Children's Home run by Care Acre Limited in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 and provides care for up to 3 children aged between 10 and 17 years who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2025 Full Good 15/01/2025 Full Inadequate 26/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

Children are cared for and supported by the staff, who understand their needs well. They are making good progress from their starting points. The home has an experienced registered manager, who joined the home in July 2025 and continues to develop the staff team and practice with the support of the newly appointed deputy manager. An experienced leadership team supports the manager. The changes to the management team and staff group have been planned and managed well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy warm and trusting relationships with the staff, who know them well. Staff talk to and about children with care and respect. The relationships children have with staff enable them to feel secure and develop a sense of belonging. This helps children to settle and make progress in a range of areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show interest in the children and are invested in their progress. They provide children with guidance and support in relation to issues that are important to them. This helps children to feel cared for and to approach the challenges in their lives more positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children well with their education and learning. Staff communicate effectively with education colleagues to promote progress and to ensure that children have suitable support and provision. Staff help children to make plans for their future. One child was visiting a local college during the inspection and exploring different course options with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to build healthy lifestyles. They are supported through consistent routines to develop heathy habits, including engaging in exercise and developing healthy eating and sleep routines. For one child who recently moved into the home, the healthy routines are starting to have a positive impact on their physical wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their family and other important people in their lives. Staff support family members to attend the home or enable children to spend time together with their families in the community, to promote positive experiences. Staff support children to explore their heritage in line with their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure good planning and support for children moving into or on from the home. Managers make child-centred decisions about such moves in partnership with others and consider the needs of the other children in the home. This helps to ensure that children’s experiences of moving into or on from the home are as positive as possible. Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The overall environment is homely and child friendly. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms, with one child giving a ‘10/10’ score for their bedroom as it is big and has room for all of their toys. There are areas in the home which children can use if they want quiet or individual time, but the kitchen is clearly the hub of the home. There are photos of the children in communal areas, helping them to feel at home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual vulnerabilities and of their own safeguarding duties. Systems for communicating changes to safety plans work well and there is management oversight of incidents of concern, underpinning a strong safeguarding culture. As a result, staff take effective action when there are concerns about children’s safety.

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

Children’s risk assessments and care plans include relevant history and show consideration of the appropriate risks and care needs for the children. There are clear strategies to respond to immediate risk and consider how children’s risks can be reduced. Social workers value their collaborative relationship with managers. They note that consistent communication helps children clearly see external professionals and home staff working well together.

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

Staff respond to children’s challenging behaviour constructively. Strategies are in place to promote positive behaviour. Physical interventions are only used when necessary. When restraint is required, it is proportionate to the behaviours displayed and the risks for children and staff. Managers take time to explore incidents with children and staff. There is evidence of careful planning, and action is taken to repair relationships between children and staff if necessary.

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

If children go missing from the home, staff are proactive in trying to find them and they work effectively with others, such as family members and the police, to do so. Safety plans are reviewed in partnership with children and professional networks, providing clear strategies. There is timely follow-up educational work with children. This helps to ensure that any such episodes are managed as safely as possible and that children are enabled to make safer choices.

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

Systems for storing and managing medication have recently been reviewed and are suitable. Comprehensive oversight systems have been set up to minimise any errors, and managers take action to support staff to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been changes in senior leaders and staff; these have been planned and managed well. Despite the staff team being in the relatively early stages of development, staff feel valued. Staff are able to access the support they need from managers to undertake their roles. They have opportunities for development and have been enrolled on relevant training and courses to obtain qualifications. At times, recording has not been as prompt or detailed as it should be. However, the manager has Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

been proactive and has provided learning and training to staff to improve this aspect of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are visible and available to children and staff. They are present in the home and are fully involved in the children’s lives. Managers and staff have a good knowledge of the children’s needs, starting points and progress. One child commented that the registered manager had passed their test ‘as he is honest and doesn’t lie’. Children naturally gravitate to the office when they return home after being out in the community or at times of emotional stress. They clearly value the support and care they receive from the managers and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are suitable processes in place to manage safer recruitment. When there are allegations or concerns about staff practice, managers take prompt action to manage any potential risks and investigate concerns. They liaise with other relevant professionals, such as the local authority designated officer, and ensure that children and staff involved are provided with appropriate support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers support staff well. Staff receive regular individual supervision in line with company policy, which includes a set agenda covering safeguarding discussions, staff welfare and the progress of children. Regular staff meetings are used to support team dynamics and provide space for discussion and reflection. Staff complete a suitable programme of training to support them in their roles. The organisation’s clinician also provides guidance and resources to enhance staff understanding of children’s needs so that they are well informed regarding the care that they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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: 2663781 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 36 Magdalen Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 1RB

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Inspector

Gemma Bullen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2663781 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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