Children's home run by 5ab Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 1 Registered provider: 5ab Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may have emotional and social needs. Children may also have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection, and their views were sought. A second child moved out since the last inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 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: 18 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: 2512898 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2025 Full Good 11/03/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Outstanding 23/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are comfortable in the home environment. One child happily snuggles with a blanket on the sofa and spends time with staff. There is a lot of nurture expressed in how staff care for children. For instance, hugs are commonplace between children and staff, and they are at ease doing each other's hair. Staff recognise the importance of building secure attachments with children. There is also a house cat that the child likes playing with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show tremendous commitment to children and prove themselves to be dependable when it matters most. Staff show perseverance through difficult times and remain child focused in all that they do.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager welcomed a child back into their care after they had moved out and needed a safe place to return to. The manager recognised that this child was at a point of crisis. Staff prioritised training to ensure that they could meet the child's needs and keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have since supported this child to move out again in a planned way. Staff remain in continued communication with this child, and they know them exceptionally well. The child described the team as being their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager advocates for children in education. This has not been a straightforward process, but staff continue to persevere to build children's resilience and confidence. Staff recognise the importance of friendships and put effort into maintaining these outside of school. This includes one child having regular sleepovers with fun activities such as face masks and ice pops.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child living in the home to take pride in their appearance. This includes supporting them to maintain good oral hygiene and attend health appointments. This is an area where continued progress is being made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although staff know the residing child's identity needs, guidance has not been sought in how to broach sensitive topics that relate to the child's identity. This is an aspect of care that needs to be developed for the best interests of the child.

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

The manager knows children in his care exceptionally well. This means that children trust him with their feelings and will seek him out if they need help. Similarly, staff have full confidence in the manager to ask him for help when they need it and to share any aspects of their role that they are struggling with. Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 4 Staff have a good understanding of the emotional impact that events such as Christmas Day and Mother's Day can have for children in care. On these occasions, staff have been proactive to host events at the home where children feel most safe. For example, one child's sibling and parent came over for a Christmas meal, and staff have arranged a Mother's Day event. Staff openly talk to the child during these occasions and help them to explore how they are feeling.

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

Staff have managed some difficult behavioural incidents with children. Some incidents have involved staff being hurt. The manager values staff's commitment and dedication to children. He ensures that staff have time to process their feelings and have debrief discussions about what happened. Following safeguarding incidents, staff show compassion to the child and repair the relationship as soon as possible.

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

During some behavioural incidents, the residing child has needed to be restrained, and this has happened with one staff member. Although the rationale for a restraint is clear, some staff members have been left in a vulnerable position where they could have been seriously harmed. This requires further review by the manager and responsible individual.

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

The child's risk assessment does not clearly identify presenting risk or explain effective strategies for staff to effectively manage the risk. Similarly, it does not include risks associated with the residing child's family dynamics or how the child's risks may change in line with their development. Positive risk-taking is not explored in the child's risk assessment and so it is difficult to explore how the child is being supported to make sensible and safe choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is caring, kind and wants children to achieve the best possible outcomes. He recognises that care is a continuum that carries on into adulthood. Children remain in communication with staff after they have left, and they like sharing what progress they are making in their lives. The manager is proud of children's successes and recognises individual achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported by an experienced responsible individual who is comfortable spending time with children. The manager finds their supervision sessions helpful and shared that this protected time helps him to carry out his duties more effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision meetings, which they find helpful. The manager recognises the strengths and development areas in the staff team and is patient in empowering his team to improve. Staff like their roles and think they work well as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the language used in the home is child friendly. However, this is not always consistent. Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 5 Although the manager does take steps to safely recruit staff, a risk assessment had not been completed as part of a staff audit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A requirement has been made under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, because regulation 12, the protection of children standard, has been restated for the same reasons stipulated at the last inspection. This requires further management scrutiny to make progress in this area. Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 6

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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

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, children's risk assessments should be straightforward and understandable. They should offer clear guidance to staff in how to keep children safe. Risk assessments should include how staff can support children to embrace positive risk-taking.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staffing ratios are kept under review and adapted to keep children and staff safe during physical interventions. 7 May 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—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should act to ensure that requirements set at the last inspection are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff have necessary risk assessments in place when necessary.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that language used in the home is child friendly. 7 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that care meets each child's needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child's gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 14, paragraph 3.20)

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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: 2512898 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Devonshire Business Centre, Unit 27 Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1GJ

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2512898 9 regulates 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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Inspector

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