Children's Home run by We Care Housing Ltd in Barking and Dagenham

Inspection report for children's home: 2855422 1 Registered provider: We Care Housing 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

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in February 2026, and the home is privately owned. It provides care for up to one child who experiences emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection of the home.

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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: 2855422 2

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Summary of findings

The home provides the child with a caring, stable and supportive environment where they continue to make steady progress in preparation for adulthood. Safeguarding arrangements are effective and proportionate. Staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities and continue to provide consistent care that promotes the child’s safety and development. This has helped the child feel secure, reduced risk-taking behaviours and supported them to make positive progress. Leaders and managers have strong oversight, are invested in staff development and have high aspirations for the child. While continued pathway planning and specialist assessment outcomes are ongoing, the child receives positive care and is safeguarded effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from consistent care from staff who know and understand their needs well. Before the child moved into the home, staff were well prepared and understood their vulnerabilities and support needs. This well-planned move contributed to a settled home environment and has helped the child to experience stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a warm, trusting and meaningful relationship with the child. Staff provide nurturing and responsive care that helps the child feel valued and understood. The child is comfortable in the home and confidently approaches staff for support, reassurance and guidance when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made positive progress since moving into the home. Staff are supporting the child to take on more responsibilities and improve their self-care and independent living skills. The child has grown in confidence and now completes everyday tasks, such as cleaning their bedroom and preparing meals. This is helping the child prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are regularly sought through everyday conversations. Staff adapt their communication to meet the child’s level of need, including using visual aids to help the child plan their day. The child has access to an advocate and is supported to understand their rights. Over time, the child has become more assured in expressing their views and making choices about matters that affect their daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet the child’s health needs effectively. They ensure that the child is registered with the appropriate health services and support them to attend appointments. Staff are helping the child to engage positively with mental health services to support their emotional and developmental needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the child’s progress in education is more gradual, staff remain committed to supporting the child to engage in online learning. Staff work closely with the local Inspection report for children's home: 2855422 3 authority to identify learning opportunities that meet the child’s needs and support their educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer the child a range of meaningful activities that reflect their interests and preferences, including sensory experiences, visits to exhibitions and regular walks in the local area. These activities enrich the child’s day-to-day experiences, promote social engagement and help them to develop a sense of belonging.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the risks associated with the child’s earlier experiences. They identify and manage risks effectively and regularly review plans to ensure that strategies remain relevant to the child’s needs. Staff embed safeguarding practices into their day-to-day care of the child, helping to promote their safety both in and outside the home.

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

Staff understand the restrictions in place to help keep the child safe and ensure that these are regularly reviewed by the relevant professionals. Staff balance safeguarding measures with opportunities for the child to develop independence. Through structured routines, meaningful activities and carefully planned supervision, staff help the child to build confidence, develop skills and safely increase their independence.

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

Staff manage the child’s behaviour positively and consistently. When incidents occur, staff respond calmly and appropriately, providing reassurance and emotional and practical support. Staff take time to listen to the child, understand what is affecting them and help them work through difficulties. Positive relationships and consistent responses from staff help the child to feel safe and supported.

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

Staff have regular discussions with the child to develop their understanding of personal safety at the home and in the community. Through these conversations, staff help the child to reflect on their experiences, talk about their feelings and develop strategies to manage day-to-day challenges.

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

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practices when appointing staff to work in the home and complete the necessary checks before staff begin working with children. These arrangements help to reduce the risk of children being exposed to unsuitable adults.

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

Staff have helped to reduce risks for the child through consistent care and support. This has contributed to increased stability and safety for the child since moving into the home. However, information to support staff to respond if the child goes missing from home is not consistently up to date. As a result, staff may not have immediate access to current information, which could affect the timeliness and effectiveness of their response. Inspection report for children's home: 2855422 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who has high aspirations for the child and is focused on helping them achieve positive outcomes. Leaders and managers understand the child’s journey and the progress they have made. They can clearly identify areas where the child has developed, including their communication, independence, self-care, social engagement and emotional wellbeing, as well as areas where further support is needed. As a result, the child benefits from support that is responsive to their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed all mandatory training, as well as specialist training relevant to the child’s needs. Leaders and managers have identified further specialist training opportunities to strengthen staff knowledge and skills. This demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that staff are equipped to meet the child’s needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work effectively with other professionals to coordinate the care and support that the child receives. This helps to ensure that the child’s needs are understood and met consistently and contributes to their overall wellbeing and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion in the home. Staff support the child to develop a positive understanding of their identity and challenge previously harmful beliefs. This has helped the child to develop healthier relationships, increase their self-awareness and make positive progress as they prepare for greater independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and ongoing support from the registered manager. Supervision discussions encourage staff to reflect on safeguarding practice, their wellbeing, professional development and performance. Staff also reflect on the child’s progress and identify ways to improve the quality of care and support they provide. Although annual appraisals are not yet due, leaders and managers maintain oversight of staff performance through probation reviews. However, discussions about the whistleblowing policy are not routinely revisited during supervision and team meetings. This means that leaders and managers cannot be assured that staff remain familiar with whistleblowing procedures or confident in raising concerns if they arise. Inspection report for children's home: 2855422 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing from the home, their plans include strategies to minimise this risk and that this information is kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.24)  The registered person should include information about whistleblowing, with clear procedures for how a staff member should report to an appropriate authority any concern they have about a child in the home being either at risk of or already experiencing significant harm. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.15)

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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: 2855422 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: We Care Housing Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 320 City Road, London EC1V 2NZ

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Inspector

Stella Namakula, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2855422 7 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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