Children's Home run by Action for Children Services Ltd in Oxfordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Action for Children

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a national charity and offers a short-breaks service for disabled children. It provides care for up to 4 children at any one time.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were staying at the home, and 18 children were accessing the service.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 17 March 2026

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2025

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Inspection date: 17 March 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 17 March 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Although the home is making progress towards meeting the requirements raised at the full inspection, the improvements have not been fully embedded into staff practice; therefore, the requirements have been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

The children are encouraged to establish positive peer relationships. They are carefully matched so that their individual needs can be met by staff without compromising the quality of care or support.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have developed a varied programme of activities for the children to enjoy, supported by a dedicated art and craft room and a well-equipped sensory room. Children are encouraged and supported to access these activities in accordance with their interests and abilities. Their artwork and personal achievements are prominently displayed throughout the home, celebrating their successes and promoting a sense of pride and belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

External professionals carry out comprehensive risk assessments for children who require the use of specialised beds or equipment when travelling by car. These assessments include clearly defined outcomes and action plans; they provide staff with the necessary guidance to implement appropriate arrangements and support strategies ready for each child’s arrival. This ensures that the home is fully prepared to meet the child’s individual needs from the outset.

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Findings from the inspection

The children’s bedrooms have recently been refurbished, introducing calming colour schemes and sensory lighting to enhance the environment. These improvements help create a welcoming, comfortable and child-centred space that supports children’s emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff continue to receive ongoing training in recognising and managing safeguarding concerns, as well as report writing and the use of restrictive practices. These areas are regularly reinforced through team meetings and individual supervision sessions. However, some shortfalls remain. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are not consistently updated or recorded to the standards required to meet the children’s individual needs. Managers are aware of these issues and are working towards addressing the shortfalls.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children in developing independence in line with their individual abilities. However, they do not consistently demonstrate the level of professional curiosity needed to ensure that support plans are sufficiently responsive to children’s emerging needs. Staff are not always working proactively with external specialists and parents to explore or review children’s sensory needs. As a result, opportunities to identify creative, evidence-based strategies that could help children better Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

manage specific sensory behaviours are missed. This limits children’s autonomy and reduces their opportunities to develop self-regulation skills that would enhance their overall quality of life.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers are determined to improve the quality of the service. They have implemented a structured action plan aimed at developing staff’s skills and ensuring that practice is consistent and responsive to the needs of all the children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive regular supervision; however, current supervision records lack reflective detail and do not set out clear, measurable actions. This limits opportunities to demonstrate staff accountability, monitor progress and support continuous professional development. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/09/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 20 July 2026

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 20 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 20 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; 20 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(iii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 20 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2786401 11 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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