Children's Home run by London Borough of Hounslow in Hounslow

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 1 SC062128

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Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow

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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 provides care for up to six children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2004. The manager registered in January 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Good 24/04/2024 Full Good 16/05/2023 Full Good 10/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 3

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Summary of findings

The home provides warm, committed trauma-informed care, and children benefit from strong relationships and make good progress. However, leaders have not maintained sufficient oversight of the cumulative impact that repeated serious incidents have had on the lived experiences of other children. Consequently, not all children are consistently experiencing the home as a place where they feel emotionally and physically safe. Once these concerns were identified during the inspection, leaders acted promptly and decisively to strengthen safeguarding arrangements.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships with staff, who help them to feel safe, valued and understood. Staff are strong advocates for children and work effectively with families and professionals to ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings inform decisions about their care.

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improvement to be good

Most children receive individualised care and support that positively influences their experiences and progress. They make good progress from their starting points, particularly in education, with all children now engaged in learning, including those who have previously experienced gaps in education. Children also receive effective support to maintain and rebuild important relationships with family, friends and others who matter to them, strengthening their sense of identity, belonging and stability.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views regularly influence day-to-day life in the home. They are encouraged to contribute through key-work sessions, residents’ meetings and everyday conversations.

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improvement to be good

Children’s day-to-day experiences are, in many respects, positive. They enjoy a wide range of activities, holidays and celebrations that help create a warm, family-like environment. Children benefit from stability and enduring care, with staff remaining committed to them through difficult periods and providing consistent support.

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improvement to be good

However, these positive experiences are at times affected by incidents of aggression and disruption within the home. Some children have spoken about feeling fearful of harm from their peers, and staff have confirmed the impact that serious incidents have on the wider group. This is particularly concerning for children who have previously experienced domestic abuse or violence, as such incidents have the potential to undermine their sense of safety and emotional wellbeing. Although managers have implemented strategies to reduce risks, these have not always been effective. Consequently, not all children experience the home as a consistently safe and emotionally secure environment.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from planned and well-supported moves into the home. However, pre- admission impact assessments are not sufficiently robust. While children’s needs and Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 4 vulnerabilities are identified, assessments do not consistently analyse compatibility between children, how risks will be managed or whether staffing arrangements are suitable. As a result, managers cannot clearly demonstrate that the impact of admissions on all children has been fully considered.

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improvement to be good

Children are well prepared for adulthood through effective independence planning and support. They develop enduring relationships with staff, and many choose to remain in contact after leaving the home. This provides ongoing guidance, reassurance and practical support into adulthood and beyond.

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improvement to be good

The home is warm, welcoming and comfortable. Children’s bedrooms reflect their individual interests and preferences. Some communal areas are showing signs of wear, which managers have recognised and have a plan for decoration to take place shortly.

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improvement to be good

Children are cared for by a committed and nurturing staff team. Parents and social workers speak positively about the care provided and the progress children make. Children are welcomed into the home, develop strong relationships with staff and, for most, experience increased stability and positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and associated plans comprehensively identify risks and support needs, helping children to stay safe. Planning is informed by children’s individual circumstances, experiences and histories. However, they do not always consider the risks to children arising from living together.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond appropriately when children go missing from care. Incidents are recorded correctly, relevant protocols are followed, and staff take proactive steps to locate children and support their safe return. This addresses the recommendation made at the previous inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff are caring and patient in their responses to children. However, serious and repeated incidents are not always managed in a way that promotes positive change. Records do not consistently demonstrate robust restorative work, reflective discussions or proportionate consequences that help children understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. As a result, opportunities to promote accountability, reinforce boundaries and support safer behaviours are missed.

