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

The property is leased by a local authority, and the care is delivered by a charity. The charity registered the home with Ofsted in May 2025 to provide care to one child who may have learning disabilities and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

One child is living in the home, and they spoke with the inspector. 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.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers did not challenge the local authority on the urgent need for repairs and refurbishment effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers also failed to agree a suitable physical intervention plan with the relevant social care and NHS involved in care planning. This 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. Consequently, the home was judged 'inadequate', and 4 compliance notices were issued under Regulations 5, 6, 13 and 14.

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This monitoring visit

On 19 May 2026, Ofsted completed a monitoring visit at the home. It was found that leaders and managers had made efforts to meet the compliance notices. However, they required more time to demonstrate full adherence. Consequently, compliance notices for Regulations 6, 13 and 14 were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit is to explore the progress made by leaders and managers in response to the reissued compliance notices. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 2 The living spaces for the young person continue to be developed and refurbished. Damage to the environment has been repaired, and rooms are maintained to a more nurturing standard. Repairs to the environment are being completed more swiftly. Leaders and managers are working closely with the local authority to ensure that the refurbishments are appropriate, meet the young person's needs and keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

While refurbishments are being completed, leaders, managers and staff are mindful of the impact on the young person living at the home. Staff support the young person to understand what works are being completed and who will be in their home. When necessary, the young person is supported to leave their home and have positive experiences with staff. This helps to lessen the impact of the works on the young person and supports them to spend time in the community and build positive relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

The final phase of refurbishments is yet to be completed. This will focus on ensuring that the environment is sustainable and remains to a good standard for the young person. In addition, a focus will be placed on ensuring that the young person is able to contribute to the personalisation of their home, ensuring that it is a welcoming and homely space for them to live in.

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This monitoring visit

The young person confirmed that they like living in their home, that they get along well with staff and that they enjoy spending time with their parent. The young person has made good use of the outdoor spaces at their home, spending time in the paddling pool during the warmer weather. A member of staff acknowledged the vulnerabilities that have been identified in the young person's care. However, they also recognise the improvements that are being made and say that the home is the best place for the young person to live at.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff have placed a renewed focus on promoting the young person's education. New strategies have been implemented that ensure that the young person's teacher is more readily available to them during the school day. This has increased the young person's participation and achievement in their education. When the young person struggles to engage with their learning, the teacher provides staff with educational resources for them to support the young person to complete when they are more able to do so. This has also been effective in supporting the young person's progress. Additional training has been arranged for staff to ensure that the support they provide to the young person meets their educational and communication needs effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that the young person is provided with continuity of care from staff who they know well. Systems have been implemented to reduce the number of staff having to leave their employment and to promote consistency for the young person. However, leaders and managers are not always able to demonstrate that robust safer recruitment checks have been completed for staff. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 3 Leaders and managers are continuing to work with relevant professionals to agree the strategies that they need to help the young person to stay safe. Some progress has been made, although further consultation is needed to agree support plans. Leaders, managers and professionals are aware of the risks associated with the potential misuse of the proposed strategies. They say that they will use thorough oversight, monitoring and risk assessment processes to ensure that the agreed

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This monitoring visit

strategies are used appropriately. However, leaders and managers are not yet providing effective oversight of the care that is provided to the young person.

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This monitoring visit

When concerns are identified about staff practice, leaders and manages now follow the appropriate procedures to protect the young person from harm. However, leaders and managers are yet to support the staff team to understand their roles and responsibilities with regards to reporting safeguarding concerns and following safeguarding procedures.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken sufficient action to meet the 3 compliance notices that were reissued following the last monitoring visit. In addition, the requirement to strengthen the support provided to the child to promote progress in education has also been met.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements have been amended to reflect the progress that has been made, while seeking to ensure compliance with regulations and continued improvement. 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 with 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement 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; and

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they monitor and maintain robust oversight of the care and support that is provided to the young person. Systems to enable oversight and monitoring must be effective and help leaders and managers to evaluate the quality of care and identify learning to promote continuous improvement. This specifically relates to monitoring and developing the care and support that is provided to the young person when they are feeling upset, frustrated and angry. 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 6 Similarly, the registered person must use monitoring systems to ensure robust oversight of safer recruitment checks for staff. Leaders and managers must be assured that all checks have been completed satisfactorily.

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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;

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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 person must continue to take action to improve the home environment, ensuring that it is safe and that it meets the young person's needs. All refurbishment works must take account of the young person's sensory needs and preferences. 12 August 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 staff— 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 7 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(v)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have oversight of allegations and complaints made against staff. They need a comprehensive understanding of risks and relationship dynamics to ensure safe staffing arrangements for the young person.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that all staff understand and are able to follow safeguarding procedures. Specifically, staff must report any concerns about staff practice to the relevant persons swiftly and take immediate action to protect the young person from harm.

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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 person must ensure that they continue to 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. Plans must be submitted and agreed to by all relevant professionals. 12 August 2026

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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: Action for Children, 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

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2790895 9 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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