Children's Home run by Strive and Succeed Ltd in Luton

Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 1 Registered provider: Strive and Succeed 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 privately run home provides care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post, who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 3 February 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved out, and one child has moved in. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Both took part in the inspection in ways that felt comfortable to them. The manager was available throughout the inspection.

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improvement to be good

One child has recently moved into the home. Initially, this was a planned move; however, due to circumstances outside anyone’s control, the move was expedited. Managers recognised that the way in which the child moved needed to be well thought out and sensitive. The manager called the child while they were travelling to the home, and she was waiting for the child when they arrived. The child relates to the manager as their safe person and sees them as someone they can trust.

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improvement to be good

Two siblings have recently moved from the home to live with a foster carer. Staff have provided excellent guidance to help the children progress to a family environment. The local authority wanted the children to move quickly. Managers, together with the organisation’s therapist, advocated that a quick move would not be in the children’s best interests, particularly in relation to supporting the children’s neurodiversity. This ensured that a transition plan was created that was tailored to the children.

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improvement to be good

Educational attainment for children is mixed. One child attends an alternative learning provision on a part-time basis and travels a considerable distance for this. On some occasions, once the child has arrived, they quickly want to come home. Staff make efforts to encourage the child to stay to continue their learning. Progress for the other child has stagnated. Staff explained that the child spends most of their day in their bedroom gaming. The child is nearing adulthood and is currently not in education employment or training. Support from education partners is in place, and options for learning have been arranged, but the child has found it difficult to take part in these sessions. An education planner is in place but is out of date and refers to college, which the child is no longer attending. Staff have written an independence plan for the child. The oversight of completing tasks and what is being done to encourage the child to

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improvement to be good

achieve their goals is not clear. The child’s care plan does not provide clear instructions to staff on how to help the child and motivate them.

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improvement to be good

One child’s care plan is incomplete. This means that staff have not been provided with important information about the care they should provide and how this should be implemented. Information about family members is missing and there are no targets or goals specified. The child has been referred for a neurodiversity assessment. The child’s plans do not make it clear what this means for the child on a day-to-day basis and how this affects the child’s interaction with their environment. The reports provided by the therapist have also not been assimilated into their care plans. This means the care provided does not link with therapeutic strategies. Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 4 Staff do not always understand the purpose of key working. Records of key-work sessions are often descriptions of events or are records of staff telling children what to do. Staff are not routinely using the prescribed therapeutic model and do not recognise

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improvement to be good

relevant details that need to be followed up. This means that moments of meaningful interaction to explore children’s thoughts and feelings are being missed.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not respond to health matters. One child has an increased risk of disordered eating. A referral has been made to an external agency for support. However, there is no clear recording system to ensure what the child is eating is monitored and how this is affecting their health. The home’s therapist has identified additional mental health concerns. However, care plans, safety plans and health plans do not provide an aligning strategy on how to help the child and how these issues might link together. The same child asked for a doctor’s appointment for their sexual health. There has not been sufficient follow-up with key-work sessions or any professional curiosity. This is a theme, where staff are able to articulate issues, for example with children’s sleeping patterns and a child’s anxiety, but this is not captured in plans in detail, nor it is not clear how children are being supported in these areas.

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improvement to be good

Children appear to be happy in the home. One child enjoys spending time with staff, and this is reciprocated. The child is very present in the home and staff respond to them in a way that the child can connect with.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children with fun activities. All children went on holiday over the summer. One child went hiking and 2 others went to a beach. Staff capture meaningful moments in photos. These are curated into thoughtful memory books that children take with them when they leave. One child contacted staff after they moved and commented in their own way that their memory book had meaning for them.

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improvement to be good

Children are not physically held, and incidents in the home are minimal. However, when incidents do occur, staff have not always responded appropriately. Managers are aware of obvious safeguarding issues, such as risks associated with being missing from the home. However, other risks are not well understood. For example, one child told staff that they had a screwdriver in their bedroom. Staff did not identify this as relevant. There was no further discussion with the child to explore this comment and whether any further action was needed. Staff are not skilled at recognising what might be safeguarding issues. The manager was honest and explained that they were not aware that the child had made this comment until the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff failed to respond to a criminal incident reported by a child appropriately. The failure to respond appropriately was identified by the independent visitor, not by leaders and managers. This then led to the police being called, 2 weeks later. The child’s risk management plan has not been updated to provide staff with better instructions on what Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 5 to do if such an incident happened again. There is also no record of an apology to the child for the poor response from staff.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, the deputy manager and the manager explained that children in the home can be overly dramatic with their narratives, that they ‘make lots of things up’ and that this may explain why staff have not responded to children or believed their accounts of recent events. There is no evidence of these patterns in children’s risk management plans or how this conclusion has been reached. This does not demonstrate a rigorous safeguarding culture and has led to inaction from staff and the managers.

