Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 1 Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home is operated by a private organisation and is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 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: 12 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 2

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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

44: Independent person: visits and reports The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”). The independent person‟s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (4) and (5))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to improving the quality of the written report so that it makes sense to a reader outside of the organisation, avoiding the use of acronyms. In addition, the report would improve in clarity if it reflects any recommendations that the registered person has met, or not. 30/11/2018

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employments practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, develop staff supervision to include actions to further support professional development. In addition, arrange for the registered manager to carry out training in safer recruitment.  The review of the quality of care should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weaknesses in the home‟s care, which will be captured in the written report under regulation 45. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the

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Recommendations

resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. In particular, the development plan should reflect the actions identified within the report as required under regulation 45. These actions should be Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 3 specific, with a clear timescale. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop trusting and safe relationships with the manager and staff. Children recognise the progress they are making and are rightly proud of these achievements. Children said that this home is „good‟ and that they get on with most of the staff. Family members reported positively about the care and support provided at this home; they feel consulted and included in their child‟s care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from support that contributes to change and improvement in their lives. The positive experience for children living at this home has led to:  a stable place to be after a series of short periods of care  a reduction in going missing  a reduction in criminal behaviour  a reduction in drug misuse  development of life skills  planning for a move to supported living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend education. Sometimes this requires the staff being creative to engage children in their learning. Children sat formal exams in the summer and successfully gained access to college courses of their choice. A child, who has recently arrived at this home, has a tutor for part-time education. This is a temporary arrangement while more permanent options are sourced by their local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health and well-being of children receives prompt attention by the caring staff team. Children who have previously refused to see health professionals are attending routine appointments to check their physical health, teeth and eyesight. Children‟s health is improving through the reduction of prescribed medication, regular exercise and a balanced diet. In addition, to support children‟s emotional needs there is a team of therapists within the organisation. Professionals in this team are available to the children directly or to offer strategies and guidance to the staff team in meeting the children‟s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The function of this home is changing to provide short-term care for up to 90 days. This provision will respond to children in crisis who need a residential placement, and this is most likely to be in an emergency. Recent turnover in staffing reflects this change, as some staff from the provider‟s other homes have moved here to contribute their skills and experience to children who are considered to be „in crisis‟. Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Before living at this home, children‟s behaviour and their decision-making placed them at significant risk of harm. Going missing from home or care led to safeguarding concerns as children became involved with gangs, drug misuse, criminal behaviour and exploitation. Through the strength of relationships children develop with the manager and staff, they feel cared for, and secure enough, to make more positive choices.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

In the 10 months since the previous inspection, there has been one incident of a child going missing. Procedures were followed to ensure their safe return. A reduction can be seen in the use of physical intervention. This has occurred twice since the previous inspection, confirming that children are supported by staff with skills in behaviour management to avoid the need to use restraint.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Overall, staff have a good understanding of risk management and adapt their practice to individual, and changing, needs. Children receive guidance on how to keep themselves safe when interacting with others, either in person or when using the internet and social media. Many adventurous activities provide new experiences and opportunities to take measured risks, for example in participating in a range of water sports and using a zip- wire.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

New staff are employed subject to safer recruitment procedures. This is managed effectively by the organisation‟s human resources personnel. The manager is involved in the selection of staff for this home, and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. The manager has yet to complete training in safer recruitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced in residential care and, in July 2018, he was awarded a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. Staff and parents reported positively on the manager and about the support he provides to them and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive monthly supervision. These meetings provide an opportunity to reflect on staff practice and identify support for their professional development, such as training. Records of supervision are collated in a book for each member of staff to confirm the discussions held. These records fail to conclude with tasks, or action points, to work towards before the next supervision meeting. By introducing actions for the supervisee, this can provide some structure and measurable progress for staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation provides a suitable training programme for all staff, with a mixture of online training and face-to-face meetings. Leaders and managers are committed to the professional development of staff. This is evident through the recruitment of additional assessors to support staff achieving qualifications such as the level 3 diploma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following the previous inspection, leaders and managers reviewed procedures, record- keeping and practice in relation to physical restraint. Consequently, the requirements are Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 5 met, and the improvements are reflected in the inspection judgement for this inspection. The manager uses internal and external monitoring systems to good effect and acts to address shortfalls quickly and efficiently. The review of the quality of care is a much better document than the one presented at the previous inspection. The manager reflects on many aspects of care provided, yet he fails to transfer any of the actions into the development plan for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monthly reports submitted to Ofsted now include the independent person‟s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded. However, these reports lack clarity, using acronyms, and they fail to confirm whether previous recommendations have been met or not.

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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: 1258343 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Clare Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1258343 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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