Children's Home run by Gold Cross Children’s Home Ltd in Lewisham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 1 Registered provider: Gold Cross Children’s Home Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The inspector spoke to the child as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This home and the manager registered with Ofsted in 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

Date of last inspection: 24 November 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: 2810058 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/11/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 3

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Summary of findings

The child living in the home is making good progress from their starting points. They benefit from strong advocacy and trusting relationships with staff. Safeguarding in the home is robust. Effective multi-agency work results in collaborative working to promote the welfare of child and to meet their needs. Leaders and managers have good oversight of the child’s progress and experiences. They are visible in the home, and the child was observed to regularly seek out the registered manager during the inspection. The registered manager has created a culture of learning, and staff are positive about and proud of their work. One requirement has been made to ensure that the child has reasonable access to recreational space in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and speak with pride about their progress and achievements. The child has formed strong, trusting and meaningful relationships with staff. This has helped the child make progress in their emotional and social development. The child’s parent said the child was happy living in the home and has made ‘lots of progress’ since living there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child said they liked living at the home and felt that staff listened to them and helped them. They described receiving help from staff with education, homework and keeping calm. The child could not identify anything they would change about living at the home. The child was observed engaging with staff in fun activities of their choice during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are actively involved in supporting child’s educational progress. The registered manager has successfully advocated for adaptations to the child’s education. This has included an increase in the hours of education, as well as the teaching assistant attending the home once a week to assist with relationship building. The child’s education provider noted that staff from the home attend meetings and work collaboratively with them and other agencies to develop structures and strategies to enable the child to make some progress, both in trusting people and in attending the educational setting. They said that the child’s attendance has increased and that the child now communicates with their teaching assistant when they are together. They described this as ‘great progress’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff plan and encourage the child to take part in activities they enjoy, such as computer and board games, nature projects and bowling. Activities are also tailored to increase the child’s independence skills, such as cooking and animal care. Staff encourage the child to grow in confidence and to try new activities. The child’s views are actively sought and accurately recorded in support plans and records. This approach encourages the child to contribute to decisions about their life and strengthens their confidence in being heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 4 Some areas of the home have required significant alterations to meet the child’s needs. The home was undergoing renovations during the inspection, and the registered manager has developed a clear plan to improve the homeliness and personalisation of the child’s bedroom.

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

Staff engage the child in meaningful discussions to help them feel secure and supported. These discussions occur frequently and are both planned and spontaneous. The child says that they feel safe living at the home. Significant incidents continue to decrease.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of child’s vulnerabilities. Staff work in line with the home’s therapeutic ethos and model of care. Risk assessments and support plans are regularly reviewed and updated and provide clear guidance for staff. The registered manager ensures that strategies are reviewed in consultation with the professional network as risks increase or decrease.

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

Staff have a strong commitment to safeguarding, communication and multi-agency working. They attend all significant multi-agency meetings, and professionals report that communication from the home is timely. This partnership working ensures that risk- related information is shared promptly, which helps and protects the child and informs care planning.

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

Positive behaviour is promoted consistently. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and alternative strategies that are specific to the needs of the child. Physical interventions are rarely used. When they are, this is only as a last resort, and there is good attention to repairing relationships between the child and adults. However, at the start of the inspection, staff on duty had temporarily restricted the child’s access to one area of the home. This strategy was not necessary or proportionate and is not reflective of the child’s behaviour support plan.

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

Investigations into allegations or suspicion of harm are shared with the appropriate agencies and are handled fairly, quickly and in accordance with statutory guidance. Children are supported and protected. Support is given both to the person making the allegation and the person who is the subject of the allegation. Ofsted is informed of safeguarding concerns as required. This supports regulatory oversight and children’s safety and wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager and deputy manager. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been fully addressed. The registered manager has established systems to ensure there is effective management oversight. These systems include monthly audits, as well as quarterly newsletters that celebrate the child’s achievements and progress and are designed for the child to see the progress that they are making. The systems help leaders and managers to identify themes and areas for improvement and monitor the quality of care provided to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 5 The registered manager has created a strong learning culture in the home. Staff are positive about working in the home and about the support they receive from managers and colleagues. They are supported through regular one-to-one supervision and input from a clinician. Team meetings are used imaginatively to promote learning and positive

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

team dynamics. Individual supervision sessions ensure that staff remain alert to what to do in difficult situations by exploring scenarios and reflecting on their feelings. This means children are more likely to be cared for by adults who are well trained and emotionally resilient.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is staffed by a stable team of adults, who are suitably qualified and trained. Use of agency staff is minimal. Most staff have completed mandatory training as well as training specific to the needs of the child living in the home. This ensures that the child receives care from familiar adults who are well equipped to respond to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Changes to the leadership team are imminent. The registered manager is due to move on from the home. A new manager has been recruited and was starting their induction at the time of the inspection. There are interim arrangements in place, which include the deputy manager and responsible individual working together to ensure appropriate management oversight until the new manager completes their induction and registration with Ofsted. Leaders and managers have carefully considered the potential impact of the changes for the child, and a gradual handover is planned. There are also plans for the current registered manager to continue to visit the child after they have left, ensuring continuity and gradual endings. The child’s social worker and parent have been consulted about the plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 6

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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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 25 September 2026

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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: 2810058 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gold Cross Children’s Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 14 Greenfinch Way, Newhall, Harlow CM17 9FT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Foriwaah Ntiamoah Amponsa

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Inspector

Tina Woolley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2810058 8 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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