Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 1 Registered provider: Barnardo’s

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a charity working in partnership with a local authority.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of inspection. All 3 children were spoken with.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted, but has submitted their resignation. A new manager has been appointed by Barnardo’s and is applying to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 24 and 25 June 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 3

p.2

Summary of findings

People who work in this home are referred to as adults, as opposed to staff. This is a working practice the manager implements to help the children feel it is their home. This use of language will be adopted in this report. Children in this home are making encouraging progress. Adults in the home understand them well and speak about them positively. The home feels like a fun and emotionally warm environment to live in. Professionals have commented on the positive progress children have made and discussed how the home feels welcoming and nurturing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults in the home know the children well. They have spent time getting to understand their histories, ambitions and hopes for the future. Adults have a good understanding of the children’s individual personalities. As a result of this relational approach, the relationships between adults and children are positive and warm. Children appeared secure around adults and the relationships were respectful and fun.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults in this home have created an environment where children feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. Adults support children to safely develop their identity and sense of self. Adults have sought specialist advice and support to develop their own knowledge and skills in respect of developing children’s identity. This has enabled children to safely be themselves. In case recording, leaders and managers need to consistently ensure that this understanding is reflected with the appropriate use of language when referring to children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults in the home have built strong external relationships with schools and children’s social care. Communication and information-sharing have become consistently effective. Professionals within these organisations comment on the positive ethos and working practices within the home. The home is reported to feel welcoming, with adults who understand the children that they care for. As a result of this approach, it was noted by professionals that the children are settled and making positive progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s overall progress is captured in young persons’ meetings, children’s reviews and regular one-to-one discussions. Reports regarding children’s care are a particular strength and are child focused and informative. There is consistent management oversight of discussions, and this feedback was detailed and thoughtful. Children’s meetings vary in terms of detail but occur regularly. Adults share weekly updates with external professionals, and these are also shared with children. This helps the professional network to understand children’s everyday experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of leaders and managers is their ability to remain child focused in their approach. This was evident in a school transition plan where a child was supported by adults on site, where needed, over a two-week period. This enabled the child to settle, Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 4 make friends and transition into their education provision successfully. Furthermore, it helped the school understand and meet the child’s needs.

p.3

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

Adults in the home use physical intervention appropriately. There is sufficient management oversight, and the home’s approach is always focused on de-escalation in the first instance. Adults need to ensure that all the holds used are referenced in the recording of physical intervention. Managers discussed that some children in the home find it hard emotionally to discuss and reflect on incidents. This means that children do not always share their views and experiences, and the reasons for this are not routinely recorded in reports.

p.4

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

The risk assessments in place for the children are frequently reviewed and are tailored to the children’s individual needs. Adults have made attempts to engage children in this work by making a version which is more friendly and appropriate for their age. These are child focused and contain information about known triggers and how adults can best support children when they display behaviour which may challenge. As a result of this, children have better understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

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

A strength of the adults in the home is how well they know the children that live there. Adults consistently see past a presenting behaviour or emotion and recognise the feelings that may be driving it. This is considered in the context of the children’s previous experiences and feelings, which are well understood. This trauma-aware approach has helped children to feel safe and supported.

p.4

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

A holiday is being planned for some of the children at the home. The preparation for the holiday is reflective of good safeguarding practices. Risk assessments are thorough and comprehensive, capturing the potential issues that may occur. As a result of this, the children can enjoy a fun and well-deserved trip safely.

p.4

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

A safeguarding concern occurred during the inspection. Leaders and managers were taking relevant action in response.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s incoming manager and deputy manager model good working practices. This was particularly evident in terms of how they speak about and care for the children. They speak about the children in a kind and compassionate way and role model this to the team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are implementing a trauma-sensitive approach within the home, and this is beginning to be embedded among all adults. Managers are also implementing consistency about how information is recorded for children and being mindful of using child-focused language that shows care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 5 Supervision of the adults is thorough, and the template for supervision has recently been amended and is more child focused. Adults reported supervision as being regular, effective and a safe space to discuss issues. Situational supervision is also provided as and when it is needed. Furthermore, adults in the home have access to clinical supervision, and this can be held without the home’s managers present.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers in the home effectively advocate for children. This was evident in their consistent chasing up of documents and information from external agencies. It was also present in their work with children’s social care, where they advocated effectively on behalf of a child. Managers have regularly advocated for their children regarding appropriate family time. The effectiveness of this was commented on by external agencies.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have oversight of the home’s working practices. They complete monthly audits to help identify positive work and areas for development. Action plans are created for each child to monitor progress. These are reviewed monthly and identify what has been completed and what work needs to be done.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers understand the importance of training and development for themselves and the adults in the home. Not all staff training is consistently up to date, and this includes training to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to work with the children. Managers do not have a system in place to review training to ensure that it is completed within the timescales set by the organisation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 6

p.5

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.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff completing all relevant training within the organisation’s prescribed timescales. 30 September 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping, and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that is in line with the child’s identity. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be in their best interests. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice. This includes details of the holds used. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within

p.6

Recommendations

24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. If this discussion is difficult for the child due to how they Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 7 process information, this needs to be reflected in recording practically and contextually. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

p.6

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: 2802014 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardo’s, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered managers: Sean Fagan and Alexandra Caskey-Jones

p.8

Inspector

Dan Griffin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2802014 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9