Children's Home run by Lindersfield Children’s Home Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 1 Registered provider: Lindersfield Children's Home Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home was registered with Ofsted in June 2026 and is privately run. It provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Neither child was spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager has resigned, and an interim manager is in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 2

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Summary of findings

Managers have not ensured that children's moves into the home are assessed, planned or matched to their needs. They have not fully considered risks, vulnerabilities and the impact on other children. Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that they understand children's needs and can safely meet them. Children do not consistently receive appropriate support, routines and access to services. Staff do not have the guidance, information or training to provide safe care. Responses to missing-from-home incidents are inconsistent and do not reduce risks. Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight to identify shortfalls, provide challenge or drive improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Shortly after the home was registered, 2 children moved into the home within 2 weeks of each other. At the time of inspection, one child had been missing from home for an extended period. The other child was asleep throughout the day. Attempts were made to speak to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are at risk of harm due to serious and widespread shortfalls in child protection and leadership and management of the home. Children's experiences and progress have been affected by the shortfalls in how they are cared for by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child's move into the home was not assessed or planned sufficiently. Managers have not reviewed the information available to determine whether staff can safely meet the child's needs. Staff do not have clear guidance to help them respond to children's known risks and vulnerabilities. Managers have failed to consider the impact that a child moving into the home could have on the child already living there. Leaders and managers cannot demonstrate that staff are able to keep children safe, manage known risks or provide assurance that the home can meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have supported one child to register with local health services and have access to a doctor. Staff have not taken the same action for the other child. They have not sought support from relevant professionals or the local authority to ensure that the child's physical and emotional health needs are understood and met. This leaves a gap in staff's understanding of the child's needs and does not provide assurance that the child's physical and emotional health is being supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Both children are registered with education providers but are not currently attending. Staff are working with education professionals to try and identify suitable provisions. However, staff have not ensured that children have a structured daily routine or sufficient opportunities while out of education to continue learning. One child has been missing from the home for a prolonged period. The other child spends large parts of their day Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 3 asleep in their bedroom. Staff are not providing children with the consistency, routine and purposeful activity children need to support their development.

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

There are significant shortfalls in the assessment and management of risks for children. Risk management plans do not detail all the known risks that children have. They lack detail regarding children's vulnerabilities, recent incidents, behaviours and identified risks. Significant risks, such as self-harm, suicidal ideation and substance misuse are not documented or understood. Plans do not provide staff with clear guidance on how to support children or keep them safe.

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

Staff have not maintained consistent contact with a child while they were missing. There is no clear plan that sets out the actions staff should take to maintain contact, assess the child's welfare and support their safe return. Staff have not maintained regular contact with the child's family or demonstrated proactive efforts to establish the child's whereabouts. As a result, staff cannot evidence that they are taking effective action to reduce the risk of harm to the child while they are missing.

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

A consequence used by the previous manager at the time was not restorative in nature. The consequence was decided before they had an opportunity to discuss the incident with the child. They did not explore the child's views or understand the reasons behind their behaviour. The consequence did not support reflection or learning or help the child understand the impact of their actions.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that all recruitment procedures are followed. References and full employment histories, including explanations for gaps, have not been captured in records. This does not ensure that the suitability of all staff to care for children safely is fully explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is no longer in post. An interim manager is in place while recruitment takes place. Management oversight and monitoring are not effective to identify shortfalls in practice or drive improvement. There are serious weaknesses in leadership and management, which has compromised children's safety and experiences. Two compliance notices have been issued following this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The review of incidents does not always provide robust challenge or identify learning. When the manager has been involved in incidents, they have also completed the subsequent reviews. This does not provide an objective evaluation of practice. The review does not identify areas for development and how to improve future responses. There is no evidence that the responsible individual has provided any challenge or considered if the reviews were independent and reflective. Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 4 The staff team is relatively new. Staff training does not meet the individual needs and risks of the children living at the home. Training has not been tailored to address children's known risks and vulnerabilities. This means that staff do not have the knowledge and skills to respond to the children's needs and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are insufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of the children. The records relating to staff on duty are incomplete. Leaders, managers and staff do not know who should be working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not always notified Ofsted when there are serious incidents. The lack of information-sharing reduces, Ofsted as the regulator's, understanding of safety and quality of care in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 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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Requirements Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirements Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirements Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirements Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirements Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirements Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirements Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirements Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirements Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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Requirements 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;

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Requirements Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. 3 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 6 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c))

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirements Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirements Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirements Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirements Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirements 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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 3 August 2026

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirements Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirements 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, 3 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 7 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirements Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirements Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 3 August 2026

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Requirements Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home.

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Requirements Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirements Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirements Due date

In particular, ensure that copies of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home are maintained and include a record of the actual rosters worked. 3 August 2026

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirements Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 31 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 8 * These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2870204 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Lindersfield Children's Home Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Retreat, 406 Roding Lane South, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8EY

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Inspector

Harkerat Lidhar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2870204 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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