Sutton's Willow Rise Children's Home has successfully retained its 'Good' Ofsted rating, a testament to the dedication of its staff and management.
The positive outcome was noted by the People Committee at their meeting on Thursday, 18 June 2026, following an inspection of the home between 17-19 March 2026. The findings were presented to the committee by Craig Edmunds, Registered Manager for Willow Rise, and Angela Killley, Head of Service for Integrated Support and Safer Communities, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
Willow Rise, which opened six years ago, now operates across three buildings – Willow House, Oak House, and Cedar House – and is registered to care for up to six children. At the time of the Ofsted inspection, three children were living in two of the properties. The service achieved its 'Good' rating following its registration as a multi-building children's home on 5 September 2024, making it the first of its kind in London and the first local authority-operated provision nationally.
The Ofsted report highlighted that children feel safe and settled, with staff demonstrating care, compassion, and warmth. Safeguarding practices were described as strong, and leaders and managers were praised for their dedication and high aspirations for the children. The report also noted that some children experienced several moves before arriving at Willow Rise, but have since settled and are making good progress. Two children who moved out of the home made excellent progress and returned to live with their families, while another moved into supported accommodation.
Areas for improvement identified in the report included more prompt action on fire risk assessments and more thorough exploration of employment gaps during recruitment processes. The report also noted that staff had not always consistently followed children's missing-from-care plans. Specifically, staff had not always followed individual children's protocols, such as collecting children from their families as per their plans. On three occasions, a child supervised by two staff members was able to leave the home unnoticed, despite the assessed risks.
Following the inspection, significant steps have been taken to address these concerns. The issues with the recruitment system and fire doors have now been resolved. Furthermore, an action plan has been submitted to Ofsted regarding improving staff practice in following children's missing-from-care plans. Managers have taken prompt actions to address staff practice and are working with the police to ensure that children receive well-coordinated support when they are missing from the home. Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which focuses on children's needs, experiences, and plans, as well as safeguarding issues and staff development. In-house therapists also attend group supervision sessions to support staff in understanding children's complex needs and reflecting on their practices.
