Children's Home run by Glanstone Care Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 1 Registered provider: Glanstone Care Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children with emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 30 July 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All of the children contributed to this inspection.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported with good-quality, individualised care that improves their wellbeing and future opportunities. Children speak positively about the staff and say they enjoy spending time with them. Children described going for car rides, playing musical instruments with staff and enjoying shopping trips. They also enjoy visiting the cat café and going to the gym. Staff create memory books to capture children’s experiences. These activities help children feel valued and build positive memories.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children’s education. One child had not attended education for over a year before moving to the home. Staff worked closely with education providers and other professionals to secure a suitable placement. Staff also attend school with the child to help them settle and re-engage with education. This has supported the child to take part in education.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence in line with their age and understanding. One child is now more confident spending time in the community and managing activities independently. Staff work with the child to practise daily living and plan for adulthood. This helps the child build confidence and prepare for greater independence.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time has been difficult for the children at times. Despite this, staff continue to work with professionals to encourage and support family visits where appropriate. Staff recognise the importance of maintaining relationships with people who are important to children. This helps children maintain their identities and important connections.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is clean, tidy and welcoming, Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their interests. Photos of children and shared experiences are displayed around the home. This creates a homely environment where children feel a sense of belonging. However, at the time of the inspection, children were unable to access the utility room independently because the door remained locked. This limited opportunities for children to practise some daily living skills.

p.2

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

Staff understand children’s risks and work hard to keep them safe. Risk assessments and support plans are detailed and individualised to each child. These plans give staff clear guidance on how to respond to children’s needs and triggers. Children are involved in developing their plans and identifying goals. This helps children understand how staff support them and increases their sense of safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 3 Children’s risks have reduced since moving into the home. One child previously went missing from home frequently. Since living in the home, this has reduced significantly. The child’s self-harm has also reduced. Children approach staff when they are feeling emotionally overwhelmed. This shows that children trust staff and feel able to seek help.

p.2

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

Staff understand children’s emotional needs and triggers. They use this knowledge to support the children during difficult moments. Professionals report that staff respond calmly and consistently to children’s distress. As a result, there have been few significant incidents since children moved into the home. Children are increasingly able to tolerate difficult feelings and manage their emotions with support from staff.

p.3

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

Incidents are managed appropriately and recorded clearly. Managers review incidents and identify learning for the staff team. The use of consequences is proportionate. When room searches are required, children are involved where possible. There has been one incident of physical intervention and one missing-from-home incident since the home opened. Both were managed appropriately. Conversations with staff and children took place in a timely manner and staff followed the home’s missing-from-home protocol.

p.3

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

Leaders and managers responded appropriately when children made allegations. Leaders and managers share information with the local authority designated officer and follow safeguarding procedures. They completed internal enquiries and shared learning with staff.

p.3

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

Children who experience self-harm are supported appropriately and medical advice is sought when required. However, on one occasion, a child was clearly distressed and staff did not carry out a dynamic risk assessment or adjust the safety plan to reflect the increased level of risk. As a result, the child self-harmed and required medical treatment.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides supportive, consistent leadership. Professionals, family members and staff describe the manager as approachable and involved in the day-to-day running of the home. Leaders have high aspirations for the children and the home. They show genuine care for the children and the staff who support them. This helps create a stable, positive environment where children can make progress.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide staff with regular supervision in line with the home’s procedures. Staff say that supervision helps them to reflect on their work and consider how they can best support children. Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. These meetings allow staff to share information and discuss children’s needs. This supports a consistent approach to care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that safer recruitment practices are followed. Careful consideration is given to staff experience to ensure they can meet children needs. Staff complete training to help them communicate with children and care for them safely. New Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 4 staff complete a thorough induction. The manager is proactive in supporting staff development, which staff speak positively about.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records are generally clear and focused on children’s needs. Written documents reviewed during the inspection were well structured and easy to understand. This helps staff to understand the child’s experiences and provide consistent care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight of the home, and records and incidents are monitored regularly. The manager reviews significant incidents and identifies learning for the staff team. This helps improve practice and strengthens the care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess risk to children and take appropriate action to reduce the risk of harm when a child’s presentation changes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

p.5

Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 3.10)

p.5

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: 2836452 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 19–20 Bourne Court, Southend Road, Woodford Green IG8 8HD

p.6

Inspector

Thembie Mzila, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2836452 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7