Children's Home run by London Borough of Hounslow in Hounslow

Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 1 SC032600 Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides a short-break service for up to six children staying at any one time. The home provides care to children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or sensory impairments.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 2003, and the manager registered in 2017. The provider has appointed a new responsible individual who is yet to have their suitability assessed.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, a total of 21 children are accessing the service. Seven children were staying overnight over the two days. One child visited for the evening as part of their gradual introduction to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection, and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2025 Full Outstanding 12/03/2024 Full Outstanding 28/02/2023 Full Outstanding 01/12/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive care that is consistently exceptional, nurturing and highly individualised. From the moment they arrive, children are welcomed into a warm and joyful environment, where staff demonstrate genuine affection, patience, and respect. Relationships between staff and children are strong and trusting, creating an environment where children feel safe, valued, and able to express themselves freely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make remarkable progress from their starting points. Staff have a deep understanding of each child’s needs, abilities, and communication styles. They use this knowledge to tailor support that promotes children’s development in meaningful and measurable ways. Children grow in confidence, develop greater independence, and achieve personal milestones that significantly enhance their quality of life. A parent of one child was particularly positive about the support provided by staff. They said that their child speaks more since coming to the home, and are more independent with their personal care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Supporting children’s communication is a significant strength of the home. Staff are highly skilled in using a wide range of communication methods including visual aids, assistive technology, and personalised approaches. This ensures that all children, regardless of their level of communication, are able to make choices, express their wishes, and actively contribute to their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The range of activities available to children is exceptional. Staff provide a rich and varied programme that includes sensory experiences, creative arts, music, accessible sports, and outings. Activities are carefully planned to ensure inclusivity and enjoyment, enabling every child to participate fully. These experiences broaden children’s horizons and create lasting and positive memories. These are also captured in memory books that are given to children when they leave the home, which they can treasure for many years to come.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents and social workers are extremely positive about the home. They describe the service as invaluable, highlighting the consistency, reliability and high quality of care provided. Parents report that their children are always happy to attend and return home relaxed and fulfilled, reflecting the positive and enriching experiences that they have had.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff create a community that provides holistic care to children and support to families. A parent spoke highly of the support that managers and staff provided when their child had health needs. This included supporting with health appointments and taking the child to hospital. The parent said that the child had not wanted to go before managers and staff creatively and sensitively supported these visits. Managers have provided other practical support including a family using the laundry Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 4 facilities for a while when their own washing machine was broken. A recent food bank service started by the managers, benefitted many families who needed this support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment is decorated in a way that enhances children’s enjoyment, learning and communication. Children can use communication aids displayed around the home to tell staff what they want and need. Staff take pride in children’s art, with various displays produced by current children and those who have moved on from the home. The home is clean and tidy. However, some areas would benefit from redecoration.

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

Children are exceptionally safe in this home. Safeguarding sits at the heart of daily practice. Staff understand each child’s vulnerabilities very well and take thoughtful steps to reduce risk. They do this while ensuring that children can still enjoy rich activities that matter to them. Managers and staff prioritise children’s safety without compromising children’s opportunities for growth and enjoyment.

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

Safeguarding practice is strong and effective. Staff receive regular training and supervision, which helps them remain confident and knowledgeable in keeping children safe. They identify concerns quickly, record them clearly and work closely with other professionals to take prompt action. This approach helps to ensure that children are consistently protected from harm.

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

Risk assessments are detailed, individual and regularly reviewed. Staff use them effectively to help children safely access a wide range of activities and experiences. Staff make careful decisions that balance safety while helping children to try new things. This helps children to build confidence and independence in a safe and supportive way.

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

Staff are highly attuned to children’s emotional needs and respond with sensitivity and skill. They recognise early signs of worry or distress and respond calmly and kindly. Their gentle and reassuring approach helps children to feel secure. This reduces anxiety and support children’s s emotional well-being.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviour with skill and care. They understand that behaviour is a way that children communicate, especially for those who do not use spoken words. Staff use personalised, positive behaviour strategies that focus on understanding why behaviours happen. They help children to manage their feelings and learn new ways to feel better. As a result, staff manage incidents respectfully, protect children’s dignity and support positive learning for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from exceptional leadership and management that is both inspiring and highly effective. The registered manager provides strong and consistent direction and has established a culture where excellence is the standard. Her passion for improving children’s lives is evident in every aspect of the home. This passion is shared Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 5 by the recently appointed responsible individual, who is also committed to providing highly nurturing and effective care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is deeply committed to children and staff. She is highly visible within the home and actively involved in day-to-day practice, providing guidance, encouragement, and support. Staff speak highly about the leadership of the home, describing the registered manager as approachable, knowledgeable, and unwavering in her commitment to high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring and quality assurance systems are highly effective. The registered manager has a clear understanding of the home strengths and areas for development. She uses this insight to drive continuous improvement, ensuring that the home not only maintains its high standards, but continues to evolve and enhance its provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong and stable staff team that works cohesively to deliver outstanding care to children. Staff feel valued and supported, benefiting from regular supervision, high- quality training, and opportunities for professional development. This investment in staff ensures that they are well-equipped to meet the complex and diverse needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and parents consistently provide extremely positive feedback about the home. This home is recognised for its strong partnership working, excellent communication and child centred approach. The sustained achievement of outstanding judgements across five consecutive inspections is a testament to the exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication of the entire staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, in order for the home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, they refurbish some areas of the home to a suitable standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC032600 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough of Hounslow, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 8 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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