Children's home run by Good News Nwk Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 1 Registered provider: Good News Nwk Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children and young people who have learning disabilities.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: This is the first inspection of the home since registration on 24 April 2017.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Individualised care arrangements are supportive and nurturing. As a result, children and young people settle quickly into their placements.  Children and young people are happy and confident in the care that they receive. One young person said: ‘I would not want to change anything.’  Children and young people feel listened to. They are supported to make decisions and staff consult with them on all aspects of their daily care.  The young person in placement at the time of the inspection is learning independent living skills and is benefiting from planned unsupervised time in the community.  Children and young people have a strong sense of feeling safe and secure. This is due to them having good relationships with staff, and due to staff using effective risk-management strategies.  Leaders and managers are very committed and are focused on service development. They act as very positive role models for this new staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Improvements need to be made to staff recruitment practice and recruitment records. Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(2)(a)(3)(d)) 24/11/2017

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimise potential risks to them (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). In particular, this relates to recommending that recruitment policies and procedures are developed to include consideration of when police checks abroad may be necessary, if staff who have worked abroad previously are being recruited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people receive care which is well planned and supports their individual needs. A young person told the inspector that he is very happy in the home, and said that he wants to stay there. This young person has welcomed being able to keep a pet insect in his room. This shows that individual preferences are supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people form positive and strong relationships with staff. A parent spoke positively about the ‘brilliant bond’ her son has formed with a named member of staff. This same young person clarified this by saying: ‘It is like a family here.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 4 The parent of a child who recently left the home said that the staff had a good understanding of her son’s disabilities. She confirmed that she felt confident in the care he had received. An external professional noted the positive impact that the home has had on the young person she works with, saying: ‘He has thrived in their care and now feels that this is his home. He can now cook and do his laundry, which has added to his self-esteem.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have opportunities to take part in recreational activities of their choice. The young person in placement enjoys running, and attends a martial arts club and a local gym. This supports his interest in physical fitness. He greatly enjoyed a trip to London and a three-day holiday to Spain during the school holidays. These activities have aided the young person to become increasingly self-confident and to develop new social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is seen as important. The young person in placement attends school full time, and is said to be achieving well and to be ‘very driven’ with regard to his education. An educational professional noted that there has been a ‘massive change for the positive’ since this young person moved into this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care provided promotes children’s and young people’s good health. Staff provide guidance on personal hygiene and healthy eating. Children and young people benefit from the way that staff encourage them to make healthy food choices. Staff work effectively with parents and health professionals to manage medication requirements, including responding to changing needs as they emerge.

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improvement to be good

Improvements in recruitment practice are necessary before this area of care can be seen as good. For example, for one member of staff there was an unexplained gap in their employment history. While with another member of staff, who is well known to the registered manager, only one of the required two references was obtained prior to the member of staff commencing work in the home. Additionally, while no poor outcomes are identified, current recruitment policies and procedures lack clarity in a specific area. This is because they fail to set out how, and when, the service will consider the need to undertake criminal record checks overseas when an applicant has worked abroad.

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improvement to be good

Apart from the weakness identified above, children’s and young people’s welfare is promoted and they are kept safe by staff implementing risk management strategies effectively. There have been no child protection referrals to the local authority and no issues necessitating a safeguarding notification to Ofsted. Children and young people do not go missing and there have been no unauthorised absences. Physical intervention has not been required since the home opened in April 2017. Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 5 The current resident said that he feels safe and the inspection identified that he has become safer since moving into the home. He has started to manage his independence in a safe way. For example, he now goes out on his own for set periods, following the expectations agreed with staff, and returns safely. This young person confirmed that staff have spent time talking to him about internet safety and keeping safe while out on

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improvement to be good

The living environment is safe. Maintenance issues are addressed promptly and the home is maintained to a high standard of cleanliness. Food safety systems guide meal preparation and food storage. Staff and residents are clear about fire safety procedures, which they practise together each month.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The appropriately qualified and experienced registered manager has a very positive impact on the service that children and young people receive. He understands individual needs and ensures that care arrangements are appropriately planned and implemented. He is extremely focused on supporting individual progress and creating positive experiences for the children and young people. Children’s and young people’s wishes and feelings are sought. Individual preferences are used to guide care arrangements. This means that children and young people feel listened to, and feel that their views are seen as important.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager steps in to challenge external agencies when necessary. For example, he acted to ensure that family visits are arranged in the way that was agreed during an admission meeting. He evidently recognised that a child was showing signs of anxiety due to a delay in plans being finalised, and acted accordingly to resolve the concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Joint working with families and external agencies is effective. The team is held in high regard by parents and professionals. Comments included: ‘They are just lovely, lovely people’; and, ‘They are very child focused and work outside the box. Excellent care.’ An external professional added: ‘The young person I work with states that the staff treat him like family. He feels listened to, secure and valued. This is amazing.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring of care arrangements is effective. The named responsible individual for the organisation visits the home on a regular basis, and is fully involved in service development decisions. An independent person visits the home each month and submits a report to the provider after reviewing the quality and effectiveness of care. This process aids the manager in identifying and addressing the service’s areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have confidence in leaders and managers, and say that children and young people always come first in decision making. Staff feel supported in their work, and receive individual supervision, which promotes learning and develops practice. A core training programme is operated. This ensures that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in meeting the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: 1248509 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Pippin Close, Wellingborough NN8 2DN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nokuthula Mangwendeza

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Inspector

Mary Timms, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1248509 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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