Children's Home run by Action for Children in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 1 Registered provider: Action for Children Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 4 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/05/2024 Full Good 31/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 3

p.2

Summary of findings

The inspection found that children are making some progress, particularly in education and with their emotional and physical wellbeing. Significant improvements in the home environment were observed. However, there have been repeated failures in leadership and management oversight. A failure to monitor the home effectively has resulted in unresolved fire safety concerns, gaps in staff training and staff supervision, health and safety failures and poor safeguarding practice. Staff failed to identify or report safeguarding concerns to managers. These shortfalls were not identified through the home’s own quality assurance processes and monitoring systems, demonstrating a lack of effective oversight and an absence of sustained improvement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children benefit from a welcoming homely environment with access to a spacious garden. Staff demonstrate an understanding of children’s individual physical needs. Interactions between staff and children are positive and supportive. These relationships contribute to a stable and nurturing environment, where consistent routines support children’s care planning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff promote children’s health and wellbeing. Social stories created by staff, along with bespoke communication tools, help children understand and fully engage in their health appointments and care planning meetings. Additionally, children participate in weekly home meetings where they can share their ideas, preferences and decisions. As a result, their views and wishes are heard and acted on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Partnership working with professionals has improved; however, staff do not always complete follow-up actions required or share information with the wider team to ensure that children are supported consistently and effectively. This limits opportunities for children to make sustained progress, particularly towards their independence goals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

All children attend education and are making progress in line with their individual learning needs and expected outcomes. Staff support children to participate in school activities and events. For example, one child was able to attend their school prom, which provided them with a positive and memorable experience.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s diversity and cultural needs are respected. By working closely with one child’s parents, staff developed an understanding of the child’s preferences, including those relating to meal planning and personal care. Children are actively encouraged to celebrate their heritage. As a result, they receive care that is responsive to their individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Key-work sessions provide opportunities for children to express their views and feelings. The sessions are personalised, topical and age appropriate. However, the quality and Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 4 frequency are variable, and the outcomes are not always shared with the whole staff team to ensure a consistent approach to children’s emotional wellbeing and progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children to spend positive time with their families and friends. This helps children to maintain positive connections with the people who are important to them.

p.4

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

Serious shortfalls were identified in the home’s health and safety arrangements. Staff have failed to consistently carry out safety checks. In addition, the registered manager has not maintained effective oversight of actions identified in the fire risk assessment. During the inspection, significant concerns were identified regarding the effectiveness of physical fire protection measures. As a result, children were placed at significant risk of harm in the event of a fire. Children were temporarily relocated while remedial work was carried out. These failings placed children at risk and demonstrated significant weaknesses in the management and oversight of health and safety practice.

p.4

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

On one occasion, a member of staff failed to follow the home’s safeguarding and reporting procedures by not notifying other staff members or the registered manager of a minor injury sustained by a child. This omission meant that the child’s needs were not promptly reviewed to determine whether medical attention or additional support was required. The registered manager subsequently identified the omission and took appropriate action to address the concerns.

p.4

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

Staff have not consistently fulfilled their professional responsibilities by prioritising their own training needs and achieving the qualifications necessary to support their practice. As a result, leaders cannot be assured that all staff possess the knowledge, skills and competencies to provide consistently safe and effective care to children. In addition, this means that the staff are unable to fulfil the home’s statement of purpose, as they are not equipped or able to respond effectively to children with complex physical health needs.

p.4

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

The registered manager maintains oversight of poor staff performance through formulated support plans. However, actions to improve staff performance are allowed to drift, and necessary escalation is delayed. This prevents serious practice concerns from being addressed. In one case, staff have been managed by colleagues who have not demonstrated the necessary skills or due diligence to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children.

p.4

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

Staff are confident in their understanding of children’s behaviour. The use of physical intervention to manage behaviour is rare. Staff use appropriate, trauma-informed de- escalation techniques to prevent children from harming themselves and others. As a result, children enjoy positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff have also successfully reduced the frequency of incidents.

p.4

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

The registered manager promptly notifies relevant professionals of any incidents they consider to be serious. This enables partnership agencies to maintain oversight of Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 5 children’s safety and wellbeing and to consider any actions necessary in response to an incident, allegation or concern.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has implemented some positive changes to the service by modelling expectations and practice. Her vision for the home is ambitious, supported equally by the responsible individual. However, this has affected her ability to successfully fulfil all aspects of her role and responsibilities.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective and inconsistent quality assurance processes and monitoring systems have prevented effective oversight of the home. Failures to identify significant shortfalls, poor practice and areas for improvement have resulted in serious failings.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ workforce development plans have not been routinely reviewed or updated. This restricts the registered manager’s ability to prioritise the needs of the service. As a result, positive changes and any progress have not been sustained.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Most staff members now receive regular supervision. However, supervision is not purposeful and fails to address repeated actions, learning or safeguarding knowledge. Some staff members providing supervision for others do not have the relevant and necessary experience or approach to support children’s care planning or progress. Consequently, some staff members are not receiving the direction and guidance they may need to support their development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

In addition, staff have not received an annual appraisal of their performance and fitness to perform their roles and responsibilities. Therefore, the lack of accountability in staff practice has not been identified or addressed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has carried out a review of the quality of care. The review identified some areas for development and service improvement. However, the manager did not identify the shortfalls found during this inspection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An independent person visits the home once a month and gathers feedback from children, parents and professionals. The registered manager acts on most recommendations. However, the independent visitor has also failed to identify some of the shortfalls in practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Current monitoring and review systems used by leaders and managers are not effective. Actions taken have not been sufficiently focused and have not resulted in the necessary improvements in practice. Consequently, leaders are unable to demonstrate consistently high standards of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 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

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(h)) 6 October 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This part of the requirement has been restated from the previous inspection. 20 April 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

p.6

Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; 31 Aug 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 7 make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.7

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, all staff, including the registered manager, must complete all mandatory and identified training. Staff who are required to achieve the Level 3 Diploma must enrol on the qualification, and those who are already enrolled must ensure that they complete it within the required timescales. 31 December 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, a consistent approach must be implemented to identify learning needs, provide training opportunities and promote informed safeguarding practice. 31 December 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 8

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose forms an essential part of the agreement process between the registered person and the placing authority when determining whether a placement is suitable for a child and whether the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. This includes ensuring that all staff have the appropriate training, skills and experience to meet those needs. In addition, emergency admissions should only be accepted where the home’s statement of purpose, capacity and support systems demonstrate that it can meet the needs of a child admitted at very short notice while continuing to provide high-quality care to the children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan in place that fulfils

p.8

Recommendations

the workforce-related requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: detail the required management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education services), as well as the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the structure, and any additional training required to enable delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; outline the processes and agreed timescales for staff to complete induction, probation and any core training, such as safeguarding, health and safety, and mandatory qualifications; describe the process for managing and improving poor performance; specify the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see Regulation 33 (4)(b)) and ensure that appropriate staff records are maintained. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home. It should also be used to record the ongoing training

p.8

Recommendations

and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.8

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: 2742583 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

p.9

Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2742583 10 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.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10