The Children's Trust - Tadworth

Ofsted are the lead regulator for The Children's Trust as it is a children's home. The service is also registered with the Care Quality Commission for the regulated activity of treatment of disease, disorder, or injury.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people, respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people, and providers must have regard to it.

We conducted this unannounced focussed assessment on August 28th 2025 to review the use of care plans, Paediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS), medicines optimisation and how staff respond to children’s deteriorating health needs. We spoke to staff, reviewed care plans, PEWS charts and clinical records across the four residential children’s homes. We also focused our assessment on leaders’ oversight and governance of these areas including how leaders ensure their staff have the right skills to work with children and young people with complex medical and physical needs.

We assessed six quality statements from the safe, effective, caring and well-led key questions. We met care staff, shift leaders, clinical leads and governance leads. We saw consistent examples of compassionate staff working with each child’s best interest at the heart of what they do. We saw well embedded care planning and a suitably trained workforce that is competent and confident to manage children and young people’s changing health needs.

We have recommended that the provider should strengthen written record keeping to ensure a high standard of clinical records is maintained including medicines management and the recording on PEWS charts.

We have recommended that staff are supported to ensure there is a consistent understanding and use of PEWS.

It is strongly recommended that the provider review their protocols regarding ‘as required’ medications, ensuring clarity at the point of administration and clear guidance in all relevant documentation.

Staff and leaders we spoke with are committed to learning from feedback and improving the service.