Children's home run by Anchor Care and Education Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 1 Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 4 children with emotional and social difficulties or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection one child has moved into the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. During the inspection the inspector observed and spoke to both children.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures when children move into the home these moves are well planned. The plans provide children with lots of opportunities to visit the home and spend time with staff. The manager has adapted the home to support the children’s emotional wellbeing. One room now functions as a gym and sensory space for a child. Another lounge provides a child with extra personal space. This approach supports and strengthens children’s sense of belonging in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children to take part in education. With this encouragement, one child has developed a love of reading and now reads independently. School professionals described their relationship with staff as a ‘great partnership’. This support means this child is now working closer to the level expected for their age. Another child has been out of education for a long period. Staff have supported with home learning. The manager has escalated concerns about the child’s lack of education, including writing to the Prime Minister. The independent reviewing officer said the manager had, ‘done as much as she can’, and recognised her strong advocacy for the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health needs. With the help of staff, a child has achieved and maintained a healthy weight. This means the child no longer requires specialist health services or medication. The child now enjoys being active and is part of a football team. Staff help children to access provision which promotes positive emotional wellbeing. For one child, engaging with this support has been a significant step forward.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusted relationships with children. One child said, ‘The staff are the best bit about living here.’ Staff make sure that children understand how to raise concerns and know how to complain. Staff also support children to see their family and friends. They provide transport so that children can spend time with the people who matter to them. This sometimes involves significant travel. Staff are supporting a child to make friends locally, including arranged play dates in the park.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create independence plans for children as soon as they move into the home. These plans are tailored to each child. Staff review them regularly to make sure the children continue to make progress. Staff are helping one child to establish a positive daily routine; another child is learning how to grow their own vegetables. Staff are creative in preserving children’s memories. Each year, staff produce videos that capture children’s experiences. They also create scrapbooks filled with meaningful memories.

p.3

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

Staff respond quickly and in a coordinated way when a child goes missing from the home. They actively search for the child and keep in contact with relevant professionals. When the child returns, staff offer care and check their wellbeing. Staff talk to the child Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 4 about safety and the risks of going missing. This support has helped one child significantly reduce how often they go missing from the home.

p.3

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

Staff listen to children when they make allegations. Staff do not always promptly report allegations to managers. This delays the manager’s ability to respond to the allegation and keep children safe. When managers do become aware of allegations they inform the child’s social worker. However, managers do not report allegations to relevant safeguarding agencies. This lack of reporting reduces external oversight of how allegations are responded to and the safety of children.

p.4

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

The manager investigates complaints and provides outcomes to those who raise them. They use complaints to identify learning and improve practice. Although the manager’s response to complaints is positive, their recording of complaint investigations is not always robust.

p.4

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

Staff create plans to help children with their behaviour. Staff speak to children about their needs and help children understand how to be safe. Staff understand the risks that the internet and social media pose. Staff have put strategies in place to help a child stay safe online. However, some restrictions staff impose are routine practice rather than based on individual needs. These limitations reduce children’s freedom in the home.

p.4

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour by giving children rewards for their achievements. They offer a ‘lucky dip’ for children to choose from. Rewards range from small monetary items to day trips. Staff use consequences in response to unwanted behaviour. Staff do not always apply these consequences consistently. Some consequences are not restorative or proportionate. The manager recognises this is an area that needs improvement and is taking action to address it.

p.4

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

Staff hold children only when necessary to keep them and others safe. Staff use alternative strategies first to avoid holding children. The manager oversees all incidents and ensures that each child is spoken to afterwards. The manager also speaks to staff. However, this does not always happen within expected timescales.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses research to improve staff practice. This helps staff understand children’s emotions and recognise what their behaviour is communicating. This understanding helps staff know how best to respond to children. The manager is building relationships with the local community. As a result, one child has been offered employment with a local business, and another has raised funds for a homeless charity.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created a positive team culture. Staff receive regular supervision which focuses on children’s needs and staff wellbeing. Supervision is also used to develop staff practice. The manager holds regular team meetings. These meetings help staff build connections, review the care provided to children and consider safeguarding. Staff say they enjoy working with each other and with the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 5 The manager recruits staff safely and provides new staff with induction plans. The manager and the responsible individual are working to improve inductions further by increasing the focus on the skills of staff. The manager also completes staff appraisals and ensures that each staff member has a development plan which is regularly reviewed. The manager ensures that staff have the skills to be able to meet children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems to monitor the care children receive. This includes spending time with children and listening to their wishes and feelings. These systems help the manager identify staff strengths and areas for development. The manager’s oversight also highlights when external professionals are not providing expected support. In these cases, the manager challenges professionals and escalates concerns to ensure the children’s unmet needs are recognised and addressed. Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children make allegations staff alert leaders and managers so safeguards can be considered

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that allegations made by children are reported to the relevant safeguarding agencies. 24 February 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 21 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 7 children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.7

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

p.7

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.7

Requirement Due date

(i)has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

(ii)has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(ii)) 21 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 8 In particular, ensure that measures of control used by staff to support children’s behaviour are consistent, proportionate and restorative.

p.7

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: 2742503 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ensors Accountants Llp, Saxon House, Moseley’s Farm Business Centre, Fornham All Saints, Bury St. Edmunds IP28 6JY

p.9

Inspector

Laura Copus, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2742503 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10