Children's Home run by Tulip Care One Limited t/as TulipCare in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 1 SC361090 Registered provider: Tulip Care One Limited t/as TulipCare

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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 owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and therapeutic support for up to 5 children of the same gender who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 4 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2023.

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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: SC361090 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2025 Full Good 14/05/2024 Full Good 12/09/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from warm, nurturing and personalised care and they make progress at this home. Staff provide consistent, child-centred support that reflects children’s individual needs and interests. Safeguarding practice is generally strong, and staff are committed to ensuring children’s wellbeing. Although some areas require further development, these shortfalls do not detract from the overall good quality of care that the children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good care and build positive and trusting relationships with the staff. One child described living in the home as like being part of a family. Another child said they feel listened to by staff when they seek help and emotional support. The strong relationships underpin children’s day-to-day experiences and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make progress in education, independence and managing emotions, with weekly, achievable targets that are tailored to the children’s individual needs. The small, specific goals motivate children and help them to experience regular success. This builds confidence and results in gradual, but marked, improvements in the lives of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care plans are detailed and reflect the individual needs and risks of the children. They provide each member of staff with a good understanding of the child and how best to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular access to the home’s in-house therapeutic team. This includes weekly sessions with a psychologist or assistant psychologist. As a result, children make positive progress with their emotional needs. The therapeutic team also provides staff with clear guidance regarding how to support each child. This strengthens the consistency and quality of care and provides therapeutic and nurturing support for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are used to address children’s current needs, respond to incidents and explore issues within the home. This focused work helps children to understand their experiences. One child said that key work supported them with worries around their GCSE exams. One independent reviewing officer reported that key-work sessions have helped a child to make progress regarding their behaviour and emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions to the home are well planned, with careful consideration of the needs of the current children to ensure good matching and a positive start to each placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make steady progress in education. One child receives on-site tutoring from the home’s tutor and is preparing to return to school. Another child is completing GCSEs and Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 4 is being supported to explore post-16 options. One child attends mainstream education full time and was recently supported to successfully move schools. One child was previously unable to attend school while subject to a deprivation of liberty order. This child started to re-engage with education once the order ended. This represents progress for that child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm and welcoming environment. Children’s personalities and interests are reflected in their personalised bedrooms. One child is supported to care for their pet gerbils, linked to their passion for animals. However, some communal rooms in the home are locked at night and into the morning until the children go to school. This can limit the children’s freedom in the home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children and their risks and behaviours. They respond well when concerns arise. Staff know what to do to keep children safe and work effectively with external professionals to manage and reduce risk. Each child has a thorough risk assessment in place that is updated after incidents to reflect any changes in behaviour.

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

One child has left the home to live with their mother, despite this not being agreed by the placing authority. The registered manager is working closely with the placing authority to ensure the child’s safety. Staff make daily contact with the child and family and visit regularly to support their welfare during this period. Staff are carefully planning how the child can be positively integrated back into the home, and they are considering the impact this may have on other children.

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

Medication protocols have improved and there are now robust systems in place to track and monitor children’s medication use. A social worker reported that staff work diligently to support the medication needs of one child, who can sometimes refuse medication, demonstrating staff persistence and a commitment to ensure that children’s health needs are met safely.

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

There is a low level of allegations in the home. The registered manager has improved how these are investigated, leading to clearer decision-making and more consistent practice. There is strong oversight of all allegations, which helps ensure they are managed appropriately.

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

Incidents of children going missing are managed well. Staff build positive relationships with families and external professionals and share information that helps children return safely. They are committed to searching when children go missing and act quickly to reduce risk and promote children’s safety.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They recognise the impact of trauma on children’s lives and use this insight to provide therapeutic care. Staff handle self-harm incidents safely and sensitively. Staff know the signs to look for and understand how to support, distract and appropriately de-escalate situations to keep Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 5 children safe. Their approach is calm and caring. Clinical care plans help staff to support children after incidents and at times of crisis.

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

Restraints are used proportionately and only when necessary to keep children and staff safe. The manager ensures debriefs are held with staff and children to ensure learning is gained from each incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s manager is experienced and passionate about improving outcomes for the children. She provides clear, confident leadership and is well supported by her deputy manager and senior managers. Leaders and managers understand what they do well and also identify and reflect on weaknesses and use this learning to strengthen the practice and the care they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive in supporting children to make progress, using her detailed knowledge of the children’s needs to guide staff and ensure children receive the right help. She advocates strongly for children, working with external professionals to secure suitable services, and challenging when needed. Her oversight and challenge ensure that children’s voices are heard and are central to decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by the leadership team, whose members encourage them to develop and progress in their roles. This contributes to consistent care and good staff morale. The manager is visible and accessible in the home. One new member of staff praised the high level of support she received during her induction, which made her feel confident and able to settle quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff know the children well and build strong relationships that help the children feel secure. This is evident in their consistent child-centred approach, demonstrating a strong commitment to meeting the complex needs of children living in the home with enthusiasm and determination. The staff team works together effectively to support children’s progress. One member of staff said that colleagues support each other and work collaboratively, reflecting a positive team culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team brings a variety of skills and experience. Staff use their own skills and interests to support and inspire children. One member of staff, who is passionate about history, is helping a child revise for her history GCSE, making learning engaging and accessible. Another staff member draws on a hairdressing background to support a child with a keen interest in this area, helping the child build confidence and explore something she enjoys.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the home to promote tolerance and understanding of one another. One parent spoke positively about how the staff enabled her child to celebrate an important religious festival with her, ensuring that their cultural identity was recognised and valued. The registered manager has completed work with the children to help them understand each other. One child said that this work has helped to improved relationships between the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 6 Supervision is regular and is used as an effective tool to reflect and learn from practice. Managers use supervision to acknowledge the needs and progress of children and to explore and learn from any recent incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of specialist training that is tailored to the needs of the children in their care. However, not all staff are trained in the home’s restraint model. This creates potential concerns about the consistency and safety of practice, as untrained staff may be less confident in recognising when to intervene or how to reduce the risk of harm during incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been significant delays in the regulator receiving reviews of the quality of care report since the last inspection. This remains a missed opportunity for managers to reflect on what they do well and their areas for improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 7

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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, Ther 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 registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 8 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 30 August 2026

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 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: SC361090 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tulip Care One Limited t/as TulipCare

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 19–20, Bourne Court, Unity Trading Estate, Southend Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8HD

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Denika Minley Foster

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Inspector

Ben Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC361090 11 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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