Children's Home run by Area Camden Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since May 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, children have made progress from their starting points. They benefit from positive, trusting relationships with staff who know them well. Children enjoy a range of activities, attend education regularly and follow structured daily routines. Children’s care plans are effective and easy to follow. There are some minor shortfalls in the management oversight and initial assessments for children who move in. Overall, children receive good care.

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Overall and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last visit, 6 children have moved out of the home. Most of these moves were well planned. Two of the children experienced unplanned endings. Leaders and managers did not have enough information about their needs before they moved in, and, as a result, staff were unable to meet their needs. One child told the inspector that the home is the best home they have lived in.

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Overall and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from nurturing relationships, structured support and child-centred care. Children’s information is reviewed regularly to ensure that it remains current and responsive to their changing needs. Children’s care plans are clear, well structured and easy to follow. They provide detailed information that helps staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and support them to make progress.

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Overall and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children to maintain meaningful relationships with their families and friends. They respect children’s wishes and encourage their participation in decision- making. Children’s opinions are formally captured through meetings and key-work sessions. Informal conversations during outings and daily interactions are also recorded and shared with the team to inform care planning.

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Overall and progress of children and young people: good

Children have highly complex needs. Staff work hard to keep children engaged and establish consistent routines to provide stability and help them settle into the home. The manager and staff have ensured that children are made aware of specialist services available to support their individual needs and offer a range of appropriate options. Children’s views regarding specialist support have been respected throughout.

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Overall and progress of children and young people: good

A parent and several professionals said that the home has very strong safeguarding processes and that children have made positive progress. Children’s needs and vulnerabilities are not always explored before they move in. This has affected children’s experiences. Important information from the local authority was not made known when considering children’s needs and how these could be met by the staff. The manager has reviewed the home’s admission and assessment process to strengthen future decision- making and identify children’s needs before they move in. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 4

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

Staff know the children well and respond effectively to their emerging needs. They have developed positive and trusting relationships with children. Staff identify children’s needs and provide support that helps children feel safe.

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

Staff recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. They follow established procedures to support children’s safety and wellbeing. Incidents are managed appropriately and clearly recorded. Records provide an overview of what happened and when, as well as the actions taken by staff.

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

The manager’s oversight of incidents is reflective, child focused and identifies learning when necessary. Conversations with children and staff are thorough and encourage reflection. This helps staff to continually develop their practice.

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

Children who go missing from the home are supported well. Staff follow current missing- from-home protocols. They work proactively with relevant safeguarding professionals and take appropriate action to locate and safeguard children. On their return, children are welcomed back and supported to have meaningful conversations with staff to explore the reasons and identify strategies to reduce future risks. Professionals said that staff respond promptly and consistently to ensure that children are available to participate in independent return home interviews.

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

The staff adopt a therapeutic approach to behaviour management. This is clearly outlined in the statement of purpose and shared with placing authorities before children move in. Some professionals said that staff need to be more adaptable when managing the complex behaviours presented by some children, including using physical intervention when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted. They bring several years of experience of caring for children. They provide clear leadership and a children-centred culture at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several professionals describe the manager as ‘highly committed’ and say that they consistently go above and beyond to support the children. Professionals, parents and children speak positively about the home and the staff team. They say that staff are caring, supportive and committed to meeting children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers share an ambitious vision for the home and have high aspirations for all children. They are committed to providing children with stable, nurturing care that links to children’s positive experiences and good outcomes. They foster a culture of continuous improvement and support staff to develop the skills and knowledge needed to meet children’s individual and changing needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 5 Staff receive relevant safeguarding and behaviour management training and have refresher training when practice falls below the expected standard. Workshops and focused learning sessions are used to strengthen staff practice in areas that support children’s safety and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems to monitor the care provided to the children. However, these are not always clear and do not offer a holistic picture of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they make the best use of information from internal monitoring. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should work closely with the placing authority to understand children’s relationship histories and consider how the arrival of a new child may affect those already living in the home. For each child, staff should understand what the placing authority has identified as being an appropriate level of contact with family and friends. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)  The registered person should ensure staff are supported to adapt their practice in

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Recommendations

response to children’s changing behaviours and needs, so that the home’s ethos and behaviour management strategies remain effective and promote positive outcomes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraphs 10.4 and 10.5)

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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: 2813153 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Area Camden Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Polaris, Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 4AD

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Inspector

Andreia Alves da Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2813153 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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