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improvement to be good

Children are exposed to the impact of serious incidents within the home, including aggression, damage to the environment and behaviours that place others at risk. Although the children involved change over time, similar concerns continue to arise. Managers have not sufficiently reflected on these recurring themes or used learning from previous experiences to strengthen their response. Consequently, opportunities to reduce the impact on children and improve their experiences of safety and stability are missed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 5 There are occasions when managers recognise that a child’s increasingly complex or escalating needs can no longer be safely met within the home, but timely decision- making does not consistently follow. Consequently, risks to the welfare and safety of children and staff are not always addressed at the earliest opportunity.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a strong understanding of exploitation and other safeguarding risks. They identify concerns promptly and take appropriate action to promote children’s welfare and safety, including meeting statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding, radicalisation and extremism.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, the registered manager has grown in confidence and demonstrates a clear and ambitious vision for the home. Leaders have high aspirations for children and promote a trauma-informed approach that helps staff understand and respond to children’s experiences with empathy, consistency and care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders know children well and have created a positive culture in which children are supported to develop trusting relationships and make progress. However, leadership oversight is not yet consistently effective in all areas. Greater management scrutiny is needed to ensure that safeguarding risks are fully recognised, assessed and responded to, particularly in relation to behaviour management and pre-admission impact assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders do not consistently recognise the impact that serious incidents have on children’s safety and emotional wellbeing. Information shared by staff about children’s fears and anxieties is not always sufficiently evaluated to inform timely action. As a result, opportunities to reduce the impact on children and minimise the risk of further incidents are missed. During the inspection, leaders responded promptly to concerns raised and took immediate action to reduce risks to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, leaders have significantly improved recording practices. Records are now predominantly written to children rather than about them, reinforcing a child-centred approach and helping children to understand their experiences and the care they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s and parents’ complaints are taken seriously, investigated appropriately and responded to with sensitivity and respect. This helps children and families feel listened to and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision and support. However, the quality of supervision is variable and does not consistently promote reflection on children’s experiences, needs and progress. Consequently, supervision is not used effectively to identify emerging concerns, evaluate patterns of incidents or strengthen management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders have not ensured that the independent visitor provides effective scrutiny of the home. Despite a recommendation made at the previous inspection, only one Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 6 unannounced visit has taken place in the last 15 months. Although the independent visitor identifies weaknesses and safeguarding concerns, reports are largely descriptive and lack sufficient analysis to clearly evaluate risks, patterns and areas for improvement. In addition, leaders do not consistently act on issues raised. As a result, opportunities to strengthen practice and improve children’s experiences are missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s records are well organised, leaders are considering the introduction of an electronic recording system to improve the accessibility and management of records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home’s statement of purpose does not fully reflect current practice. For example, it refers to emergency admissions but does not include the provision of emergency short- break or bridging arrangements. It therefore does not provide an accurate description of the service offered. Some terminology is also outdated and not fully aligned with the home’s child-centred ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children benefit from a stable and committed staff team, many of whom have worked in the home for several years. This provides children with consistency and enduring relationships. Staff described feeling well supported by leaders and spoke positively about the opportunities available to develop their skills and careers, helping to create a nurturing and positive environment for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm and that leaders identify, assess and take timely action to reduce risks to children arising from the behaviour of others living in the home. Leaders must ensure that management oversight effectively evaluates the impact of incidents on all children and that safeguarding arrangements promote children’s emotional and physical safety. 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 8 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that behaviour support strategies are consistently reviewed and evaluated so that they are effective in reducing serious incidents, promoting children’s safety and well-being, and helping children to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. 30 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that pre- admission impact risk assessments provide a robust evaluation of how children’s needs will be met and fully consider the likely impact of admissions on children already living in the home, and vice versa, to ensure that children can be cared for safely. 30 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 9 independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person carries out effective monitoring of the home, including undertaking unannounced visits where required, and provides reports that offer robust evaluation, scrutiny and challenge to support improvement.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff, including managers, receive practice-related supervision in line with regulation 33 (4)(b). Supervision should provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and should include meaningful discussion and evaluation of the individual needs of children, the needs of the group of children living in the home, and the impact that children have on one another’s experiences and welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61 paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3) Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 10  The registered person should review and update the home’s Statement of Purpose to ensure that it accurately reflects the service provided, current admission arrangements and the home’s child-centred ethos. The Statement of Purpose should use language that reflects current practice and should provide children, families and

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Recommendations

placing authorities with an accurate description of the care and support provided by the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 2.1)  The registered person should continue with plans to redecorate and modernise the home, ensuring that the environment remains welcoming, well maintained and child centred. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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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: SC062128 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough of Hounslow, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jade Ferguson-Duncan

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Inspector

Jenny-Ellen Scotland, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062128 12 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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