Children's Home run by SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd in Bracknell Forest

Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 1 SC481040 Registered provider: SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 4 children who require specialist support and therapeutic intervention.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 30 March 2026.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 September 2025

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Good 15/10/2024 Full Good 17/08/2023 Full Outstanding 29/11/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children benefit from supportive relationships with staff. They make good progress in education, enjoy positive experiences and maintain important family connections. The registered manager has a clear vision for improvement and demonstrates commitment to achieving better outcomes for children. However, inconsistencies in care planning, risk management, record-keeping, medication practice and staff accountability have resulted in delays in progressing children’s plans and meeting their identified needs. While there are no serious safeguarding failures and children are not at risk of harm, weaknesses in staff practice, oversight and quality assurance reduce the overall effectiveness of the service. This means improvements are required to ensure that children consistently receive good-quality, well-coordinated care.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children say that they feel supported and have good relationships with staff. Additionally, they benefit from an annual holiday, day trips and time with staff and each other outside the home. This promotes positive relationships.

p.3

improvement to be good

All children benefit from the stable, consistent routine created by attending full-time education. All children are making good progress, and older children have successfully completed their GCSE exams. A bespoke plan for one child is enabling them to engage in education. Children are proud of these achievements and staff have helped children celebrate their successes.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children regularly participate in activities outside the home, for example, cadets, climbing and football. This provides opportunities to develop their social skills, build confidence and form positive relationships with a wider peer group. These experiences also help them pursue their individual interests, develop greater independence and increased self-esteem, and have a broad range of positive experiences.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child spoke particularly positively and appeared happy, engaged and optimistic about their future and their planned move towards independence. They demonstrated pride in the progress they have made. They described receiving support from staff and how their hobbies remain an important and positive aspect of their life.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff recording of, and participation in, children’s care planning meetings is inconsistent. Although expectations for children are known, outcomes and agreed actions are not routinely recorded or monitored, resulting in significant drift in progressing children’s plans. Consequently, children have experienced delays in accessing services and support. For one child, a medical appointment was not followed up for 10 months, resulting in an avoidable delay in meeting their health needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 4 Staff have not consistently followed the registered manager’s guidance and expectations, resulting in poor oversight and accountability. Recording practices are inconsistent, and there is a lack of ownership among staff in ensuring that records are updated, actions are completed and that plans are progressed in a timely manner.

p.3

improvement to be good

In addition, there has not been appropriate escalation or timely monitoring of outstanding documentation. As a result of this, care planning actions are delayed and there is a lack of clarity regarding responsibility for progressing children’s plans. This has had a negative impact on children’s progress and the timely provision of support to meet their needs.

p.4

improvement to be good

Some staff demonstrated a disengaged attitude towards key responsibilities, with a lack of ownership and accountability for children’s plans and progress. There was limited focus on the child’s lived experience and insufficient understanding of how staff practice influences outcomes for children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Nonetheless, children are supported to attend routine health appointments. Some purposeful key-work sessions help children understand the value of attending appointments and how this affects their future.

p.4

improvement to be good

Therapeutic support is a clear strength of the home and children benefit from access to this provision. However, the home’s therapeutic model is not consistently embedded in day-to-day care practice. Staff do not routinely demonstrate or record how therapeutic principles inform their interactions, care planning, risk management or responses to children’s needs. As a result, therapeutic support can become isolated from the wider care provided, reducing the consistency and effectiveness of interventions and limiting children’s ability to fully benefit from a joined-up, therapeutic approach.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff work creatively and proactively to support children to spend meaningful time with their families and other people who are important to them, helping them maintain strong connections with their families, heritage and extended support networks. This promotes children’s sense of belonging, strengthens relationships and supports positive outcomes.

p.4

improvement to be good

The quality of children’s risk assessments is inconsistent. Information is not always up to date, and omissions from some assessments limit staff’s understanding of children’s individual risks and the actions required to manage these effectively. Increased risks both in and out of the home have not always been fully considered, assessed or clearly recorded.

