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

Assurance visit report: SC485529 1 SC485529

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 17 February 2020

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

Assurance visit report: SC485529 2 We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Relationships between the children and the staff are positive and warm. The children develop a strong sense of who they are, while being able to express their anxieties and process their history in a contained environment. As a result, they can experience being children and they accept and engage in the care and support that is available to them.

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The care of children

The positive relationships that the staff nurture with the children have supported the children to adapt to the new ways of living in response to COVID-19. This includes a recent period of self-isolation.

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The care of children

Staff help the children to recognise their developing resilience and that they have the power to overcome adversity. The staff know the children well and recognise when they are struggling. Staff and the manager carefully reflect on and consider the best way to support and help the children. Social workers comment on the positive progress the children make. One parent commented her child was, ‘a different child’ since living at the home.

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The care of children

Staff support the children to achieve academically, with a strong focus on their individual strengths and interests. One child who, before coming to the home, did not attend school, is now in full-time attendance. For another child, the focus is very much on developing his vocational skills. Staff have supported him by providing work experience with the organisation’s maintenance workers.

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The care of children

All three boys at the home have been involved in helping to landscape the garden. This has enabled them to master tasks they previously could not do. Staff recognise that the acquisition and demonstration of new skills help to foster positive self- esteem.

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The care of children

Staff encourage and motivate the children to follow their interests, whatever they may be. In this home, the children’s main passion is football. Through their interests children extend their social skills and gain greater confidence.

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The safety of children

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and strengths and the staff quickly identify if there are changes in behaviour that may indicate something is worrying or troubling a child. The home’s attachment model is embedded in the children’s plans and is also evident in the practice of staff.

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The safety of children

The staff hold good knowledge of safeguarding and know who to contact if they have any concerns. Training is now primarily online due to COVID-19 restrictions; this includes training on safeguarding. Learning activities enable staff to understand Assurance visit report: SC485529 3 the potential impact of abuse and neglect and to keep the children safe and protected.

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The safety of children

Staff take care to engage positively with the children’s families. This promotes honest conversations, which the families appreciate. On occasion, when family visits cannot go ahead, staff are empathetic and plan other activities that they know the children will enjoy. This helps to reduce distress and the children become less anxious.

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The safety of children

All children have plans to support them in times of frustration or anxiety. Staff are clear about the need to respond consistently. Patterns of behaviour are reviewed, and children are supported to understand what their triggers or thought processes may be. Newly developed ‘my safe space’ plans are written together with the children. The plans set out the views of children about how they want the staff to best help them. The plans also reflect the commitment of staff to holding the children’s voice at the centre of practice.

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The safety of children

Children’s behaviour management plans do not evidence specific consideration of their health needs or relevant past experiences. This means that there is a risk that physical intervention may be used without a full exploration of the implications of this for each child. The children’s plans are currently being redesigned by the leaders in the organisation to reflect this.

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The safety of children

There is a debrief process for the team to follow after an incident and also for the child who has been involved. However, on some of the records seen by inspectors, the staff who were involved in the restraint incident were also undertaking debriefs with the child. Consequently, oversight of these incidents does not provide sufficient independent scrutiny. Moreover, the statement of purpose does not specify how staff competence will be assessed in relation to the use of restraint techniques, as required by regulation.

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Leaders and managers

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left. A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of making his application to register with Ofsted. The staff and leaders helped the children to settle and adapt to the change by ensuring a well-planned handover, along with thoughtful consideration of arranging a positive meeting between the children and the previous manager.

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Leaders and managers

The morale is good in the home, and staff say they feel well supported. A core team of regular staff provides consistent care for the children. When there is no manager in the home, staff value the on-call 24-hour management team support that is provided.

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Leaders and managers

The manager ensures that partner agencies are fully informed of any change in children’s presentation or needs and seeks to gain the appropriate support at these times. If the leaders are concerned that a child is not getting the service they require they will actively escalate this to the appropriate persons. Assurance visit report: SC485529 4 The standard of maintenance at the home is variable. Non-essential maintenance has been delayed due to COVID-19. Some areas would benefit from some more homely touches. No books were seen in the home; this is something the new manager plans to rectify. Plans are in place to ensure that a high-quality environment for the children is maintained.

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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 compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure the statement of purpose contains information on how staff competence to the use of restraint techniques is assessed. 20/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 20/12/2020

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Recommendations

Assurance visit report: SC485529 5  Any use of restraint carries risks. These include causing physical injury, psychological trauma or emotional disturbance. When considering whether restraint is warranted, staff in children’s homes need to take into account: – the age and understanding of the child; – the size of the child; – the relevance of any disability, health problem or medication to the behaviour in question and the action that might be taken as a result; – the relative risks of not intervening; – the child’s previously sought views on strategies that they considered might de- escalate or calm a situation, if appropriate; – the method of restraint which would be appropriate in the specific circumstances; and – the impact of the restraint on the carer’s future relationship with the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.55)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the

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Recommendations

needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure all areas of the home are maintained to a high standard and include homely touches, for example, that books are available for the children.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: New Forest Care Ltd, West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC485529 6 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

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