Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 1 Registered provider: SureCare Residential 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 owned and provides care for up to 5 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025 and is suitably qualified.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/08/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/09/2024 Full Good 27/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 3

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Summary of findings

Children living at this home receive warm and nurturing care from committed staff. Staff develop positive relationships with children, which helps children to feel safe and valued. Staff place a strong emphasis on children's education, and this has helped children to make very good progress from their starting points.

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Summary of findings

The managers are committed to providing effective support and guidance to staff. This helps to provide consistent care for children. Professionals and children's families speak positively about the quality of care provided.

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Summary of findings

There have been delays in raising a concern about staff conduct and implementing risk management precautions relating to an allegation. These concerns have not affected children's overall experiences and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, 5 children were living at the home. The inspector met 4 children, who all contributed to the inspection. Since the last inspection, no children have moved out of or into the home. Most children have lived in this home for a significant period.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know children well, responding sensitively and consistently to their needs. They are committed to supporting children to achieve positive outcomes and celebrate their achievements. Children are settled and continue to make good progress, particularly in relation to their emotional wellbeing, social development and independence skills. Professionals felt 2 children have learned the necessary skills in readiness to move to more independent settings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children have made notable progress. One professional said '[Child's name] has exceeded their academic expectations, having recently completed their examinations. This is because the staff provide them with encouragement and stability.' For another child struggling to manage in a formal education setting, the staff arranged for them to sit their examinations in the home. This demonstrates the importance staff place on children's education and helps to build children's confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to be part of the local community. Two children have part- time jobs. Staff take time to plan special events and activities that suit each child's individual interests. This includes helping one child purchase gardening equipment to grow their own vegetables. Another child recently attended their prom, and the staff organised for them to travel to the event in a sports car with their friends. The child talks about this event with enthusiasm. Children's friends are warmly welcomed into the Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 4 home. Children value the efforts made by staff to provide them with a wide range of positive and enriching experiences. Staff keep lovely memories for children to reflect on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children's cultural identity effectively. They recognise and celebrate children's heritages and create opportunities for children to participate in activities and experiences that reflect their culture, beliefs and identity. This helps children to develop pride in who they are and educate the children they live with about different cultures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff follow an embedded therapeutic model of support. These approaches are threaded into staff practice and captured in the children's records. Children report that staff are in tune with their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is furnished to a high standard. Children have contributed to design choices in the home. All their bedrooms are individually personalised. The staff ensure that the home is well presented and welcoming. Children value the recent improvements to their outdoor space, with a large swimming pool and seating area having been added.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly talk to children about the children's feelings. Staff help children understand changes to their care plan. However, one child recently raised an issue with the manager. The manager has not fully explored this with the child. This meant the child's views were not fully understood, nor a solution found in a timely way. The manager acted to address this during the inspection.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children's individual needs. Since the last inspection, there has been no use of physical intervention, no missing-from-home episodes and no significant incidents. This reflects a period of stability and safety. This is a significant improvement from the children's starting points.

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

Staff use consequences to help children to understand the impact of their behaviour. Consequences are restorative in nature and only used when necessary. The manager maintains effective oversight of all consequences to ensure that they are appropriate and proportionate. When consequences have not achieved their intended outcome, staff review and adapt their approach to better meet the child's individual needs. This helps ensure that positive behaviour continues to be encouraged.

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

Children's plans are individualised and written in a child-friendly way. They demonstrate how the staff are to respond consistently to children's needs. Staff help children to understand their plans and the decisions made about their care.

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

The provider employs a wellbeing lead as part of their team who visits the home weekly. The children enjoy spending time with them. This helps to promote children's wellbeing and sense of self. Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 5 A private GP has recently joined the provider. She has helped expediate referrals and complete assessments relating to children's needs relating to neurodiversity. Children benefit from her support to understand and manage their sleep hygiene and establish healthy routines. The GP offers advice to the staff relating to children's health.

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

Staff help children to make safer choices relating to their mobile phones and use of social media. The manager is working with one child's social worker and family to create a plan for them to have safe access to a mobile phone suitable to their stage of development. This is helping the child to explore age-appropriate risks.

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

Overall,the manager responds promptly to safeguarding concerns, once notified. However, staff did not report one concern in a timely manner. This caused subsequent delays in investigating the concern. When the manager was notified of a separate concern, managers investigated thoroughly and without delay. However, they did not implement necessary risk-management precautions. Neither of the concerns was substantiated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and committed to providing good care for children. He provides a good level of support to the staff, helping the team to reach collective and individual goals and aspirations by setting high standards and role modelling good practice himself. The staff and children recognise he holds them in mind.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When staff are not performing at the highest levels, this is quickly addressed. Measures are implemented to make sure the staff feel supported but also understand the manager’s expectations. This includes re-training. This approach has helped staff feel confident to provide effective care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have led regular team meetings that have helped staff to explore children's needs and understand what is happening in the home. Staff receive regular and effective supervision and helpful appraisals. Staff are given opportunities to express their views and ideas, which directly informs and improves the service provided to children. Staff say they feel supported by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has excellent relationships with the professional networks involved in the care of the children. This helps children to receive good, well-coordinated care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers oversight of records is thorough. The manager reviews and comments on all the children's records. This helps the manager understand progress for children and any challenges they may face. The internal audits, along with the review of the quality of care, are detailed and demonstrate the leaders' and managers desire to make continuous improvements in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 6 Most of the staff hold a relevant qualification. Staff complete a variety of training modules as part of their induction. Staff receive regular and effective training that helps them to meet children's individual needs. Leaders and managers have established targeted professional development pathways to help staff acquire the skills necessary to support career progression. Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 7

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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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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

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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement 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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 15 July 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children's wishes and feelings are considered to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 22 paragraph 4.11) Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 8

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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: 2711401 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Road, Bishops Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspector

Lexi Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2711401 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 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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Inspector

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