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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 1 Registered Provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited

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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 and provides care for up to three children with social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced manager who is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to assess the readiness of this home to start admitting children again. There have not been any children living at the home for a short time since the provider closed the home following a period of staffing challenges. Ofsted has placed a registration condition that, should the home wish to start accommodating children again, then three months’ notice must be provided. The provider has duly provided notice of their intention to start readmitting children.

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This monitoring visit

Five requirements and four recommendations were set at the last Ofsted inspection. There have been no children at the home since the previous inspection, so the provider’s response to the requirements and recommendations was not assessed at this monitoring visit. These remain to be addressed once the home reopens and accommodates children.

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This monitoring visit

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard and provides a welcoming, comfortable and relaxed family home environment. Children will each have their own bedroom, and these have been tastefully decorated and are ready for personalisation. Children can make their rooms their own by choosing colours and decorations that reflect their tastes and interests. There is a private lawn where the manager plans to install a patio area for barbecues and outdoor activities. Children can enjoy this home and be proud to live there.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is committed to providing the best possible care for children and supporting them to achieve good outcomes. She is enthusiastic. She is keen to succeed, and her plans for the home are well prepared. She has submitted her Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 2 application to Ofsted for registration. The manager holds the required qualification for managers of residential children’s homes, which is the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She is well supported by an experienced responsible individual who will provide empathetic leadership and guidance.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has completed a strong and detailed location risk assessment that meets the regulation. This document will provide staff with a good understanding of potential risks to children in the local area. The manager has a good knowledge and understanding of statutory and voluntary services in the area, and the assessment has been undertaken in collaboration with other agencies. This demonstrates that the manager has built good working relationships with key partners. This means that staff and other external agencies can respond to any risks in the community to safeguard the children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has undertaken work with the local community because of previous incidents of disruption in the area before the home closed. The manager has made considerable efforts to improve local relationships and allay the fears of neighbours over potential disruption. These efforts are commendable.

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This monitoring visit

Children moving into the home will be provided with a children’s guide. The children’s guide gives children the clarity and detail they need to understand what life will be like for them at the home. It answers questions children may have and details who they can speak to if they have any worries. The manager has made sure that children will know how to raise any concerns they may have, either with staff in the home or external professionals. The manager envisages an environment in which children are at the heart of the home and can be involved in decision-making.

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This monitoring visit

The manager understands the importance of keeping children safe and remaining vigilant over children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff will be able to safeguard children because the manager will complete individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans for children. These will be designed to guide staff practice. The risk assessment process is dynamic, starting before a child moves in and continuing throughout their time at the home. Risk assessments will be constantly reviewed and amended to reflect the children’s changing needs and risks. The electronic records system alerts staff to any changes in children’s recorded circumstances, including risk assessments. This will ensure staff have the required information, knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been recruited safely to allow the home to reopen. They have a range of skills and experience, and all will complete a structured induction programme and mandatory training. This training includes safeguarding, whistle-blowing and managing harmful sexual behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has systems and processes in place to ensure staff are well supported. This includes regular, structured supervision with a manager and group sessions with a psychologist. This will ensure that staff experience a positive and caring working environment. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 3 The manager has systems in place to monitor the quality of care, safeguarding and daily functioning of the home. This includes monthly independent visitor reports, regular auditing processes and analysis of incidents. The provider operates a system of ‘peer reviews’ in which managers of all the provider’s homes conduct audits on each other’s services. This develops managers’ skills, promotes good practice and supports shared learning. This comprehensive and effective approach ensures that the manager can be confident that children are receiving good care and support and making progress.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose accurately reflects the intentions of the organisation in relation to the care and services to be provided to children. Involved professionals, parents and carers can gain an accurate understanding of the care and support children are likely to receive. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 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, The 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home having plans regarding the child’s education and structuring days for children not attending school, so they continue to learn. 5 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 5 October 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 6 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manager relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that:

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Requirement Due date

records of incidents are clear, detailed and demonstrate management oversight, reflection and learning;

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Requirement Due date

children’s risk assessment in the community and home is prioritised and understood;

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Requirement Due date

risk relating to self-harm are understood; and

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Requirement Due date

management oversight of children’s personal information is retained within the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 5 October 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 7 This particularly refers to there being:

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments in place that identify known and potential risks for each child;

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments to identify potential risks when children have access to the internet; and

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Requirement Due date

children from other homes in the home and staff that are skilled and confident in challenging and dealing with inappropriate and risky behaviour.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring robust quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, used regularly and recorded. 5 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to most recent children’s placements ending by the provision giving notice to the placing local authority and ensuring that children’s matching processes are robust. 5 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 10.19)  The registered person should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements for the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards Page 22 4,13)  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the

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Recommendations

home and to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. To ensure staff can understand and meet each child’s needs in line with their responsibilities, the registered person themselves will need to have a high level of understanding of the needs of the children in their care. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)  The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 9

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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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Inspectors

Phillip Morris, Social Care Inspector Ms Helen Walters, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2656902 10 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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