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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 1 SC461781 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

The children’s home provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities and additional needs. It offers an integrated service that includes therapy, education and care. The home is one of a number operated by this private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since January 2023 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The home refers to the staff as adults. The report reflects the language used in the home.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live happily in their home and have positive relationships with adults. The children are involved in planning their meals and have personalised their rooms. Children contribute to developing the home environment and the garden. One child has built benches and bird boxes which are enjoyed by adults and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults nurture the children’s talents and interests. Adults help children to attend music lessons and regular swimming sessions and take children on days out. These experiences enrich the children’s lives. Adults encourage children to express their individuality and, as a result, children are developing a sense of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress with their social and emotional skills. Adults promote the children’s independence skills, particularly around shopping and budgeting. All the children attend school regularly and are achieving in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support children to spend time with their families and make extra efforts for this to happen. This can involve driving long distances to see family. Children are spending more quality time with their families as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some records are not kept up to date as well as they could be. One child’s care plan was not up to date in relation to their night-time care. Adults have not recorded the direct work they are doing with children to resolve conflict that has happened between them.

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

Risks for children are reducing. Risk assessments are updated following serious incidents. Online safety is well understood and safeguards are in place. Children do not go missing from home.

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

Adults promote positive risk-taking for children. One child is involved in woodwork and gardening activities. There are clear support plans in place for children to use woodwork tools unsupervised. However, this has not been formally risk assessed to help adult understand how to reduce the risks of the activity.

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

Adults are confident in managing children’s health needs. Children have differing dietary requirements and adult manage these well. During the inspection, one child was unwell and adult responded to the child with care.

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

Adults use a positive approach to behaviour and use rewards and celebrations when children follow the rules of the home. When physical intervention is used, this is recorded well and reviewed by the manager. Leaders monitor patterns and trends of children’s behaviour. As a result, the use of physical intervention is reducing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 4 Concerns about the adults practice have been managed well. The managers take immediate action to ensure the safety of the children. Investigations into poor practice are carried out fairly. Leaders seek and follow the advice of the local authority designated officer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced, suitably qualified and has applied to register with Ofsted. He has met the compliance notice that was issued following the assurance inspection on 9 March 2023.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults are confident in the manager’s leadership skills. He provides adults with clear guidance and support. The manager is a positive role model to adults. He has developed strong relationships with children and they trust ‘he will get things done’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults are now well supported with supervision. The adult’s supervision is happening as per the home’s policy, with a new format, including a theme of the month for discussion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults are well trained and have now had training specific to the children’s needs. The manager has improved his oversight of the training completed and monitors this closely. The manager has used the organisation’s specialist trainer to ensure that adult understand how to respond to the use of ligatures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care provided. He has clear development plans in place to improve the quality of care for children. The views of children and adults are considered in the home’s development. The manager has started using monitoring systems, which are being embedded in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children know how to make a complaint. Complaints from children are well managed. The manager takes complaints seriously and investigates them. Managers write to children with the outcome of their complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has plans to improve the home environment. Inspectors noted there was wear and tear in the home, such as damage to cabinets and scratches on the windows, and in the garden, broken windows in the shed need replacing. These were reported to the organisation’s maintenance department during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s local authority care plans and review minutes are not always available. There has been no action to chase or obtain these documents from the local authority. This was addressed by leaders during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 5

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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 maintain records ("case records") for each child which —

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure the home has a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

Also, that children’s records need to be kept up to date to accurately reflect their current care needs. 18 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of its children. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. The registered person should respond to maintenance issues in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that adults continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 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: SC461781 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, Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspectors

Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Faye McCarthy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC461781 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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