Children's Home run by Woodford Children's Services Ltd in Tower Hamlets

Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 1 Registered provider: Woodford Children’s Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2025 and is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for one child with 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 inspector spoke to the child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 2

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Summary of findings

The child’s needs are well understood by the staff, leaders and managers. Staff support the child’s overall wellbeing and safety using creative and flexible approaches, and escalate concerns when necessary to ensure that the voice of the child is heard. Multi- agency partnership working around the child is strong and effective. Leaders and managers use a blend of permanent and agency staff to ensure effective care while there are staff vacancies. They have put systems in place to ensure that staff understand the needs of the child and support them accordingly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s move into the home was thoughtful and well planned. Staff worked in partnership with all relevant external professionals to ensure a smooth transition. This has helped the child to feel safe and to settle well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, comfortable and well maintained. The child can access all areas of the home. The child’s bedroom is personalised and well decorated. Any repairs and change of decor are made in consultation with the child. This helps the child to have a sense of ownership and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the child’s essential health needs are met. Creative strategies are used, in consultation with multi-agency professionals, to encourage the child to attend health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s voice is captured through home meetings and conversations held with them individually. Staff listen to the child and support them in building their emotional resilience, confidence and self-esteem. This has helped the child to feel confident in reaching out to staff for support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child in exploring education options, holding regular discussions about their preferences, supporting a college application, liaising with the virtual school, and attending regular education meetings. As suitable education arrangements are explored, staff support the child to access part-time work they enjoy, promoting informal learning, structure, and responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to take part in a variety of community-based activities, building meaningful relationships with them while also supporting them towards independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built relationships with the child’s family and support the child to spend time with them.

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

Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 3 Staff have a good understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Leaders and managers have put systems in place to ensure that staff are updated on any changes to risk.

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

Staff work in partnership with external professionals. Leaders and managers have escalated concerns with relevant professionals as appropriate. This has led to effective joint working to keep the child safe.

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

When the child goes missing, staff are aware of the relevant protocols and systems that need to be implemented. Staff remain in contact with the child during their absence from the home and take appropriate action to support them to return. Emotional wellbeing checks are undertaken on the child’s return, and the child is helped to settle back into the home routine.

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

Regular room searches are undertaken by staff to ensure the child’s safety. Any concerns arising from these checks are discussed in supportive conversations with the child.

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

Staff support the child to know their rights and how to make a complaint. Leaders and managers provide opportunities for the child to share their views. As a result, the child’s voice is heard and acted on by the registered manager as needed and the child is provided with an update on the matters raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious, resilient and aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They are committed to delivering a high standard of care. The home’s ethos and values are shared by the staff, who provide a warm and welcoming home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to ensure that staff receive the appropriate training and support, and team meetings are held regularly. As a result, staff feel confident in being able to meet the needs of the child, and their resilience has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff communicate effectively with external professionals and share information promptly. Professionals speak positively about the progress made by the child since they moved into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers give careful consideration to the professional development of staff. Staff are encouraged to develop within their roles, with opportunities for progression; for example, one staff member has been promoted to a senior position.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use a combination of permanent and agency staff to ensure continuity of care. However, the registered manager does not have consistent oversight of all agency staff recruitment information, including their skills and training. This limits the ability to fully assure that all staff supporting children have the appropriate knowledge and experience to meet their needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 4 Despite this, induction is provided for both permanent and agency staff, and a balanced mix of staff is maintained daily to meet the needs of the home. Agency staff who work regularly in the home are supported to understand and meet the child’s needs, including through attendance at team meetings and access to supervision. This strengthens their practice and promotes consistency in the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff receive regular supervision. Staff wellbeing is addressed well and staff’s views are listened to. However, staff do not routinely receive a copy of their supervision notes. Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 5

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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

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure they can demonstrate sufficient oversight of agency staff recruitment, skills and qualifications before supporting children in the home. 3 August 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supervision records can be easily accessed when required by anyone with a legitimate need to view them. They should ensure that both the person giving the supervision and the staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.3 and 13.4)

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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. Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 6 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: 2852028 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Woodford Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 37B Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Croydon CR5 2RB

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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. Inspection report for children's home: 2852028 8 If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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Inspector

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