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improvement to be good

One child had supervised contact with their girlfriend. This changed to unsupervised contact at her house. There has been no assessment of potential risks associated with these visits, including discussion with parents of the other child. The manager said that the child’s placing authority verbally approved the address and that visits could take place unsupervised. However, written confirmation of this agreement to evidence the decision has not been sought. The child asked for a doctor’s appointment in relation to their sexual health. There was no professional curiosity. Managers and staff did not link these 2 situations and did not recognise the wider experiences for the child at that time. This lack of planning and understanding of wider safeguarding issues has led to a life- changing event occurring for the child.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff have not considered all potential risks for children in risk management plans. Both children have unrestricted access to their mobile devices and the internet. This has not been considered alongside each child’s individual vulnerabilities. For example, staff said that one child glorifies gang culture. Another child spends a lot of time in their room, and the in-house therapist has identified additional mental health concerns. These vulnerabilities have not been risk assessed, how they interconnect with each other and have not been generally been understood. Staff do not have guidance on how to assess whether risks are increasing for the children in these areas.

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improvement to be good

One child has recently moved out. The manager recognised that they were unable to keep the child safe due to the risks related to an increase in missing-from-home episodes, and that the location of the home contributed to this. Staff responded well to the child when they were missing and to prevent missing episodes from occurring. The child had an historical and active high risk of gang affiliation which staff understood. On one occasion, a child left the home without telling staff where they were going. Due to the child’s high levels of vulnerability, and staff being worried about them, a staff member followed the child onto a train to London in an attempt to encourage them to come home and gain information about there the child was going and who they might be meeting with. This shows the commitment of staff to minimise the risk to the child and bring them home safely. Managers ensured that relevant agencies were kept

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improvement to be good

updated and regular multi-agency meetings took place. Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been recent changes to the management team. The previous deputy manager has been in the manager role for some months. She is supported by a deputy manager and responsible individual who are committed and experienced. Throughout the inspection, leaders and managers were transparent about the reasons for some of the situations that have occurred in the home. Leaders and managers share an attitude that fosters growth and learning. Since the inspection, leaders and managers have begun to develop systems that they feel will improve their internal monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight is not rigorous. The process of monitoring, evaluating and improving is not well understood. During the inspection, the manager advised that she has only recently been made aware that she should be evaluating incidents when they occur. Despite knowing this, the manager has not given sufficient oversight to recent incidents. For example, the manager was made aware by an independent person that the response to an incident was not appropriate. This was recognised by the manager. However, leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that this does not happen again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A large amount of information is collected. For example, staff record what children do in daily summaries. The information in these summaries is not extracted and evaluated effectively in order to identify what works for children and what does not. Because of this, information does not inform care planning. This is particularly problematic for concerns, such as sleep patterns and eating disorders, which staff said were an issue for both children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not identified poor staff practice. For example, records show that staff are not using the therapeutic model, and incidents demonstrate that staff are not responding to children in thoughtful ways. This is not always explored by managers and records of discussions that take place are not recorded. This does not demonstrate how staff are being offered opportunities to improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The training matrix has not been kept up to date. It is unclear whether staff have been equipped with the relevant knowledge relating to children’s needs. Staff have not been given the skills they need to understand children’s individual needs, such as eating disorders, despite this being one child’s only high risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings take place regularly. They are well attended, and thorough minutes are provided. The organisation’s therapist joins these meetings to help staff understand the children better. The advice and guidance provided by the therapist are not taken forward into care plans or risk management plans. This means vital information is not being identified as being useful and is not being assimilated into strategies for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel that they are supported well by the management team. Their supervision sessions are regular, and they feel able to be transparent about their thoughts and feelings. Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 7 Social workers have been very complimentary. One social worker said the home is ‘amazing’ and that staff went ‘over and above’ to ensure that a child arrived in a caring and considered manner. Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 8

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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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The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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In particular, ensure that leaders and managers have clear and appropriate oversight of all aspects of the home, including all incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that following incidents, risk management plans are updated to provide staff with clear instructions to follow in the future.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that systems are in place for effective monitoring of safeguarding. 28 February 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 9 Ensure that poor staff practice is identified and that staff are supported to make improvements.

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Ensure that staff provide care that aligns with the therapeutic interventions detailed in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Ensure that staff are trained in topics relevant to children’s needs, such as neurodiversity and eating disorders.

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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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

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

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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.

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(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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In particular, ensure that staff understand all forms of safeguarding and know what action to take when incidents arise and that accurate records are kept.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff demonstrate professional curiosity in relation to safeguarding. 28 February 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 10 Ensure that risk management plans cover all known risks and include any new risks.

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Ensure that visits to see relevant others are risk assessed effectively and that appropriate permissions from those with parental responsibility are acquired in written form.

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The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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treat each child with dignity and respect;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult.

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(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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In particular, ensure that care plans are complete and provide staff with clear action to take to help children to progress. 28 February 2026

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The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 28 February 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 11 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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

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achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

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In particular, ensure that health issues, such as potential eating disorders, are appropriately monitored and appropriate action to improve or maintain children’s health is taken.

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Ensure that health plans and placement plans identify specific health issues, such as depression, anxiety and sleep patterns and provide staff with clear guidance to help children and that the success of strategies is monitored effectively.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that children have routines linked to daily structure and sleep patterns and that staff have guidance on how to help children adhere to these.

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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: 2777558 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Strive and Succeed Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/O JP Accountancy, Phoenix House, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow HA1 2SP

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Inspector

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2777558 13 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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