Children's Home run by Care2rise Ltd in Hillingdon

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately operated and provides care for up to 4 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 on 16 April 2025.

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Inspection date: 4 February 2026

Date of last inspection: 28 October 2025

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Inspection date: 4 February 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 February 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

There were no children living in the home at the time of the inspection. One child had not returned to the home following a family visit over Christmas, and their placement formally ended at the end of January 2026.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff have made continued efforts to reach out and check on the child’s wellbeing and progress since leaving the home. While the child’s move was unplanned, it was managed effectively and included the child’s parents appropriately. Managers are currently preparing a memory book capturing the child’s time at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff considered the child’s opportunities to engage in educational activities while more formal arrangements were being put in place. For example, they planned library and museum visits. However, these did not always take place despite staff’s efforts. Leaders and managers worked with relevant partners to establish arrangements to support the child’s re-engagement in education, but the child left the home before these could begin. Therefore, the requirement relating to education remains in place.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment has improved, largely because there are currently no children living there and minor maintenance tasks have been addressed. However, the home lacks personalisation and is not decorated to create a homely feel. There are two dedicated office spaces, fire exit signage is displayed throughout the property, and window restrictors have been applied as a blanket measure without specific, assessed risks to justify their use.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively to calm situations. For example, they handled a situation effectively and avoided injury when a child was threatening and hitting them with a broken bottle and stick.

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Findings from the inspection

On occasion, staff have relied on the use of on-call managers when dealing with matters in the community. Although this has been effective and helped calm the situation, leaders and managers acknowledge there is more to be done to build confidence in the staff team when challenges arise. On another occasion, staff appropriately involved the child’s parent to help contact and locate them in a shopping centre when they had deliberately lost staff, which resolved the situation positively.

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Findings from the inspection

Following incidents, staff debriefs and conversations with the child take place promptly. However, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of the debriefs, and they do not always allow for meaningful reflection. For example, staff tried to debrief the child while they were speaking with their friend on the telephone. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have prioritised safeguarding training for staff to build their knowledge and skills. Additionally, while there are no children living at the home, the staff are working at the company’s other homes to build on their experience.

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Findings from the inspection

To strengthen safeguarding practices in the home, leaders and managers acknowledge that additional training is necessary, specifically in the areas of professional curiosity and record-keeping. They have a plan in place to address this.

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Findings from the inspection

Records are not always written in a way that will be helpful to the child or capture sufficient detail during incidents. Furthermore, there is not yet a consistent approach to the use of the electronic recording system, which hinders management oversight. Leaders and managers have not always recognised the gaps in the records or the appropriateness of what has been recorded to address this area of practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers acted swiftly when a safeguarding matter arose relating to a staff member. They minimised any risks to the child effectively, and they made referrals to other agencies as appropriate.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has received no complaints since the last inspection, and therefore there was no opportunity to explore this aspect of the service. This requirement remains in place and will be considered at the next inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Similarly, no children have moved into the home during this period, which limited the scope of exploring this area of practice. However, leaders and managers have a clear plan as to how to improve processes when considering new referrals to the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that management of the home is effective and that the impact care is having on children is understood. 31 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there are effective monitoring systems to allow oversight of the care provided to children. Leaders and managers must take effective action to address any identified shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the appropriate skills, training and support to meet the needs of children in the home. This includes having the skills to engage with children effectively and manage their behaviours appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must fully consider the needs of children moving into the home as well as the children already living there. They must also consider whether staff have the necessary skills and training to meet the needs of all the children in their care. 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; 31 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff demonstrate an understanding of professional curiosity and its place in everyday safeguarding practices. 31 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. This specifically relates to carefully considering the appropriateness of recording the child’s information using first-person narrative, as well as the level of detail in the child’s notes and its relevance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should review the dedicated office spaces and the use of signs and ensure that a homely environment is maintained. This will provide a domestic, rather than institutional, impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 118a Barking Road, Royal Victoria Docks, London E16 1EN

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Inspector

Katie Ratcliffe, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2794965 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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