Children's Home run by Footsteps to Futures Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 1 Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to three children who present with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 3

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outstanding

Children make outstanding progress in all areas of their lives. They receive nurturing care and support, which helps them to grow emotionally as individuals. Managers and staff know the children well and they have an extremely good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and how best to support the children in their care. Some examples of this include:

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outstanding

 helping one child to address a long-standing substance misuse  eradicating risks of actual or potential exploitation  helping one child to successfully return to live with their parent  helping another child to significantly reduce incidents of self-harm  helping a child to rebuild their relationship with a parent  supporting all children to reconnect with education and to see the value of education and learning.

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outstanding

Children thrive in this home. Their progress from their starting points is exceptional. Involved agencies cannot praise the staff team enough for what they have done for the children in their care. Some of the feedback includes:

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outstanding

 ‘When they moved to this home, they were hunched over, non-communicative and could not make eye contact. When they left, they stood tall, laughing and chatty. Their mother said that she had got her child back as she remembered them.’  ‘Children feel safe, valued and loved by staff in this home.’  ‘My child is a totally different person to the one who moved in. They have never been so happy.’

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outstanding

These children have experienced significant disruption in relation to their education before moving here. Their attendance and engagement in education have been a significant barrier to their learning. They now have bespoke education packages which meet their specific learning styles. Some children are about to sit GCSE or functional skills exams this year. This would not have been thought possible before moving to this home.

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outstanding

Children receive genuine therapeutic parenting from the staff team. The therapeutic models used enable children to be ‘children again’, to have fun, and to feel loved and valued. They thrive from such outstanding care. Therapy is available for all children from an external provider. There have been significant reductions in self- harm, substance misuse and risk-taking behaviours. Children learn to feel valued and their emotional well-being needs are met to an outstanding level. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 4 Children have been able to rebuild their relationships with parents and significant others. This has led to one child returning home to live. This had not previously been felt possible. Another child has reconnected with a parent and is enjoying positive visits. This promotes a real sense of value and belonging for children.

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outstanding

From their starting points, children become significantly safer from risk of harm. This includes risks posed by substance misuse, self-harm and child exploitation. Staff fully understand the risks for each child. Assessments and plans reflect their current and changing risk factors. Staff support children to understand their needs and work with them to make them safer.

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outstanding

Staff know the children so well that physical interventions are very rarely used. This reflects the outstanding competence and skills of staff. They know the actual and potential for children to become distressed or angry. They respond to such emotions with genuine care and love. Children learn how to manage their emotions in a much safer manner. They take pride in seeing and feeling the progress they have made in relation to their emotions and ability to manage them.

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outstanding

Staff understand the value of and need for enabling children to take age-appropriate risks. This includes allowing them more time in the community on their own and in making their own decisions. Staff see this as part of the process of preparing children for their eventual move on from the home. It enables and empowers children to learn from their mistakes, but in a safe and supported manner. This home is seen as a safe base for the children living there. They receive unconditional love and feel able to make disclosures and share concerns from their past with staff. They know that staff will respond sensitively and with real empathy.

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outstanding

Staff and managers work closely and proactively with a range of agencies to keep children safe. There is a clear and proactive multi-agency approach to keeping children safe. A key strength is in how well the staff and managers have managed to eradicate any risks of exploitation or substance addiction issues. Children feel safer and are significantly safer as a result of such care.

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outstanding

Staff working in the home are subject to robust recruitment procedures and checks. This ensures that no unsuitable adults are allowed to work with vulnerable children. There have been no allegations made by children about staff working with them. This reflects not only staff competence, but also their skills in working with children sensitively. Children form genuine and meaningful relationships with staff and managers, who they feel safe with.

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outstanding

There have been very few missing-from-care incidents. Staff follow clear and robust safety plans and risk assessments and fully understand their roles and responsibilities. There is clear learning by managers from any incidents of concern or risk for children. The learning ethos of the home enables children and staff to Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 5 continually learn from such incidents and to further reduce the risks posed to and by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational and is seen as a significant person in both the children’s and staff’s lives. She is passionate about her role and sees the staff team and children as an extension of her own family. She goes above and beyond every day to make sure that children and staff feel valued, loved and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

She is supported by an equally dedicated and inspirational deputy manager. The managers work closely and positively and share the same ethos. They strive for children to achieve and for staff to feel valued and supported. The responsible individual for the home is also a key member of the team. She has formed close and positive relationships with both staff and children. She is a regular visitor to the home. She knows the children as well as the managers and celebrates their achievements with pride.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff love working in this home. They see it as an extension of their own families and refer to the children and themselves as being ‘one big crazy family’. They receive an excellent induction to the home. They value regular and meaningful supervision and excellent training and development opportunities. They have a clear and strong voice in how the home is run.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have an outstanding understanding of the needs of the children. They monitor all aspects of the care provided to ensure that continual progress is made. They challenge other agencies where issues arise. They act as very strong and positive advocates for the children. Their monitoring and tracking systems are excellent. The quality of the daily and weekly reports produced about each child was described as ‘outstanding’ by one placing social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team was nominated for a national award recently by the responsible individual and director of the company. The team won this award. This, again, reflects the quality of care provided by this staff team. The team was seen as providing genuine therapeutic care and support to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The standard and quality of recording and documentation used in the home are exemplary. Managers have considered the needs of new staff in understanding the recording process. New staff have access to a range of guides to how to record incident reports, risk assessments and other key documents. They are provided with a language and terminology guide. This supports them to understand the wide range of abbreviations used. Such attention to details means that staff quickly feel confident in their new roles. Records kept would have real and meaningful value to children if they were to request access to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 6

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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: 2598648 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chesterfield House, 1 Station Street, Bingham, Nottingham NG13 8AQ

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2598648 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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