Children's Home run by Branas Isaf (Holdings) Ltd in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 1 Registered provider: Branas Isaf (Holdings) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is on maternity leave. The new manager has applied to register with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The children spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 October 2025

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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: 2710826 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Good 22/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 3

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Summary of findings

Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff and are making good progress. The manager and staff are nurturing in their care and understand the individual needs of the children. The children are in full-time education and also receive weekly therapy by the clinical team.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have effective oversight of the children’s progress, quality of care and safeguarding practice. Staff receive good-quality supervision and training to ensure they have the necessary skills to care for children and to keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to develop positive and trusting relationships. One child said they can talk to staff when they are worried and rated them 10 out of 10. Staff encourage children to be involved in making decisions about the decoration and personalisation of their home. This creates a nurturing and inclusive environment where children feel valued and confident in sharing their views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. The manager and responsible individual are strong advocates for children having organised moves. One child’s new carer said that all the information about the child was shared, and they were involved in the planning. This ensures that children, families and external professionals understand the arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is valued by managers and staff. Staff create positive routines that support children’s education. Both children are in full-time education and are making good progress. Staff encourage the children to take part in educational activities in the home. One child said they love completing maths puzzles with staff. This creates a positive learning environment and develops children’s aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and value children’s relationships with their families. One parent said that staff are ‘faultless’ in their communication. As a result, children are supported to maintain their important family relationships. Staff help children to develop friendships in their community. One child is a member of a baseball team, and another child attends a swimming club. This helps to develop children’s confidence and independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is comfortable and nurturing for children. There is a spacious kitchen where children and staff eat their meals together. There are framed photos of the children, and their artwork is proudly displayed throughout their home. Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual diversity. There is a large garden where children enjoy playing football together. Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 4

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

The manager and staff are clear about their responsibilities to keep children safe. They are supported by the clinical team to understand children’s needs. All children have comprehensive risk and support plans that are regularly reviewed. Children receive individual therapeutic input from qualified clinicians. This provides children with a safe space to explore their feelings and lived experiences.

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

Staff help children to learn about their community. One child enjoys reading with staff to learn about different cultures. Staff work together with the school to help children learn about equality, diversity and inclusion. This helps children to share their views, wishes and feelings about their personal identity and to learn about the experiences of different communities.

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

The manager and staff understand how to support children when they are in crisis. They help children to reflect on their feelings through meaningful discussions. This individualised approach prioritises children’s safety. Staff are trained to use bespoke physical intervention when this is needed to keep children safe. The manager is vigilant in reviewing all incidents, which helps children and staff to feel valued.

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

Staff nurture positive and trusting relationships with children. This ensures that children do not go missing from home. Staff encourage children to spend time safely in the community through activities. This helps to develop children’s confidence and independence. When children raise concerns about each other, the manager promptly addresses these to ensure the children feel listened to and are safe.

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

Allegations and complaints are investigated effectively and sensitively by the manager and responsible individual. This helps children to feel valued and safer living in their home. There is clear communication with social work professionals and parents to ensure child-focused decisions are made to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff are dedicated professionals who are committed to creating a nurturing, safe and inclusive home environment for children. Children were supported to understand the reasons for a change of manager. External professionals speak positively about the quality of support that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff were well supported during the change of manager. This ensured that they were confident in the arrangements to support the children and themselves. Staff value the support of the clinical team, team meetings and the quality of supervision. This enables staff to reflect on the children’s needs and develops their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective monitoring systems in place to review children’s progress and staff practice. External professionals speak positively about the quality of the communication and partnership working. The management team works together with the clinical team Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 5 to review children’s support and risk plans. This ensures there is comprehensive guidance and support for staff to enable them to help children effectively. As a result, staff feel valued and confident in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers prioritise and apply safe recruitment. Staff receive comprehensive training that reflects the individual needs of the children. Staff are either qualified or enrolled to complete the regulatory qualification within timescales. This ensures that children are being cared for by adults who are well vetted, trained and understand their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are no requirements or recommendations raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2710826 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Branas Isaf (Holdings) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Siân Heffey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2710826 8 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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