Children's Home run by Cherry Care Children’s Home Limited in Bexley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 1 Registered provider: Cherry Care Children’s Home Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to 4 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home has recently appointed a manager, and Ofsted is awaiting their application to register.

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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: 2730490 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2025 Full Good 14/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/12/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive good-quality care and remain safe and well supported, despite recent changes in leadership and staffing. The changes have been managed effectively, without disrupting outcomes for children. Leaders and staff are ambitious for children, maintaining a strong focus on helping them achieve their individual goals.

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Summary of findings

Leaders have introduced new monitoring systems and are taking steps to strengthen oversight, improve practice and address identified shortfalls, including gaps in training and qualifications. Overall, the home is well led, stable and continuing to improve, with clear actions being taken to address areas for development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home to an adult provision, and 2 children have moved in. Transitions into and out of the home are focused on the needs of the child, and staff are warm and welcoming. There is a strong sense of togetherness in the home, supported by children and staff sharing mealtimes and spending time together in a positive and relaxed way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points. For example, children who were previously isolated now engage in community activities, which has helped them build the confidence to explore new things. All children are supported to attend education. Staff recognise the importance of education in promoting stability, development and future opportunities. As a result, children benefit from improved routines and positive daily experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals describe the home as ‘supportive’ and ‘child focused’, acknowledging the positive care that children receive. One independent reviewing officer noted that staff at the home had provided highly effective support to a child with a range of complex needs, enabling the child to make ‘incredible’ progress since their arrival.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children and promote a culture that encourages them to achieve their potential. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s individual goals and ambitions, and there is a strong ethos of supporting success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Listening to children’s views and encouraging their participation are strengths of the staff team. Children are regularly consulted about their day-to-day experiences, activities and routines in ways that reflect their individual communication styles and needs. Leaders recognise that these consultations and their impact are not fully reflected in the home’s monitoring and review documentation and are working to improve this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 4

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

Children benefit from a stable, well-structured environment where risks are generally understood and managed appropriately. Staff know the children well, including their individual triggers, and use consistent behaviour support strategies and de-escalation techniques to reduce risk and promote positive behaviour. As a result, incidents are minimal, and children are supported to feel settled and secure in the home. Communication systems, such as handovers, team discussions and shared recording tools, support staff to maintain a consistent approach to care.

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

Multi-agency working is a strength. Safeguarding concerns, including complaints and allegations, are taken seriously, responded to promptly and investigated appropriately. Leaders and managers work effectively with external agencies, including the local authority designated officer, and seek advice when required. Learning from safeguarding incidents is used to inform and improve practice. Whistleblowing procedures are in place, supporting a culture in which staff can raise concerns appropriately.

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

Leaders and staff promote equality, diversity and inclusion. The leadership team identified areas where the culture in the home needed to become more open and inclusive and has since taken positive action. Recruitment processes are robust and safe and now focus on building a more diverse workforce. Staff say that they benefit from training and open discussions, which improve their understanding of diversity and its impact on children’s experiences.

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

Safeguarding procedures are generally well understood by staff and implemented effectively. Due to the children’s complex needs and high levels of supervision, they do not currently go missing from the home. However, appropriate missing-from-care procedures are in place, including grab packs, ensuring that staff are prepared to respond quickly and effectively should an incident occur. There are, however, shortfalls in staff’s understanding of deprivation of liberty orders. Although these orders are referenced in risk assessments when in place, the associated information and guidance are not sufficiently clear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager and responsible individual have both resigned. The organisation responded appropriately by appointing a new responsible individual and manager. The new manager was previously the deputy manager, and these arrangements have supported continuity and stability in the staff team. Staff have recognised this change as supportive and positive, helping to maintain consistency in care and providing reassurance for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children and committed to improving the quality of care provided. They have implemented new systems and processes to strengthen monitoring, oversight and accountability in the service. These developments include improvements to induction, probationary processes, training oversight, and the monitoring of children’s progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 5 Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, and leaders provide appropriate support and challenge to improve practice. Leaders are visible in the home and promote a positive culture. Staff report feeling valued and motivated to achieve positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The senior leadership team has successfully implemented positive cultural changes in the home. Staff meetings observed during the inspection demonstrated effective challenge, accountability, and a commitment to improving practice. Leaders are proactive in identifying weaknesses and have clear plans in place to address these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals report positive and effective communication from the home. Partnership working is strong, and agencies say that recent changes in leadership and staffing have not disrupted the quality of care or support provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although progress is being made, there are some weaknesses in training. Leaders acknowledge these shortfalls and have plans in place to ensure that staff attain the required qualifications and receive specialist training within appropriate timescales. Additionally, the previous inspection included a recommendation regarding the home’s maintenance and repair. While some improvements have been made, this remains an area that leaders acknowledge needs further development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 6

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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 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff attain the necessary qualifications. Staff must have the appropriate skills, knowledge and training to care for children, as outlined in statutory requirements. 25 June 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they continue to repair and decorate all areas of the home’s interior. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 7

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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: 2730490 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherry Care Children’s Home

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47b West Bank, London N16 5DF

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730490 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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Inspector

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