Children's Home run by Ardent Residential Children’s Service Ltd in Medway

Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Ardent Residential Children's Service Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 4 children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 3 October 2025.

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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: 30 September 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: The home was suspended following the last inspection. Following a monitoring visit on the 25 November, the suspension was lifted due to the positive actions of the new manager and responsible individual. Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

The home is judged requires improvement to be good because changes that have been made since the last inspection are in their infancy, and leaders need time to imbed their expectations and develop the care given by staff. Staff are not confident and consistent in their duties and do not demonstrate a full understanding of risks that children face.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child moved into the home for a short period and then moved out. Another child was admitted to the home, and they have been there for a short period.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, leaders meet with key professionals and gather relevant information to inform placement decisions. This enables leaders to assess whether staff have the skills to meet the children’s needs. Despite this, one child moved on abruptly because staff were unable to meet their needs. During this period staff worked closely with external professionals to try to sustain the placement.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go to school full time. Staff provide educational activities in the home to help prepare them for school by recreating a school day in the home with a detailed timetable. Leaders have also been quick to advocate, making sure that school placements can be identified and started as soon as is appropriate.

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improvement to be good

The child enjoys spending time with staff. They talk with great affection about their relationships and how this has helped them to settle into the home. The child enjoys a wide range of activities, such as trips to golf ranges, museums, visits to local towns and trips to the circus.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on understanding children’s risks and how to manage them. As a result, comprehensive risk assessments and care plans are written to give guidance to staff. However, staff do not have the knowledge of some of the more significant risks and behaviours that children have previously displayed and, as a result, are unsure how to respond to keep both them and the child safe.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from home, and physical interventions are rare. When incidents do occur, there is good oversight by leaders to ensure that staff have taken the right actions. However, children do not consistently have the opportunity to talk to someone following incidents. This impairs the managers’ ability to understand how children feel and to explore any learning from incidents. Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

When allegations and concerns are raised by children, these are shared appropriately with external safeguarding professionals, and any guidance or recommendations are followed. However, children are not always informed of the outcome of any investigation into the concerns they raise. This is a missed opportunity to reassure children that their concerns have been heard and addressed.

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improvement to be good

Leaders ensure that staff are safely recruited by making appropriate checks with previous employers and relevant agencies. Leaders have ensured these checks are thorough and have taken action to gather additional information to reassure themselves staff are suitable.

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

The home is led by an experienced manager with a clear vision of what the home can achieve. He has ensured a positive focus in relation to the child’s day-to-day experience of care and has had a relatively short period of time to embed improvements. However, he has not yet demonstrated sufficient oversight and leadership to fully meet the requirements set at the last inspection.

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

Staff feel supported and voice that the manager is always available. However, he has been unable to consistently provide formal support for staff to help develop the care being delivered.

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

Staff have not had supervision in line with the home’s policy. This lack of one-to-one supervision means that staff miss opportunities to reflect on their practice to learn and develop, and to explore the emotional impact of the work that they do. In addition, team meetings have not taken place. This is another missed opportunity for leaders to lead practice and truly understand the impact of what is happening day to day in the home.

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

Joint working with partner agencies is a strength in the home. The managers maintain positive links with social workers, education professionals and children’s families to help provide consistency of care in all settings. A headteacher noted that this is a strength in the home.

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

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted, but this application has not yet been reviewed.

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

Requirements set at the previous inspection have been positively responded to, with all being met with the exception of staff being fully aware of individual risks relating to children. This requirement has been restated. Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff need to be aware of risks that children face and how best to respond to them.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (c)) 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 30 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.1)

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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: 2843791 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Ardent Residential Children's Service Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 75 Westow Hill, Crystal Palace, London SE19 1TX

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2843791 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

and inspects 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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