p.4

improvement to be good

Following incidents involving self-harm, staff do not consistently follow established procedures and expectations of managers and senior leaders. Records are not always updated, and appropriate medical advice is not routinely sought, even when no injury is apparent. This weakens risk management and highlights the need for greater staff Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 5 accountability and adherence to agreed responsibilities to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently maintain clear, accurate and up-to-date records. Key-work sessions are not always recorded in sufficient detail, limiting opportunities to inform care planning and risk management. In addition, important information is not always stored in the home’s agreed recording systems, reducing oversight and increasing the risk that staff may not have access to all relevant information when supporting children. As a result, the effectiveness of care planning, decision-making and appropriate risk management is reduced.

p.5

improvement to be good

Medication management is not consistently effective. In one instance, a child did not receive prescribed medication because it had not been ordered in time, resulting in an avoidable delay in meeting their identified health needs. All staff have completed training in the safe administration of medication, but this has not translated into consistently safe practice, and medication errors continue to occur.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff training is not up to date. This limits assurance that staff have the current knowledge, skills and competencies required to safeguard children effectively and respond consistently to their individual needs. As a result, children do not always benefit from care that reflects current practice, highlighting the need for identified training gaps to be addressed promptly.

p.5

improvement to be good

Physical interventions are not consistently overseen in a timely way, limiting evaluation of the effectiveness and appropriateness of measures of control. Children do not always receive suitable debriefs, and reparative work is not consistently undertaken when other children are involved, reducing opportunities for reflection, relationship repair and learning.

p.5

improvement to be good

Children’s views and experiences are not always evident in the evaluation of risks, incidents and physical interventions, limiting opportunities to demonstrate how their perspectives inform learning and reflection.

p.5

improvement to be good

Investigations and complaints are managed promptly, with appropriate action taken to address concerns and minimise any negative impact on children. Investigation reports are detailed and focused. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to use these processes to evaluate wider practice issues and identify broader learning that could further improve outcomes for children.

p.5

improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that notifications of all significant events are sent to the relevant professionals in a timely manner. This promotes external scrutiny of safeguarding practice and helps to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard and support children. Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 6

p.5

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

The registered manager has demonstrated commitment and ambition since taking up the post in March. She demonstrates an understanding of the home’s shortfalls and continues to complete monthly audits to identify areas requiring improvement. However, leadership relationships lack clarity on roles and responsibilities to ensure the right support at the right time is in place.

p.6

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

The monitoring of the service is not effective. When concerns have been identified, actions are not consistently followed through with clear accountability, timescales or oversight. This has reduced management oversight and delayed the implementation of planned improvements. As a result, sustainable progress and the delivery of consistently positive outcomes for children have been affected.

p.6

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

Staff do not consistently demonstrate sufficient accountability in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. These weaknesses have increased demands on the registered manager and reduced the effectiveness of the day-to-day running of the home. Senior leaders have not identified these shortfalls, indicating that senior management presence is not consistently effective.

p.6

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

Generally, staff receive regular supervision and there have been recent improvements in oversight. However, the quality and recording of supervision remain inconsistent, with some actions not monitored or progressed in a timely way. As a result, accountability is not always sufficient to ensure staff consistently meet children’s needs and support their progress.

p.6

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

The independent person reports offer useful oversight of the home and incorporate the views of children, parents and professionals. The registered manager’s quality of care review has improved and demonstrates a clear vision for the service. However, further support, capacity and effective oversight are needed to ensure identified priorities are fully implemented, embedded in practice and lead to sustained improvements for children. Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 7

p.6

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement 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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)v)(e))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 October 2026

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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; 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 8 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)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.8

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(vi)) 30 November 2026

p.8

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.8

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; 30 November 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 9 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, medication must be reviewed, and ordered in sufficient quantity and in a timely way to prevent children from missing doses of their prescribed medication. 30 November 2026

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.9

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 30 November 2026

p.9

Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 10

p.9

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: SC481040 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd, 591 London Road, Cheam, Sutton, Surrey SM3 9AG

p.11

Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC481040 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12