for living.

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

Leaders and managers now respond to allegations, complaints and incidents immediately. If incidents occur, staff prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the child. Leaders and managers promote reflective practice by sharing learning from incidents to strengthen staff’s knowledge and practice. The registered manager liaises appropriately with external professionals such as social workers or the local authority designated officer. This ensures that the child receives appropriate support and that there is external scrutiny of safeguarding measures in the home.

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

Staff now clearly understand safeguarding procedures and apply them effectively in practice. Where practice has fallen short, leaders, managers and staff have responded promptly by sharing concerns and implementing immediate protective measures. Leaders and managers ensure that lessons learned are shared with staff, further strengthening safeguarding practice and promoting continuous improvement in the home.

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

The child trusts and confides in staff. Staff respond quickly to emerging risks. They are child-focused and proportionate when supporting the child. Staff carry out important work with the child about personal safety, consent and safe relationships.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. This enables them to safeguard the child effectively. Professionals recognise that the child is now safer as a result of the consistent care provided by staff.

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

All staff are trained in de-escalation and intervention techniques. Leaders and managers ensure that the staff know the child well and have an individualised response for each de-escalation technique. The child has comprehensive ‘positive handling plans’, which help staff to understand the child’s triggers and methods of mitigating challenging behaviours. The plans use observations and de-escalation skills to minimise incidents in the home.

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

The child is supported by staff immediately following incidents to ensure their safety and to check on their emotional wellbeing. Staff take time to revisit incidents during key-work sessions, encouraging the child to reflect on what happened and explore what could be done differently in the future. Key-work sessions also address emerging subjects, including managing substance misuse, engagement in education, and developing emotional coping strategies. This reflective approach has contributed to a reduction in incidents and supports the child in understanding the consequences of their actions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 5 Recruitment of staff is carried out in a planned and child-focused way. Clear processes are followed to ensure that staff are recruited safely and are able to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new compliance manager has driven significant improvements and successfully embedded a range of monitoring and audit tools. These systems provide a structured and systematic approach to oversight, enabling consistent evaluation and continuous improvement of the quality of care delivered within the home. They support the registered manager and staff to identify emerging themes, areas of strength and any shortfalls that require timely action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new monitoring system includes a comprehensive monthly reporting process that offers clear oversight of the child’s progress, outcomes and experiences. The home’s reports are used to inform management decisions, guide staff practice, and ensure that there is accountability at all levels of management. This process promotes transparency and ensures that leaders have a clear understanding of performance across all key areas of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high expectations for themselves and staff. They ensure that staff are well supported and will now confidently challenge and hold staff to account for their practice to ensure that this standard is maintained. The registered manager ensures that staff have access to additional support to help them to learn about themselves and how they can personally impact on their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff benefit from a structured and well-planned induction with the organisation’s compliance manager prior to commencing shifts. This is followed by an in-house induction overseen by the registered manager, which supports the embedding of knowledge, builds confidence, and ensures staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff understand their role and responsibilities and demonstrate a good knowledge of whistleblowing, complaints and safeguarding processes. Staff are very positive about the role they play in the care and progress of the child. They feel involved in the decision- making that informs the quality of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff now describe a positive team culture in which they feel well supported. Regular supervision and access to training mean that staff have the knowledge and skills required to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. One professional reported that they have seen a significant improvement in the home and for the child. They noted that staff demonstrate a strong commitment to reflective practice, resulting in positive and meaningful changes. The professional highlighted that leaders and managers were responsive to feedback and demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous improvement, resulting in a more supportive, safe and well-organised home for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 6 No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 7

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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: 2772134 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Strides Childcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 39 Woodgrange Avenue, Enfield EN1 1EW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patrick Nnebedum

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Inspector

Sadia Akhtar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2772134 9 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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