Children's home run by CF Support Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2532532 1 Registered provider: CF Support Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of inspection, and one child shared their views.

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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: 12 November 2024

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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: 2532532 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 06/02/2024 Full Good 09/11/2022 Full Good 05/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2532532 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are well cared for and are making good progress. Staff support the children by nurturing and motivating them with regular conversations about their plans. They help children achieve their goals and aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to express themselves through a range of physical and creative activities. One child attends boxing and kickboxing classes several days a week, while another child enjoys dance and drama classes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities away from the home. They experience days out and fun trips, including holidays abroad. Staff help the children take part in fundraising events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s achievements by proudly displaying their certificates in the home. Staff also use monthly recognition to praise positive milestones, such as cooking, having a good workout and recognising a good week in school. This helps to increase children’s feelings of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with education to ensure children do not have long gaps in their education. Staff find suitable provisions that are more able to meet children’s needs and work with virtual schools and others to find work experience opportunities and rebuild relationships so children can return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be independent in a safe way. Staff involve others to help children to stay safe in the community. Staff promote children’s independence effectively through targeted travel training and the development of essential life skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure children maintain good physical and mental health. Children attend health appointments, and managers make therapy available for children for when they are ready to engage in sessions. Staff help the children improve their physical health at the gym.

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

The number of incidents of children going missing has reduced significantly. Children are safer as a result. Staff follow agreed protocols effectively to manage the risk when children go missing. They stay in contact with children and offer them reassurance to help them to make safe choices to return to the home.

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

The manager ensures that staff work effectively with the local police liaison officer to ensure they are fully up to date on local safeguarding protocols. This training provides essential refreshers for experienced staff and equips new employees with the knowledge Inspection report for children’s home: 2532532 4 needed to manage risks. As a result, staff respond with confidence and clarity to protect children if they go missing from home.

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

Staff ensure that children have access to independent support outside of the home. The manager facilitates regular visits from independent visitors and advocates. This provides children with a safe, external way to raise concerns and to understand their rights.

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

Staff respond to incidents of self-harm quickly and provide effective emotional reassurance. However, on one occasion, a lapse in practice occurred when staff failed to escalate to on-call management a situation when child used a ligature. Staff managed the situation and ensured the child was supervised and the risk was contained. However, the lack of immediate escalation limited senior managers’ oversight.

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

Staff develop positive relationships with children. Consequently, the need for physical intervention is rare. Only one such incident has occurred since the last inspection. During this event, a child made an allegation of harm. While the registered person notified the placing authority and Ofsted promptly, a significant delay occurred in informing the local authority designated officer (LADO). This delay undermined the rapid multi-agency oversight required to assess necessary further actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. When necessary, the manager professionally challenges partner professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met and their best interests are prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure staff feel valued and provide effective support during challenging personal circumstances. Staff retention is high, providing children with stability and consistent care. This proactive approach to staff support results in a committed workforce and maintains a settled environment for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervisions are held regularly, and staff feel comfortable with speaking about things that are important to them. The manager supports staff development and helps them to progress to more senior positions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended, and the manager effectively involves both staff and children in shaping the agenda. This inclusive approach ensures that children’s views are central to the home’s operation, helping them to feel heard and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive about the support children receive. One independent reviewing officer praised the staff’s commitment, noting that children are successfully engaging in further education. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532532 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)  The registered person should inform LADO promptly of any allegation of harm or abuse. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)

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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: 2532532 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: CF Support Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Three Rivers Business Centre, Unit 11 Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP10 0BF

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Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2532532 7 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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