Children's home run by Footsteps to Futures Limited in Gedling

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 1 SC484402

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Footsteps To Futures Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people. The children and young people may have emotional and/or behavioural issues. The home aims to take a therapeutic approach. A new manager has recently been registered by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 14 February 2019 in response to a number of complaints about the quality of care that had been received by Ofsted. Several shortfalls were identified. A compliance notice and restriction notice were issued. The compliance notice required managers to take the following steps:  Put in place effective systems to monitor, record and review care in the home, and then act promptly on shortfalls identified.  Ensure that staff on every shift have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.  Put systems in place to ensure that children receive continuity of care. When care is disrupted, ensure that children are provided with appropriate support. This monitoring visit was carried out to assess whether the compliance notice had been adhered to and to decide whether the restriction notice was still required. The compliance notice is met. Improvements were identified as follows:

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This monitoring visit

 The new manager has the skills and experience to improve the home. She has a clear commitment to the home. She has implemented effective plans to address previous shortfalls.  The home is now fully staffed. The new manager has been careful in her recruitment so that new staff are passionate, resilient and determined. This demonstrates that the manager has a realistic understanding of the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 2 challenges facing the home.  The manager has introduced new induction processes. These include better opportunities to reflect on shadow shifts, and reflective supervision with the company psychologist. The company psychologist also offers group supervision and discussion forums.  The manager has overseen recent safeguarding incidents robustly and is working proactively with other agencies.  A staff member reported that there have been significant, positive changes in

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This monitoring visit

the home since the appointment of the new manager.  Quality assurance is clearly improved. A series of daily, weekly and monthly checks are now carried out by the manager and the responsible individual. These checks include a review of young people’s engagement, health and safety monitoring, evaluation of supervision and staff support, and a review of behaviour management strategies.  The responsible individual has learned from the shortfalls identified over the last year. He is working closely with the manager to implement improvement strategies. Due to the improvements noted at this visit, the restriction notice has now been lifted. Six requirements and three recommendations remain from the last inspection. These will be carried forward to the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/04/2018 Full Inadequate 01/08/2017 Full Good 12/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development

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Requirement Due date

of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment 15/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 4 procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to agency staff when the organisation or manager has not seen these checks for themselves. This is repeated from the last inspection. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person

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Requirement Due date

intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 15/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 5 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)) This is repeated from the last inspection. The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to ensure— that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)) This is repeated from the last inspection. 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected; (Regulation 21(a)) This is repeated from the last inspection. 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) This is repeated from the last inspection. 15/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 6

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Recommendations

 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)  Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  Ensure that care meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account of the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2) This is in particular reference to one child’s care plan, which did not

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Recommendations

incorporate all of this information. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps To Futures Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, ALB Enterprise Park, 170-180 Carlton Road, Nottingham NG3 2BB

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Inspector(s)

Bev Allison, social care inspector Philip Cass, RIM Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC484402 8 to 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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