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

Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 1 SC485529 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 accommodates a maximum of three children who have complex emotional, behavioural and educational difficulties. The home is privately owned and includes a local educational establishment. All children have access to the organisation’s therapeutic services.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has n not had a registered manager since February 2019.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2018 Full Good 15/11/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 25/05/2016 Full Outstanding 05/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 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 must recruit staff using recruitment 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).

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Requirement Due date

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; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, consistently use reliable methods to ascertain the suitability of persons who are to work in the home. 21/06/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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; 21/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 4 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, maintain an appropriately sized and sustainable staff team in order to ensure continuity of care and promote positive relationships.

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Recommendations

 Those with a leadership and/or management role should be visible and accessible to staff and able to deliver their leadership and/or management responsibilities. Any registered manager employed in the home should have sufficient capacity to ensure that the Quality Standards are met for each child in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7) In particular, the leadership of the home must be clear to all and succession of leadership, effectively managed.  The registered person must appoint the independent person and is ultimately responsible for making sure that an appointment does not give rise to a conflict of interest that would, or would appear to, compromise the ability of that person to reach a rigorous and impartial judgement of the quality of that home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children who live in this home make significant progress in becoming safer, connecting with their learning and reducing unwanted behaviours. This progress is facilitated by strong partnership working between school, home and the therapeutic team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s feelings of security and belonging have increased as a result of a more stable staff team as well as stronger, clearer leadership in the home. Children develop positive and trusted relationships with members of staff and one child said, ‘This is my home; this is where I live.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take pride in understanding and responding to the children’s wishes and feelings interest in the details of their day-to-day experiences is evident. This helps the children to feel valued and build positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to expand their experience of the world, participating in a wide Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 5 range of social and recreational activities outside the home. This includes trips abroad to experience different systems and cultures and build positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are knowledgeable about the children’s families and work closely with placing authorities to facilitate the retention and development of key relationships and to strengthen, where appropriate, those that have become weakened. This is often in the context of complex and challenging histories. Children’s feelings of security at the home, together with the insightful support of staff, help them retain and build family ties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Advocacy for the children is strong and leaders take appropriate action when they believe plans for children are inappropriate or not in their best interests.

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

Transitions into the home are carefully managed and children settle quickly and readily engage in the life of the home. They said that they feel secure and well cared for. They express feelings of belonging and attachment. This experience has, however, been diluted at times during the first half of this inspection period, because of a weak staff team.

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

The challenging behaviour of most of the children reduces significantly after moving in. For one child, the placing social worker described this reduction as ‘immense’. When children are at risk of harm, including when they go missing from the home the response of staff is immediate and comprehensive, and efforts to safeguard them are made in close cooperation with other key professionals.

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

Children are actively supported to increase their independence and learn how to keep themselves safe in the wider community. They are supported to take risks appropriate to their abilities and become more confident and self-assured.

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

Care staff work closely with the organisation’s therapeutic team to address complex safeguarding issues identified for some children. Careful plans are made to support their progress and reduce possible current, as well as possible future, harm.

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

Staff are vigilant and alert to the risks associated with the internet, in particular by people who may seek to exploit the children in some way. Appropriate boundaries for internet access are maintained and children are supported to learn about online hazards and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Any staff underperformance that may place children at risk is taken seriously, and immediate, formal action is taken when this arises. Shortfalls are addressed, lessons are learned, and risks reduced or eliminated where possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 6 The first half of this inspection period was characterised by uncertain leadership arrangements and poor succession planning. The number of different staff working in the home during this period was more than three times the number in the current staff team. This resulted in an unsettled home, unsettled children and a weak staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Over the past four months the stability of the home has, however, improved significantly. There is a qualified and experienced manager in post, who is in the process of registration with Ofsted. The current staff team is appropriately sized to provide sustainable continuity of care but requires further time to develop effective levels of cohesion and team working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager leads with confidence and enthusiasm. She is ably supported by an experienced deputy and enjoys the support and trust of her staff team. The current statement of purpose contains the required elements and information but is lacking in clarity and focus. As a result, it is not yet an effective tool for leading and directing staff to deliver stated outcomes in accordance with a clear approach and ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirements for safer recruitment are currently met. However, the practice for assessing the preferred qualities and resilience of prospective care workers is weak and links poorly with the application process and outdated job descriptions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current practice around induction, probation and staff supervision meets requirements, and regular child-focused team meetings support staff in delivering consistent care to the children. Monitoring systems are in place and leaders effectively gauge the progress that the children are making and identify factors that might undermine this. All staff spoke about the children knowledgeably, and with insight and affection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Until very recently, the independent visitor to the home was an employee of the organisation and this arrangement contravened regulation. The current independent visitor was the previous registered manager of the home and her ability to make rigorous and impartial judgements, free of any conflict of interests, needs to be established.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 7

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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:

John Pledger, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC485529 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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