Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s

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Full inspection 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 to provide care for up to 3 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with and observed both children.

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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: 10 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: 2593095 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/02/2025 Full Good 18/03/2024 Full Good 28/03/2023 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children and their different communication needs and provide children with safe, nurturing care. Children have developed trusting relationships with staff who speak of them with warmth and positive regard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans describe the children and their individual needs well. Staff have a good understanding of children and the progress they have made since moving to the home. Children’s plans are regularly reviewed and updated, ensuring that staff have the right guidance to inform their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children come to live at the home, plans to introduce them are taken at the child’s pace. Children are helped to build relationships with staff and other children. This allows children to slowly get used to the home before a move takes place and to settle well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children’s views, wishes and feelings and represent them in discussions with professionals. This helps all professionals to gain a greater understanding of the children’s needs. As a result, additional resources have been agreed to support a child in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain good relationships with family members. Children are helped to have positive time with their families. One family member provided positive feedback about the care their child receives and how happy they are at the home. They said, ‘We are so pleased about the care being provided by the staff. They take care of [Name of child] well and work well together. [Name of child] is happy and likes living there too.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parts of the home are in need of repair and maintenance. Managers have plans to address these areas. However, the lack of timely action has affected the homeliness of the environment.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Clearly written risk assessments give staff the information they need to provide safe care for children. Additional safety plans provide guidance for specific situations in relation to the children’s risks. This ensures that staff have the right guidance to manage situations safely.

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

Leaders and managers work effectively with external professionals to develop deescalation strategies and safety measures to manage unsafe behaviour. Children have experienced a reduction in concerning incidents as a result. Professionals speak highly of the care given to children, recognising how staff have helped children to make progress in managing their behaviour more safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 4 Staff are provided with specialist training to help them understand children’s individual needs and develop strategies to managing risks. Staff said this helps them to understand reasons for behaviours and respond in a positive way. Staff use this knowledge to inform the conversations they have with children, which is positively helping children to identify and manage their own emotions.

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

Consequences to address unwanted behaviours are rarely used. When these are found to be necessary, managers evaluate their effectiveness and gain children’s views about their experiences. This helps children to understand the effect their behaviour has on others.

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

Safe recruitment practices are followed, and the staff team benefits from a diverse range of employment experience. When additional agency staff are required to support staffing arrangements, managers use consistent members of staff where possible. This ensures that children are cared for by people who know them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced registered manager, who is supported in her role by an additional manager. However, the registered manager has not completed the relevant qualification within the required timescale. This is in breach of the regulation regarding the fitness of the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are gaps in some investigation work following allegations against staff. There have been missed opportunities for full exploration of concerns relating to staff practice. This limits the effectiveness of the process and any necessary actions and learning from such incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that all staff have the required training to keep children safe. On 2 occasions, this has led to children being restrained by untrained members of staff. While some learning has been taken, this gap in training places children at avoidable risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the strengths of the home and areas for development. Furthermore, managers use monitoring tools to evaluate the performance of staff and their care for children. This helps managers to identify and implement necessary improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision sessions that allow them to reflect on their practice. Staff said they feel well supported by managers and that managers are visible in the home and lead by example. Furthermore, team meetings help staff to discuss children’s needs and agree a consistent approach to meeting the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Before children come to live at the home, the manager considers all known needs and risks before making a decision. Once children live at the home, leaders and managers Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 5 continually review their suitability after learning more about the child’s individual needs. This helps the manager to keep under review staffs continued ability to meet the children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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

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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)(c)(h)) 30 April 2025

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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

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

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)(a)(v)(b)) 30 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 7 A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i) (2)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a)) 30 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides children with a homely, domestic environment. (‘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: 2593095 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 9 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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