Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited in New Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 1 SC461781 Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides residential care and accommodation for up to four children who have a learning disability and/or additional difficulties. The home offers an integrated service that includes therapy, education and care. The home is one of a number operated by a private provider. The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 18 September 2018

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection in September 2018, six requirements and six recommendations were made. These have all been addressed. Key-work sessions are now structured in a way which allows children to voice their concerns and opinions. There is now an emphasis on using these sessions to enable the children to reflect on their behaviours and the reasons behind these. This helps children to consider alternative strategies to manage their behaviour and how to develop their resilience and responsibility. Members of staff are now more active in exploring reasons behind behaviours and welcome advice and support from external professionals such as visiting mental health nurses. This ensures that options from different disciplines are considered when Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 2 developing intervention plans. A requirement was made in relation to ensuring that risk assessments are written to manage situations when there have been allegations made by children against members

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

of staff. Since the last inspection, there has only been one incident where this has been necessary. This was managed well and ensured that both the child and the member of staff were appropriately protected and supported. The risk assessment was clear about what measures needed to be in place until the issue was resolved to the satisfaction of child protection agencies and the senior managers in the organisation. The statement of purpose for the home has been updated and now contains all the information required by legislation. All incidents of sanctions and restraints are monitored and reviewed by the registered manager in a timely manner. This monitoring is effective and includes instances where monitoring by the registered manager had resulted in sanctions being revised or overruled where necessary. Examination of incidents which have involved restraint or the imposition of a sanction is thorough. The whole incident is explored so that the child’s

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

views are sought and amendments to behaviour management strategies implemented if necessary. A recommendation relating to ensuring that staff have their own sleeping-in area has been met. Staff do not now use a lounge as a bedroom. The home is in a good state of repair. There are effective responses from the maintenance team and this ensures that the home is comfortable and well maintained. Review of incidents and exploration of the reasons behind them ensures that members of staff take into consideration factors which may have an impact on why a child has reacted in the way that they have. This includes consideration of possible learning difficulties and cognitive disabilities which some children have. Analysis of incidents also means that triggers and patterns are identified and measures taken to avoid repetition. This has worked and resulted in a reduction of incidents for some children. Agreed targets are recorded in the child’s care plans. These are reviewed using

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

information from professionals from different disciplines, such as mental health, education and care. Progress in key areas is measured and assessed. This process also highlights areas where the child needs further support. These reviews inform care plans and identify areas where members of staff can offer extra support and guidance to children. This increases children’s progress and ensures plans are fluid and adjusted where needed. Risk assessments inform staff on what measures need to be implemented to keep children safe. These are clear for day staff and consider dynamic assessments of children’s presenting moods and behaviours. The risk assessments relating to threats to self-harm are not clear to members of staff who may be on night duty. Assessments do not outline when staff may need to check on a child if they have voiced suicidal thoughts earlier in the day. While this has not had an impact on the children, risk assessments

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

should outline the specific measures and strategies that night care staff should use. A recommendation is made in relation to this. Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 3 The monitoring by the registered manager and senior members of staff has ensured that the shortfalls identified in the previous inspection have been addressed. The improved standard of monitoring and evaluation has meant that members of staff have a better understanding of how to appropriately record information. This has helped staff to be more reflective and sensitive to the children’s needs and vulnerabilities as well as helping to assess patterns and trends in behaviours. Children continue to benefit from living at this home. Staff are doggedly determined in their efforts to support them. It is to staff’s credit that they have managed some very challenging situations and sustained their efforts to help the children make progress and

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

feel safe. This has been achieved with a view to enabling the children to reflect on their behaviours and decisions. This supports them to make positive choices which enhance their opportunities and life chances.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that the risk assessments inform night care staff what levels of supervision they need to maintain if there are concerns that a child may self- harm.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 4 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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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

Paul Taylor, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 5 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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