Children's Home run by Action for Children in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 1 Registered provider: Action for Children

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a charity and provides care to one child who may have learning disabilities and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The building is owned by a local authority, and the care is provided by a charity.

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Information about this children’s home

One child is living in the home, and the inspector saw them.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 2025.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection was carried out on 22 and 23 April 2026. During this inspection, the inspector found serious concerns in relation to the young person’s living conditions, which were inadequate and, at times, unsafe. Leaders and managers provided insufficient challenge towards the local authority on the urgent need for repairs and refurbishment works, which meant the young person’s living conditions continued to deteriorate. Leaders and managers failed to agree a physical intervention plan with social care and NHS stakeholders, which placed the young person, staff and visitors at risk of harm. The provider’s workforce predominantly consisted of overseas staff with time-limited visas. This raised concerns about consistency and continuity of care. The provider made several attempts to register the home with the Care Quality Commission, but this was unsuccessful due to administrative errors. Consequently,

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This monitoring visit

the home was judged ‘inadequate’, and 4 compliance notices were issued under Regulations 5, 6, 13 and 14. The purpose of the monitoring visit was to explore the progress made by leaders and managers in response to the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have agreed short-term repair works with the local authority with the aim of ensuring that the young person’s environment is safe and meets their complex needs. The agreed works have taken account of the young person’s sensory needs, preferences and behaviours that often result in damage to their environment. Repair works were being carried out during the monitoring visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 2 Leaders and managers have demonstrated their ability to challenge the local authority when they perceive them to fall short of their duties towards the young person. For example, the proposed timescale for repair works was not adhered to, and this had an adverse impact on the young person. Leaders and managers promptly escalated their concerns by requesting an urgent meeting with the local authority. This was impactful in hastening repair works.

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This monitoring visit

The property requires extensive refurbishment works that cannot be completed while the young person is living in the home. Collaborative working has improved between the provider and the local authority, but they are yet to agree a robust action plan for the refurbishment works. Information shared with the inspector indicates that the local authority and integrated care board are considering various options.

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This monitoring visit

In order to address vulnerabilities in the workforce, leaders and managers decided to initiate a recruitment drive. However, they failed to devise a robust action plan addressing how they will achieve consistency and continuity of care for the young person who has established relationships with their current staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers made efforts to agree a safe physical intervention plan with social care and NHS stakeholders. However, there were some inconsistencies across recollections and records. Leaders and managers recognise that NHS stakeholders are unwilling to agree to the use of arm guards and pod pillows, but they are working with adult social care to devise an agreed approach.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are making efforts to improve collaborative working with NHS stakeholders to ensure that the young person receives the right support and that staff are sufficiently trained to meet their needs. Leaders and managers have requested bespoke training related to the young person’s communication needs, how to support them to develop a healthy routine and to strengthen their understanding of the young person’s blended diagnosis and what this means for their lived experiences.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager still does not have full oversight of allegations made against staff because they are investigated by other managers in accordance with the provider’s policy. At the time of the visit, the manager and responsible individual did not know the outcome of an investigation that commenced in early April 2026. In spite of findings shared at the last inspection, senior leaders have failed to consider the safeguarding implications that could arise from withholding information from the registered manager and responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have submitted another application to register the home with the Care Quality Commission. The charity registered with Ofsted in May 2025 to provide care to one child who may have learning disabilities and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. They are waiting for the registration team to confirm if their application has been accepted. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 3 Overall, leaders and managers have made efforts to meet the compliance notices. However, they require more time to demonstrate full adherence. Consequently, compliance notices for Regulations 6, 13 and 14 have been reissued. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/04/2026 Full Inadequate 30/09/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must take immediate action to ensure that the home is made safe and that a robust action plan is completed outlining all the refurbishment works necessary. The plan must outline who is responsible for completing the works and the proposed timeline for completion. Any refurbishment works must take account of the young person’s sensory needs and preferences. 2 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 6 *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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must take immediate action to ensure that the home’s workforce provides consistency and continuity of care for the young person. The registered persons must produce a robust action plan outlining how they will ensure continuity of care. 2 July 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must ensure that they work with relevant professionals to agree a plan for restraint that keeps the young person safe and minimises the risk of injury to staff, visitors and the young person. 2 July 2026

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must ensure they have oversight of allegations and complaints made against staff. They must have a comprehensive understanding of risks and relationship dynamics in order to ensure safe staffing arrangements for the young person. 2 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 7 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must work with the young person’s professional network to explore potential barriers to learning and how they can support the young person to make progress with their targets. 2 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered persons should ensure that staff records include their full employment history and the reasons for leaving any prior role where they worked with children or vulnerable adults. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sandy Cheetham-Bah

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Inspector

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 9 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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