Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 1 SC384018 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to 4 children who may have experienced significant trauma and have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 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: 21 October 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: SC384018 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2025 Full Good 10/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 3

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Summary of findings

Children’s experiences vary and are generally positive. They enjoy positive relationships with staff and with one another. When difficulties have arisen between children, these have been addressed promptly by managers and staff.

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from a range of individual and group activities. Therapeutic support has generally helped children to understand their emotions and develop healthier ways to express themselves. However, for one child, planning and support arrangements require further strengthening to promote their safety and wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager and leaders have managed challenges relating to senior staffing capacity. Staff benefit from regular support and constructive challenge from the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved into the home, and one child has moved out. At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living at the home. The children all spoke to the inspector and engaged at varying levels. The children said that they enjoy living at the home, and one child said that he felt that the staff genuinely cared.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are warm and positive relationships between the children and staff. Children spend time with staff and each other. The communal areas of the home provide good spaces for children to play, socialise and share mealtimes. The home is maintained to a good standard and provides children with a comfortable place to live. However, there is limited evidence displayed that reflects the children’s individuality, interests and achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage and support children. They recognise and celebrate their individual achievements, whether these are small milestones or significant accomplishments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences and progress are mixed. One child has made significant progress in education after considerable disruption and barriers to learning. The child is now engaging positively in education due to an increased understanding of their identified needs. Appropriate support from health professionals, including access to prescribed medication, has contributed to the child’s ability to manage their emotions more effectively and engage in learning. Another child moved out of the home in an unplanned way following a serious incident. This incident had a significant impact on the other children at home and caused them distress. The manager responded appropriately by ensuring that children and staff received additional support to help them understand and manage the impact of the incident. Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 4 Staff have experienced challenges in engaging a child in independence planning and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

other support. However, recent improvements in the child’s engagement indicate that progress is beginning to be made. Another child has made positive progress through developing greater levels of independence. The child has been supported to spend time away from the home safely without direct supervision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have raised concerns, these have been responded to promptly and effectively. Children have been supported to repair relationships with one another and learn tolerance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy opportunities to celebrate cultural events and participate in a range of activities that promote their wellbeing and development. These include swimming, fishing and pampering activities.

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

Children’s needs are understood and supported through effective therapeutic input. The manager and staff work closely with the therapeutic lead to develop a comprehensive understanding of each child’s individual needs, experiences and behaviours. This is developed through working with relevant professionals and considering information from a range of sources. As a result, the staff are better equipped to respond consistently to children and provide care that supports their progress and wellbeing.

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

Assessments of children’s needs are reviewed regularly and are used to inform targeted therapeutic interventions and support strategies. Children’s views, wishes and feelings are considered when planning and reviewing support. This child-centred approach helps to ensure that interventions remain relevant and responsive to children’s experiences.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a commitment to developing trauma-informed practice. Staff are encouraged to engage in reflective discussions that help them to consider the influencing factors in children’s behaviours and experiences. This supports a shared understanding of children’s needs and helps staff to respond in a thoughtful and consistent way. As a result, the use of physical intervention and the frequency of significant incidents have reduced.

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

Staff’s responses to missing-from-home incidents have not always been sufficiently proactive. The absence of a clear plan for supporting a child to spend time with their family, a significant distance away from the home, resulted in delays in responding to this child on some occasions. This has the potential to reduce the effectiveness of efforts to safeguard the child. However, there have been recent improvements in staff responses to these incidents. In addition, the frequency of missing-from-home incidents has reduced.

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

Allegations and staff practice concerns are managed effectively. The manager undertakes thorough investigations and makes appropriate referrals to external agencies when Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 5 required. This helps to ensure that safeguarding concerns are responded to quickly, risks to children are appropriately managed and staff are held accountable for their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have good relationships with professionals who support children’s welfare. Professionals describe the manager as approachable, child focused and committed to achieving positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers promote a culture of high support and challenge. When concerns about practice are identified, managers take action to address these through reflective discussions, enhanced supervision and access to additional organisational support and resources. Supervision is regular and purposeful. It provides staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice, receive challenge and identify areas for professional development. Staff benefit from regular consultation and guidance from wider professionals within the service, which helps them to provide care that is informed by children’s identified needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have experienced challenges in maintaining senior staffing levels. The registered manager has responded proactively by recruiting experienced staff to strengthen the leadership team. In addition, the wider organisation is providing targeted training and development opportunities to support leadership development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers take account of staff members’ individual needs and provide support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. This contributes to staff confidence and their ability to provide children with consistent care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by managers and describe a positive team culture. They are positive about the accessibility of managers and the quality of support available to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from safeguarding professionals confirms that, in the main, communication helps to ensure that children receive coordinated support and that risks to children are identified and responded to effectively. However, partnership working with relevant professionals has not been effective for one child. This has resulted in delays in decision- making and has created uncertainty for the child regarding aspects of their care planning. The registered manager has recognised these challenges and has taken action to advocate for the child. This includes escalating concerns through appropriate channels. Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, the home should be decorated to include artwork, photos and achievements to reflect the children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission. This should include how staff should support the child on their return to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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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: SC384018 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Road, Bishops Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspector

Daniel Sancto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC384018 8 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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