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

Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 1 SC484402 Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager who is suitably qualified and skilled to run the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/06/2021 Full Outstanding 10/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/09/2019 Full Good 13/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children currently live at the home. Children make progress in most aspects of their lives. Staff actively support children’s education with a culture that encourages learning. Children’s attendance at school is good and they are making progress. Managers and staff communicate well with education providers to ensure that children receive the support that they require.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to support and nurture important relationships with children. Two of the children that live at the home are siblings. Both children are pleased to be living with one another again after a period of living separately. Another child has just had her first ever sleepover at a friend’s house, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Children have built positive relationships with staff and seek staff out to spend time with them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in a home that is full of warmth and fun. Staff work hard to keep children meaningfully occupied and support children to participate in activities inside and outside of the home. This approach helps children to grow in confidence and enhances their social engagement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional well-being are well supported. Staff support children to access specialist assessments and support services where required. As a result, children are starting to make sense of their experiences and behaviours. This helps children to feel secure and have a better understanding of themselves.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular key-working sessions with children to help them to manage their feelings. The quality of these conversations varies, and staff do not document all the work that they complete with children for them to look back on in the future.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been encouraged and supported to personalise their bedrooms. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging. However, there are areas of the home that require further redecoration and attention to make the environment more homely and welcoming.

p.3

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

Children are safe and feel safe in the home. Staff understand the risks posed to children. Staff know the children and the best way to respond to and support them. Staff show children different ways to manage their emotions when they get upset. Children have a safe space to try different ways to cope and learn what is best for them. This increases their resilience and gives them coping strategies. As a result, the number of incidents has reduced.

p.3

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

Children have trusted adults who they can turn to. In addition to the staff team, there is a therapist who has weekly meetings with the children. This support has Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 4 meant that children are able to regulate their emotions better. The input from the therapist is valuable and allows the children to safely explore their emotions and make sense of their life.

p.3

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

Missing-from-home episodes have significantly reduced. When a child does go missing, staff take appropriate action to safeguard children and follow the correct procedures to bring about their safe return.

p.4

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

Staff promptly share information with professionals, and effective partnership working between agencies helps to keep children safe and protected.

p.4

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

The manager is proactive in her responses to incidents and immediate action is taken to establish all the facts. Notifications to appropriate people are sent in a timely manner.

p.4

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

Children are consulted about their lives and listened to. Key-working sessions take place with children to explore their feelings about incidents. This proactive approach reduces further incidents and helps children to understand their emotions and how to regulate them.

p.4

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

Managers put in place care plans, risk assessments and other documentation that provide staff with essential information. However, staff do not always read these quickly enough following review and they are not all accurate. Due to the staff’s good knowledge of the children, this has not compromised children’s safety.

p.4

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

Children benefit from having access to a large, enclosed garden. This requires improvement to ensure that it does not pose a potential risk to children. For example, there were paint tins left out and sections of the raised flower bed were broken. These items have the potential to cause harm. Some renovation is already taking place.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A small team of dedicated staff care for the children. Staff are of the view that the home is a ‘big family’ and that everyone works together to support children. There have been several staff changes since the last inspection. When staff leave, this is planned with the children as it is recognised that they need to have positive endings.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has recently admitted some younger children, and the differing support they require due to their age has not always been considered by staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that key documents pertaining to children, such as care plans and risk assessments, have been read by staff and that they are working with the most up-to-date information.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are well trained. They have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. Staff complete bespoke training according to the children’s particular Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 5 needs. This ensures that staff have the essential skills to meet the needs of the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and regular supervision and team meetings ensure that they remain skilled and supported in their roles. Supervision meetings consider the children, as well as the needs of the staff. New staff benefit from a thorough induction process, which helps them to get to know the children and understand their role.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior managers recognise the importance of retaining staff and incentives are in place to encourage staff to remain in their role. As a result, staff retention is good. A stable workforce provides continuity of care to the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. There is a joined-up approach with other professionals to meet the needs of children. Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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)(a)(i)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments reflect children’s current needs and risk-reduction strategies, and that all staff have read them.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that managers make the home environment safe and that it is decorated to a high standard. 3 January 2023

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 3 January 2023 Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 7 This relates to ensuring that there is an effective system in place for monitoring and reviewing records in the home.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records are personalised, accurate and up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)

p.7

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 children’s home: SC484402 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspectors

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC484402 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9