The name we were founded on in 2003. Independent and owner-run ever since: three warm, family-style homes for children and young people with learning disabilities and autism.
Robinson House and St Benets House are rated Good at their most recent Ofsted inspections. Sawadi House is newly registered in its new home.
Source: Ofsted · reports.ofsted.gov.ukFifteen places across three houses, so every young person is known, heard and cared for as an individual.
A registered children's home in a quiet residential street, with a sensory room and large ball pool, five bedrooms, and a good-sized garden with a large trampoline. Short-term respite and long-term care.
A beautiful and spacious six-bedroom house in a quiet cul-de-sac, with a large sensory room, a garden sensory area and a large trampoline. Communication is supported through PECS and signing.
A beautiful and spacious four-bedroom home on a quiet residential street, newly opened in 2026, with a dedicated sensory room and The Nest, a solo-placement space within the home. Short-term respite and long-term care.
For placing social workers: the three homes side by side.
| Detail | Robinson HouseRainham, Essex | St Benets HouseHornchurch, Essex | Sawadi HouseHavering, Essex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Up to 5 | Up to 6 | Up to 4 |
| Ages | 8 to 18 | 8 to 18 | 8 to 18 |
| Needs | Learning disabilities & autism | Learning disabilities & autism | Learning disabilities & autism |
| Location | Rainham, Essex | Hornchurch, Essex | Havering, Essex |
| Manager | Carly Keys | Mandie Whiteford | Carly Keys |
Each referral is considered on its own merits: who the young person is, what they need, and how they would fit alongside the young people already living in the home.
Email referrals@real-care.co.uk, or call the home directly. Referrals go to the people who run the homes, not a placements desk.
Their needs, their history, and what matters to them. We will tell you honestly whether we believe we are the right home.
Every referral is weighed against the needs of the young people already resident or having respite in the home.
Short-term respite or a long-term placement, agreed and planned with everyone involved in the young person's care.
“I founded CARE in 2003, and the name was the promise: Children Assisted in a Real Environment.”
A real home, a family home, in a real neighbourhood, with adults who show up and stay. Adults who show them how to live and love in a safe space.
More than twenty years on, we are still small and independent. Three homes with well established and settled teams, some of whom have grown from bank staff into management. The person who answers a referral is the person who runs the home. That is how we like it.
If you are a social worker looking for the right space for a child to live in and flourish, we will explore the potential and tell you honestly if we are a good match. If you are a parent, your child will be loved and respected here: their identity and their culture. They will be seen clearly and their voice will be heard loudly. We will ensure their needs are met and we will advocate for all their rights.
That was the promise in 2003. It has not changed.
Linda Blakely · Proprietor
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Every home runs to the same standards: individual care plans, real activity, and a multi-disciplinary team around every child.
Sensory rooms with ball pools, sensory boards and projectors; bedrooms with weighted blankets and mood lighting; safe gardens with large trampolines and sensory areas; and a large selection of games and sensory toys in every home.
Our activities programme reflects individual needs and the developmental age of the children in occupancy: swimming, theme parks, zoos, the beach, shopping, horse riding, meals out and the cinema, with risk assessments undertaken as appropriate. We actively promote social inclusion and participation in community activities.
We operate the PECS picture exchange communication system, with signing alongside speech. Team qualifications include Makaton Level 6 and British Sign Language Level 2.
Each home works very closely with parents and everyone associated with the care of the children: social workers, psychiatrists, dietitians, special educational needs schools, support groups and health care professionals. This multi-disciplinary approach ensures each child's needs are fully assessed and met.
We remain sensitive to each young person's religion, cultural identity, disability, language and sexual orientation, and ensure every young person is respected as an individual. Our homes celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Diwali and other religious festivals and cultural events together.
Every decision starts with the child: their needs, their voice, their own plan.
Individual care plans, and a multi-disciplinary team around every young person.
Real homes on quiet residential streets, with real routines and real activity.
Warm, safe and family-style, with sensory spaces in every home.
CARE Ltd is independent and owner-run, founded in 2003 by proprietor Linda Blakely, who has more than twenty years' experience looking after young people in care. Care across the homes is led by responsible individual and director of care services Ricky Phelan. We are not part of a group. Each home is run by its own registered manager and a settled, experienced staff team: dedicated, pro-active, supportive, and fun too.
Carly Keys
Registered Manager · Robinson & Sawadi HouseMore than twenty years in children's residential care, the past six as a registered manager, leading safe, nurturing and therapeutic homes.
Mandie Whiteford
Registered Manager · St Benets HouseWith CARE since 2017, progressing from bank support worker to registered manager, with a focus on therapeutic, person-centred care.
Ricky Phelan
Responsible Individual & Director of Care ServicesTwenty years in the care sector, with a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, British Sign Language Level 2 and Makaton Level 6.
Email referrals@real-care.co.uk, or call the manager of the home directly. Full addresses, our Statement of Purpose and placement documentation are shared with placing authorities as part of the referral process.
