Children's home run by Airah Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Airah Care Limited 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 children’s home that is registered to care for up to three children. There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2025.

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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: 19 February 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and invest time in providing positive, individualised experiences. Children benefit from a wide range of social, educational and recreational activities both in the home and in the community. These opportunities promote their interests and help them to develop confidence and new skills. Children have trusted and secure relationships with staff. They report that there is always someone available to talk to when they are worried or need support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Children are registered with primary healthcare services, and specialist support such as therapeutic intervention is arranged when needed. The registered manager and deputy maintain strong working relationships with health professionals, ensuring a coordinated approach to children’s physical and emotional well-being. This provides consistency of care for children. Staff consistently follow professional advice on how to support a child around bedtime, and this has improved the child’s mental health. Children are supported to understand and manage their health in ways that is appropriate to their age and level of understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children currently living at the home attend full-time education. Staff maintain high aspirations for them and work effectively with education providers. When children are not in school, staff provide purposeful learning activities and advocate firmly for their swift return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The provider supports children’s time with their families and those important to them. Family time is sensitively assessed and, when staff supervise these sessions, meaningful and enjoyable activities are arranged. Families are invited to take part in celebrations, which improves relationships and builds trust between the staff and relatives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are sensitive to each child’s background and family history. They celebrate diversity and children’s achievements, helping them to feel valued. Staff speak proudly of the children currently living at the home and of those who have moved on. Staff’s nurturing, consistent and child-centred approach helps children develop a strong sense of belonging and permanence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Examples include children developing a positive self-image, increased confidence in expressing their feelings, improved engagement in independence work, and better personal hygiene. Children identify this as their home, reinforcing the sense of security staff have created. An independent reviewing officer praised the home for providing a child with age-appropriate routines, stability and emotional support, which contributed to the child choosing to remain living there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive effective support to develop their independence skills in line with their needs and plans. For example, a child particularly appreciates staff encouraging their Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

interest in cooking. The registered manager challenges placing authorities when delays or uncertainty arise in planning for children’s futures, including decisions regarding leaving care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in and out of the home this is handled sensitively. The views of children already living at the home are considered when new children arrive. When children move in on an emergency basis, the managers work with children’s social workers to reduce children’s anxiety related to the move and provide relevant information. Endings are made as positive as possible. When endings are unplanned, staff prioritise children’s safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On one occasion, leaders and managers did not fully consider staff’s limited knowledge and experience in meeting a child’s complex needs before agreeing to a move. This resulted in heightened risks and an unplanned ending, which created instability for the child. Leaders have reflected on this and improved their oversight of referrals. Staff have since received additional training and can meet the needs of the children currently living at the home.

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

Staff provide effective safeguarding practice, and children living in this home report that they feel safe. Children understand that boundaries are in place to protect them, reflecting purposeful and ongoing direct work about safety. They view limits around internet use, staff supervision of activities, and the safe storage of hazardous substances and sharp kitchen utensils as protective measures. One child, for example, said they feel relaxed and reassured when staff are present during cooking because this helps them feel supported should an accident occur.

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

The home has experienced a high number of missing from home incidents, primarily when children leave without permission and decline to return. In these situations, staff respond promptly and in a coordinated manner. Whether or not children’s whereabouts are known, staff work effectively with social workers and, when required, the police to establish immediate and appropriate safeguarding actions. Key work sessions focus on helping children to reflect on the implications of their actions and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Physical restraint is used rarely and only when necessary to protect a child or others from harm. Records of such incidents are clear, timely and subject to thorough review and oversight by the registered manager. Leaders ensure that children’s views following restraint are consistently sought and considered. Staff recognise that children’s behaviours are a form of communication, and reflective discussions, additional training and targeted support are provided where required.

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

Room searches are undertaken sensitively and strike a balanced approach between ensuring children’s safety and respecting their dignity. Records clearly set out the rationale for each search, how children were supported to understand the reasons, and the quality of managerial oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

Children know how to raise concerns, and leaders treat complaints seriously. Allegations or concerns relating to bullying, harm or neglect are promptly shared with the appropriate safeguarding agencies and are managed fairly. Children have access to independent advocacy and the monthly independent visitor. Their views are actively sought, and they feel listened to, including care planning and the day to day running of the home.

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

Staff benefit from up to date individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans that identify children’s known vulnerabilities. These provide clear guidance for staff on managing risks linked to emotional and mental health needs, going missing from home, exploitation, and substance misuse. Less experienced staff have received additional training, and learning from incidents is evident. As a result, staff demonstrate a stronger understanding of risk, and known risks are reducing or are managed well.

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

However, the risk assessments and behaviour support plans do not consistently reflect how each child’s individual needs may influence the way they experience and express the changes associated with puberty. As a result, it is unclear if children always receive informed or developmentally appropriate support with behaviour management during this period of change.

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

Staff know the children well, but at times their understanding of care plans, underlying reasons for certain behaviours, boundaries relating to internet use and electronic devices varies. This results in some inconsistency in the care and supervision offered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed efficiently by a permanent, experienced and suitably qualified registered manager who provides clear direction. She is well supported by an experienced responsible individual who has a clear understanding of the strengths of the service and areas where practice continues to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy manager have an ambitious vision for the home and hold high expectations for what children can achieve. They consistently promote positive behaviour and encourage the children to pursue their aspirations. Staff share a collective sense of responsibility and commitment to improving children’s lives. As a result, children benefit from support that builds their confidence and helps them to make meaningful progress. Staff and managers can demonstrate the positive difference that living in the home has made to children’s outcomes and future life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that children receive high-quality, individualised care. She monitors the quality of care regularly and responds promptly to any emerging issues. Leaders recognise the emotional demands of the work on staff and take steps to support their well-being. Training, induction and ongoing development activities are effective. The registered manager uses innovative approaches to encourage reflective practice, ensuring that learning is consistently used to enhance children’s day-to-day experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision and training are purposeful and focus on children’s experiences, needs, plans and feedback. Leaders promote a culture of tolerance and inclusion, and diversity is valued and celebrated within the home. Staff report feeling well supported and appreciated by managers, which contributes to a stable and motivated team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the service well. They identify strengths and areas that require further improvement and implement clear development plans to enhance children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy manager work collaboratively with children’s families and with external professionals. This effective partnership working ensures that children receive consistent and well-coordinated support across all areas of their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, the provider’s strengths, areas for development and actions taken to address shortfalls are not sufficiently analysed within the quality-of-care review that the manager is required to complete. This limits the provider’s ability to fully evaluate progress over time and use findings to drive further improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff, and should be kept under review and revised where appropriate. In particular clearer guidance to staff on: the risks and boundaries associated with internet safety and the safe use of electronic devices; how each child experiences and expresses changes linked to puberty and the support they need, considering their individual, specific, or complex needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  The registered person should have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months. The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having

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Recommendations

on outcomes and improvements for the children. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 64 and 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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: 2757240 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 108 Strathyre Avenue, London SW16 4RQ

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Inspector

Claudia Poienar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2757240 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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