Setting run by Branch Out Residential Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 1 Registered provider: Branch Out Residential Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted in July 2025 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in September 2025. In October 2025, the responsible individual left the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

On 30 September 2025, an assurance inspection was carried out in response to specific concerns received by Ofsted. Serious and widespread concerns were identified. As a result, 2 compliance notices were issued. These were under Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, and Regulation 32, ‘Fitness of workers’. A notice restricting accommodation was issued on 3 October 2025.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

A further monitoring visit was carried out on 24 November 2025 to monitor the notice restricting accommodation and to monitor progress towards meeting the compliance notices. The inspector found that the restriction of accommodation notice had been complied with. However, the provider failed to meet the compliance notices issued under Regulation 13 and Regulation 32. As a result, a further notice restricting accommodation was issued on 5 December 2025 alongside a notice of proposal to cancel the registration of the home. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 2 This visit was to monitor the notice restricting accommodation at the home and to assess to what extent the provider has implemented improvements to address the concerns that led to Ofsted taking enforcement action.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Since the last monitoring visit, the provider has formally notified Ofsted of the directors involved in the running and operation of the home. T he provider has identified a new responsible individual and submitted the relevant information to Ofsted. However, there are concerns in relation to the suitability of these arrangements. The individual is not directly employed by the provider and there are concerns in relation to their availability, limiting their oversight of the home.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Management arrangements in the home remain unclear. A director, who Ofsted was informed is the acting manager, has not applied to register. A sample of recruitment records on this visit identified that the provider has not completed an interview or other assessment to ensure that the director fulfils the regulatory requirements of the manager’s role. There is no evidence that the provider has sufficiently assured itself that the selected person has the necessary skills and experience to lead and manage a children’s home.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Weaknesses in the management structure at this home create vulnerabilities. Individuals are undertaking multiple roles; for example, the director proposed to be the manager would be simultaneously in charge of and accountable to the proposed responsible individual. The lack of clarity in roles and accountability does not protect against a closed culture or ensure that there are clear routes for safeguarding concerns to be escalated.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

There is a lack of regulatory knowledge and experience in residential childcare in the leadership team. Leaders have used the support of an external consultant. However, they have been unable to implement robust and effective action plans in response to concerns raised at previous visits. Multiple plans have been created by leaders. However, a lack of effective task delegation and unclear timescales have resulted in minimal improvements to policies, procedure and training.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

The home does not have sufficient staff to offer suitable care to children. The provider has updated its statement of purpose to reflect current staffing arrangements and has ensured that contracts are now in place. However, there are currently only 3 staff employed at the home, of whom only 2 can work at the home full time.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

Safer recruitment practices are not adhered to. The leadership team does not have effective oversight of safer recruitment processes. Gaps in employment and reasons for leaving have not been suitably explored. Verification of references does not sufficiently explore safeguarding concerns or past disciplinary action. Two verification documents seen at the inspection were signed but held no content of the checks that had taken place. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 3 Training has not been delivered to sufficiently address the shortfalls identified at previous visits. There are gaps in staff training in relation to children going missing from home, self-harm, reporting and recording. The leadership team has not implemented systems to ensure that online training is appropriately understood by staff. A new induction plan has been developed. However, there are no clear timescales for this to take place. As a result, staff have not been upskilled.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

External scrutiny of the home continues to be ineffective. The provider now has an independent person to undertake monthly visits to the home. However, their visits have not been effective in guiding the actions of leaders to ensure that appropriate checks and systems are in place. An example of this is that the independent person identified that the fire risk assessment was overdue by 2 months. No action was set for the provider. Leaders who have had oversight of the report failed to note this needed to take place. The fire risk assessment is now 5 months overdue.

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Inspection date: 10 February 2026

As a result of this monitoring visit, a further restriction of accommodation notice has been issued. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 4

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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 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that relevant support strategies and guidance around missing-from-home procedures are recorded and are understood by staff.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 24 March 2026

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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— 24 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 5 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 24 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 6 the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (27)(a)) 24 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 7 After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the fire risk assessment is reviewed annually. 24 March 2026

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Branch Out Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 205 Parkside Avenue, Bexleyheath DA7 6NR

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Inspector

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2828155 9 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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Inspector

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