Children's Home run by New Forest Care Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 1 SC363268 Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 3 April 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 15 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 for children's home: SC363268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2019 Full Good 18/12/2018 Full Good 24/01/2018 Full Good 14/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are very happy living in this home and have made significant progress. Children receive good-quality care, which is acknowledged and appreciated by parents, social workers and other professionals. Staff know the children well and understand their individual needs. They provide consistent care, in line with the children’s individual care plans. As a result, the children have stayed here for several years and are well settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive and well-established relationships with children, families and professionals. Children are encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships and contact with their families and friends. This was acknowledged by a social worker who said, ‘Most staff have been with our child for years, and the manager is like a surrogate mother to the child. They have supported the child with family problems and helped rebuild relationships with their family.’ A family member also confirmed this by saying, ‘Staff have been so helpful to our family; this has helped our child flourish and be happier than ever.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give special attention to the children’s health needs. Children are given emotional and psychological support. Staff use a parenting model of care to help the children to deal with their emotional and psychological needs. Children have access to internal therapeutic practitioners. As a result, children have developed self- regulating skills and the ability to explore their feelings and emotions through reflective discussions with staff and professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to. Staff recognise the importance of capturing the children’s voices through meetings and records. They ensure that children are given a vast number of opportunities to express their views and wishes. Children engage in ‘lounge parties’ and confidently engage in individual discussions with staff and their social workers, within and outside of planned sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a variety of exciting and innovative activities. They attend local clubs where they enjoy meeting other children from different backgrounds. Children also visit different countries and cities where they have fun taking part in activities and learning about diverse cultures. One child said, ‘I really enjoyed our holiday to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands; there was so much to see, and we had fun. I want to go back again.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, and most areas are well decorated with features chosen by the children. Children’s bedrooms are decorated with personalised art and craft effects, completed by the children. However, some areas of the interior of the home require redecoration. Some doorways in the home show cracks and need reinforcing, and parts of the children’s bathroom and shower require painting and refreshing. Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 4 Children benefit from a variety of opportunities to develop life skills, which help to extend their social experiences. Children enjoy completing daily tasks such as cooking, laundry and ironing their own clothes. One child has worked for two years doing a paper round. This has given him work experience, which has enabled him to obtain a new job in the local area. The child proudly said, ‘I can’t wait to start my new job. I will use my pay to buy a new laptop for my college work.’

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

Staff manage safeguarding processes well. To ensure that children are kept safe, staff use their training, team discussions and individualised assessments that are completed with the children’s involvement. As a result, a consistent child-centred approach is used by the staff.

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

Children do not go missing from home. This is because of the trusting and secure relationships the children share with staff. Children go out in the local community independently and sometimes with staff. Those who go out independently, follow clearly laid out steps that are planned in a safe way. Therefore, children visit friends and family, attend school, work, and go on overnight camping trips without staff support. This helps the children to build their confidence and keep themselves safe.

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

Physical restraints are rarely used. When children experience emotional difficulties, staff respond with compassion. They consistently use a therapeutic approach and guidance from behaviour assessments, which are completed by both the children and staff. This has enabled the children to reattune themselves and make safer choices about how they manage their feelings and emotions. A social worker acknowledged this by saying that their child was supported with their emotions and feelings ‘to the maximum’ and that ‘staff are well equipped and knowledgeable’.

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

The environment is kept safe, and health and safety checks are completed regularly. However, the home’s fire evacuation plan is not readily available for staff to refer to when needed. The home has door alarms fitted on the children’s bedroom doors. However, there is no evidence showing that this is necessary to safeguard children and promote their welfare.

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

The organisation follows safer recruitment procedures effectively when employing staff. This is to ensure that the children are supported by individuals who have been checked and are regarded as suitable to care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very enthusiastic and passionate about the children and the progress they have made. She shares a clear vision with the staff and ensures that they use the home’s identified model of practice in the care given to the children. A member of staff said, ‘She goes above and beyond for the children and staff here and will support them when needed.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 5 The registered manager has very good relationships with the children, their parents and professionals. She makes contact directly with family members and attends some visits with the children, to maintain and monitor the relationship-building process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff record and report incidents accurately and promptly. The registered manager and the lead person for restraint training provide good oversight that clearly guides staff on the use of approved practice. Information is then shared in a timely way with parents and social workers. Nevertheless, on one occasion, leaders and managers did not let Ofsted know about a serious event. This failure to report meant that Ofsted could not review the safeguarding practice in the home and ensure children’s safety and welfare were met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides excellent support to staff and is valued by her team. Staff, including the registered manager, receive regular and effective supervision. Protected time and space are provided to the staff by the home’s therapist after serious incidents occur or when they require individual support. This is to debrief them on a one-to-one basis or as a. Team meetings are facilitated by the registered manager, and these focus on the upskilling of the staff and refreshing their training and required care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses an effective workforce development plan. This results in good-quality training being provided to the staff. Leaders and managers provide the necessary tools to ensure that staff use the acquired knowledge to improve their practice and the care given to the children. The registered manager has implemented systems in the home that support staff in using a parenting style of care derived from their training, while maintaining safe practice. This helps the staff to develop and maintain their skills to support the children with their care needs and to make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff promote equality and diversity effectively. Children are encouraged to celebrate and have discussions about different cultures, identities and backgrounds. Staff make these discussions and celebrations exciting by providing clothing and other effects from different cultures to help celebrate these occasions. Staff support the children to visit shops and hairdressers that supply suitable hair and skin products for them. This helps the children to engage with individuals from similar backgrounds to themselves and make connections to their cultural heritage. Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 6

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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 may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff have ready access to the fire evacuation plan. 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 March 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a homely and domestic environment. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations; 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) Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children's home: SC363268 8

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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, Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC363268 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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