Children's Home run by Floridus Care Limited in Thurrock

Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 1 Registered provider: Floridus Care Limited

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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 home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2026.

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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: not previously inspected.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 2

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Summary of findings

The managers and staff provide a good level of care. Staff are well trained, which supports their understanding of the children’s needs. Children have individual plans that provide helpful guidance for staff to support them. Children enjoy different activities that are tailored to their interests. The home environment is a good size and well maintained. Children are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home has opened, 2 children have moved into the home and one child has moved out due to their escalating needs. Staff supported the child with their move out. At this inspection, there was one child living at the home. The inspector spoke to the child during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All moves into and out of the home are well planned. Staff send the children’s guide, videos of the home and meet children before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well. Staff encourage children to engage in child-friendly activities. Children enjoy going to trampoline parks, pottery painting and going out on bike rides. For one child, they are learning to cook and they enjoy this, it is also helping to build important skills for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to engage in educational activities. Staff have supported one child to complete college applications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to share their views. The child currently at the home shared that they know how to make a complaint. When children have made complaints, these have been thoroughly explored, and the child has been fully supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to rebuild positive relationships with family members and spend time with them on important occasions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have important conversations with children, covering relevant topics which have supported children’s learning and development. Staff do not consistently record these conversations in a child friendly way or capture the child’s voice and views.

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

Children build trusting relationships with staff. This has helped them to share concerns, some about their health. Staff have arranged important health appointments for children increasing their overall wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 3 There is a clear plan for when children go missing from the home. When children go missing from the home, staff follow them and actively search the local and known areas. Staff also contact other relevant professionals which has supported them finding the children quickly. Managers advocate for children to have return interviews from the local authority.

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

Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks. The manager has worked with the local authority to support a child coming off a deprivation of liberty order. Bespoke risk assessments are up to date and clearly guide staff on how to support the child to have more independence.

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

When needed, staff use de-escalation techniques to minimise potential incidents. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. Following any interventions, there are conversations with the child and the staff to encourage improved practice and additional learning. Children do not always have an independent person to speak with after an incident to provide opportunity to raise any concerns. Physical interventions are not always recorded clearly with key information missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team is professional, reflective and knowledgeable. They are open to learning. The manager can identify strengths and weaknesses of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of children’s needs. She has high aspirations and communicates with relevant professionals to ensure age-appropriate plans to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision sessions. These provide staff with an opportunity to raise any concerns and reflect on their practice. Leaders and managers arrange team meetings that are meaningful and support development. The manager invites external professionals to team meetings which has supported learning, development and wellbeing. Several members of staff have provided positive feedback and said that they feel supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals has been positive, they share how impressed they are with the level of care provided by the staff and managers. Professionals also shared that although one child’s placement was short, they still made progress with their emotional wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On several occasions, the ratio of agency staff has been higher than core staff within the home. This could impact on the consistency of care provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On four occasions safeguarding notifications have not been sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. This impacts on the oversight that Ofsted has and limits the opportunity to review the concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 4

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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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4) (e) and (5) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 5 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In particular debrief’s should be completed by someone who was not involved in the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 5 the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on

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Recommendations

record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, ensure that all records are clear and that the information is detailed in a concise and factual way including key-work sessions with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2846160 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Floridus Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 202 Equitable House, 7 General Gordon Square, London, England SE18 6FH

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Inspector

Abby Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2846160 7 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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