Each of our homes is registered with Ofsted for a small number of children. Five of our six are registered for up to two children; Oakwood House is registered for up to three. The registered capacity for every home is published on its own page, alongside its URN, so it can be checked rather than taken on trust.
Small changes what a day feels like. It is easier to keep a routine that belongs to the children living there rather than to a rota. There are fewer people to negotiate the bathroom with in the morning. A member of staff can sit with one young person for an hour without the rest of the house going unsupervised.
It also has limits, and they matter at the point of referral. A home registered for two has no spare capacity: if it is full, it is full, and an emergency cannot be absorbed. Matching is tighter, because the effect of a new arrival on one existing child is proportionally much larger than it would be in a larger home.
That is why we ask about the children already living in a home as well as the child being referred. If you want to know what a particular home can currently offer, the honest answer changes month to month – so ask us rather than working from this page.