Children's Home run by First Steps Care Ltd in Worcestershire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 1 Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd

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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. The home registered with Ofsted in September 2021 and provides care for up to four children who may have specific emotional needs and are likely to have experienced trauma. There were three children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 8 February 2022. There is a manager in post who has submitted her application to register with Ofsted. Since the last inspection, a new responsible individual has been appointed.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Children have good relationships with staff. Staff have many good things to say about, and to, children and this helps create a positive environment. There have been times when despite plans being in place unforeseen circumstances have meant that there are not enough consistent staff in the home. Leaders have learned from this. They have put a staff stand-by system in place to try to avoid this in the future. This indicates that leaders look to find solutions and learn from more challenging times.

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The care of children

The manager and responsible individual consider information about children carefully before deciding whether they can offer children a home. They liaise with key professionals to make sure they have all the essential information. The manager also puts in place a positive transition into the home with visits by staff to children, and children visit the home. This helps children to feel settled from the outset.

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The care of children

Staff have put in place strategies to support children to reduce incidents in the home. This has been effective, and children have made progress in regulating their behaviour and use of language. This has led to a more settled house.

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The care of children

Staff are keen to help children personally develop and take some risks. For example, one child wants to walk to school with his friends. The manager and staff have agreed a measured approach to build up to this child walking to school. This means that staff can consider how this is working over time and build slowly so that expectations are clear. Children understand why this is in place but are often keen to move more quickly. Staff continue to explain why they are taking a measured approach and children do understand this. This helps children to continue to make progress and be successful.

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The care of children

Staff work hard to make the home a clean, pleasant place for children to live in. Staff maintain the home and garden so that children have a positive environment in which to live and grow.

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The safety of children

The manager has put helpful, detailed risk assessments in place to support staff in their work. There is some out-of-date information in them, as well as some errors in information, but the guidance provided to staff is clear, helpful and easy to understand. Staff have a good knowledge of children’s main risks, but the manager is aware that increasing this knowledge is a target for all staff. There are plans in place to address this. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 3 Since the last inspection, there has been a reduction in risky behaviour relating to self-harm, suicidal statements and sexualised behaviour. Leaders arranged specific training about self-harm and all staff also complete a mandatory training package. In addition, leaders also arranged training about sexualised behaviour with a clinician. This has helped staff develop their knowledge and understanding. As a result, staff

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The safety of children

feel prepared to deal with different situations that may arise.

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The safety of children

Staff do not use physical intervention often. When they do, it is appropriate to the situation and individualised to children. Staff do not always discuss incidents with a manager afterwards and some of these debriefs lack detail and rigorous challenge to practice. As a result, this limits reflective learning.

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The safety of children

Staff have a good knowledge of children’s specific health needs. All staff are trained to administer medication, and medication errors are infrequent. If staff make errors, the manager investigates, identifies learning, and addresses practice as needed. This means that children’s health needs are well attended to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home manager has applied to register with Ofsted and is awaiting an interview to determine her suitability. The manager has a detailed knowledge of the children and staff and knows the home well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has monitoring processes in place. There are areas, such as with the administration of medication, where these systems assure the manager of good practice. However, there are too many areas where there is poor attention to detail in records. In addition, the manager’s oversight of what essential documents staff have read and understood is not effective. This weakens the manager’s oversight of the home. The responsible individual is aware of this and has created an action plan to address all issues in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The independent visitor attends the home regularly. The manager and responsible individual have identified that the visitor is not challenging the home enough to improve. They have appointed a new visitor. This gives a clear indication that leaders want to challenge practice to be the best they can be.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff access a wide pool of online training. The manager has also put face-to-face training in place for specific issues or concerns. Staff have increased their knowledge and improved their practice because of these learning opportunities, but the mechanism for managers to assess knowledge after training is weak. This is not discussed in team meetings or supervision, which is a missed opportunity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

New staff receive a good induction, and they feel this prepares them for working in the home. However, managers have not ensured that staff have access to regular supervision sessions in line with the home policy. This reduces the support staff have to develop their skills further. The requirement related to supervision from the last inspection is re-raised. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 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 within the given timescales.

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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

In particular, the manager must ensure that monitoring activities include addressing attention to detail so that records are accurate and up to date. There must also be an effective mechanism in place for the manager to know if staff have read and understood essential documents, such as care plans and risk assessments. 3 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 4(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are given consistent and regular supervision that helps them reflect on children’s care and improve their practice.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 3 November 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 6 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") —

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there are reflective conversations with all staff involved in physical interventions, and that learning from this is detailed and shared as appropriate. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kemp House, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspector

Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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