Children's Home run by Caring Hub Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 1 Registered provider: Caring Hub Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately run children's home provides care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025. The registered manager left the home in April 2026 but is yet to deregister.

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Information about this children's home

The registered provider has appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children's home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspectors spoke with one child.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2816505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/01/2026 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive nurturing care from staff who know them well and respond effectively to their individual needs, despite recent changes in leadership and management. Children benefit from positive relationships with staff, effective safeguarding practice and support that promotes their emotional wellbeing, independence and personal development. Leaders are implementing improvements to ensure stable leadership, sufficient and consistent staffing and effective management oversight of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm and trusting relationships with staff who understand their individual needs. Staff adapt their approach to each child, recognising how they prefer to engage and communicate. Through planned and everyday conversations, staff help children explore their feelings, understand their experiences and develop strategies to manage their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress despite recent changes in the home's leadership and management arrangements. Children continue to receive nurturing care from committed staff. Children have developed good relationships with agency staff who work in the home regularly. As a result, the quality of care has remained good, and children continue to have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have recently resumed children's meetings following changes in leadership and management. Children are encouraged to contribute to decisions about their care, and they are supported to build confidence, resilience and independence at a pace that reflects their individual needs. Leaders recognise that they need to strengthen systems to ensure that children's voices are clearly reflected in actions and outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have aspirations for children and encourage them to participate in education, hobbies and activities within the local community. Children are encouraged to develop new interests, strengthen friendships and enjoy positive experiences that enhance their emotional wellbeing and social development. Both children are receiving tutoring within the home, and they have ambitions to do vocational training in jobs they are interested in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders, managers and staff work effectively with social workers, education providers, health professionals and families to promote positive outcomes for children. Professionals and parents speak positively about the quality of care provided and describe communication with the staff as effective and child focused. This collaborative approach helps to ensure that children receive coordinated support that meets their changing needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 4

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

Children are safe. Staff have a clear understanding of their needs, risks, strengths and vulnerabilities. Staff respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, work proactively with safeguarding partners and take effective action to reduce risks and promote children's welfare.

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

Children's individual risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance to help them manage known risks consistently while promoting children's independence and positive experiences.

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

Children benefit from support to reflect on their experiences, discuss worries and develop strategies to keep themselves safe. Staff use these opportunities to promote children's understanding of risk, encourage positive decision-making and support them to work towards their individual goals.

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

When safeguarding incidents occur, staff respond calmly and appropriately. They follow agreed safeguarding procedures, inform relevant professionals without delay and ensure that children receive the support they need. Managers review incidents and discuss these with staff to identify learning and strengthen staff practice.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the procedures to follow when children go missing from home. They work effectively with the police, social workers, families and other relevant agencies to support children's safe return. Return home interviews are offered, providing children with opportunities to talk about their experiences and helping professionals identify any ongoing risks or support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the home has experienced changes in leadership and management. The registered manager left in April 2026. Leaders have appointed an interim manager while they recruit a suitable permanent manager. The home is supported on a daily basis by the interim manager, alongside the deputy manager and responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight has not been consistently effective. Shortfalls in the quality and consistency of children's records have not always been identified or addressed promptly, and monitoring systems have not consistently provided sufficient scrutiny of the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current leadership team has a clear understanding of the home's strengths and areas requiring further development. Leaders are implementing improvements to strengthen monitoring and quality assurance arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff remain committed to meeting children's needs and maintaining positive relationships, helping children to make good progress. However, despite 2 regular Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 5 agency staff supporting children, leaders continue to use several different agency staff to cover staffing shortfalls. This has the potential to reduce consistency in children's care and experiences. In addition, leadership oversight of staff practice at weekends is limited, and there is a lack of managerial presence at these times. A requirement has been raised to ensure that staffing sufficiency and management oversight are reviewed and strengthened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite management changes, staff feel supported in their roles. They continue to receive regular training, supervision and support through team meetings and other discussions with managers.

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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, Thew 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review staffing arrangements and establish clear and consistent monitoring 28 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 6 systems to ensure effective oversight of both the quality of children's records and the care they receive.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 28 August 2026

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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: 2816505 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2a, 420 Eastern Avenue, Ilford IG2 6NQ

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Inspectors

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Rumbi Kawadza-Munsaka, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2816505 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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