Children's Home run by Regent House Care Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 1 Registered provider: Regent house care limited

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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 and the manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. The home is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spoke to the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 13 January 2026

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 3

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Summary of findings

Serious and widespread failures have left the child at continued risk of harm. Managers and staff do not consistently recognise or respond to risks relating to missing-from-home incidents, online activity and child criminal exploitation.

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Summary of findings

The child is not benefiting from consistent routines, boundaries or structure, and there has been limited challenge with the local authority about delays in family time arrangements.

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Summary of findings

There have been some improvements to the home environment. Staff are receiving regular supervision. However, team meetings are infrequent.

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Summary of findings

Safer recruitment practice is not sufficiently robust, as gaps in employment for new staff are not fully explored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. The child’s move into the home was well planned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There is a lack of consistent routines and boundaries in the home. The child does not have a daily routine and is not making progress. The child is not currently accessing education. Consequently, the child spends significant periods of time isolated in their bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child uses electronic cigarettes. Staff have not provided the child with information about the risks associated with vaping, and there are no boundaries relating to vaping in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is supported to spend time with their sibling. However, arrangements for the child to spend time with their parent have not progressed since the child moved into the home. The manager has not demonstrated sufficient challenge to the placing authority about this delay, which adversely affects the child’s ability to maintain strong familial connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some improvements have been made to the home environment since the last inspection, including replacing the carpets and the redecoration of communal areas and the child’s bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is developing positive relationships with some staff. They are offered opportunities to take part in a range of activities in line with their interests and Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 4 preferences if they wish. This supports the child to develop confidence and social skills and to have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child living at the home has been left at risk of harm, as the staff do not always take appropriate action to keep them safe. Leaders, managers and staff have not consistently taken steps to keep the child safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When the child was missing from home, staff did not follow the missing-from-home procedures or the child’s risk assessments. They failed to take proactive steps to contact and locate the child, including not undertaking a search of the child’s bedroom to try to ascertain any information that may have supported them in their efforts to locate the child. These significant failures increased the potential risk of harm to the child. Additionally, the registered manager and staff did not demonstrate professional curiosity or consider obtaining the child’s contact information from other involved professionals or carers to support a safe and timely return home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is not safeguarded effectively from significant online risks. Staff oversight of the child’s online activity is poor, and they do not demonstrate sufficient curiosity regarding whom the child is communicating with online. The child has unrestricted access to the internet and spends extended periods of time online without effective monitoring from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When staff have overheard concerning conversations between the child and unknown people, they failed to take appropriate action to explore these conversations or manage and reduce risks. This lack of professional curiosity and ineffective safeguarding practice leave the child vulnerable to harm and exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager and staff do not have sufficient understanding of child criminal exploitation and associated indicators of harm. Staff did not identify and respond appropriately to significant warning signs, including repeated missing-from-home incidents, possession of multiple mobile phones and written information identifying exploitation concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not undertake meaningful direct work with the child to help them understand risk, develop strategies to keep themselves safe or reduce their vulnerability to exploitation. Consequently, the child remains vulnerable to harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When physical intervention has been used, records demonstrate that this has been proportionate and necessary to keep the child and others safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not taken effective action to address the concerns identified at the last inspection or to improve the overall quality of care provided. Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are not consistently well understood, which limits staff’s ability to respond appropriately and safeguard children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight is ineffective and does not identify or address significant shortfalls in practice. Weak staff practice, including poor professional curiosity and a lack of appropriate challenge in response to concerning behaviours, has not been robustly addressed or improved by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers did not sufficiently consider whether staff have the necessary skills and experience to meet the child’s identified needs before the child moved into the home. Furthermore, managers did not fully assess the risks associated with the location of the home, particularly in relation to child criminal exploitation. Consequently, this impacts negatively on the quality of care and safeguarding provided to the child. This requirement has been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The regulator was not notified of a significant event relating to the child being missing from home for an extended period. This compromises the regulator’s oversight and ability to respond swiftly to escalating concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision is completed on a regular basis. Staff say this is supportive. However, team meetings are infrequent and do not provide staff with opportunities to reflect on practice, develop safeguarding knowledge or improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recruitment and employment records are not consistently maintained. Gaps in employment histories have not been fully explored. Staff rotas do not clearly record the full names of staff, which reduces accountability and does not support effective monitoring of staffing arrangements. This requirement has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 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 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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that appropriate action is taken when children are missing from home to ensure 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 7 their safe and prompt return. They must follow the home’s missing-from-home protocol and children’s risk assessments. In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand safeguarding risks, particularly around criminal exploitation, and that work is completed with the child to help them to understand the risks relating to criminal exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person and staff must ensure that they have effective oversight of children’s internet use and that any concerns are immediately addressed and shared with wider agencies.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed and an audit of all recruitment files is undertaken. Any shortfalls identified through this audit must be addressed promptly. This requirement is restated. 26 June 2026

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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 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 8 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to meet children’s needs and that all information is fully explored before decisions are made about children moving into the home. This requirement 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— 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 9 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight of staff practice and that poor practice is addressed.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have a clear understanding of shortfalls in the home and that these are appropriately addressed in order to effect positive change.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that team meetings take place regularly in line with the statement of purpose to ensure that staff are working together as a team.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 10 a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that significant incidents are notified to Ofsted in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children are not in education, there is clear structure and routine in place to support independent study. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 11 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff appropriately support and challenge the child in relation to vaping, including through consistent boundaries and education regarding the associated risks.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff rotas clearly record the full names of staff to ensure accurate identification and accountability. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 12 seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must challenge the local authority effectively when arrangements for the child’s family time are not being progressed or are not meeting the child’s identified needs.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2806866 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Regent house care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 183 The Vale, London W3 7RW

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Inspector

Sonja Vega, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2806866 14 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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Inspector

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