Children's home run by New Beginnings Young People’s Care and Support Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 1 Registered provider: New Beginnings Young People’s Care and Support Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with learning disabilities and/or who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in 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

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a welcoming and homely environment in which children make good progress. It has a calm and relaxed atmosphere, which helps children to feel safe and secure.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are cared for by staff who know them well and speak warmly and knowledgeably about them. The staff build good and meaningful relationships with the children. One external professional described how their child is in a ‘much better place emotionally’ and is ‘definitely happier’ since living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are engaging in education. This is helping the children to create more opportunities for their lives. The staff have been proactive in supporting one child to attend college. This is a significant achievement as the child has not been in education for many years.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. The children are encouraged to eat healthily and attend all their health appointments. This helps children access specialist support to improve their physical health and well-being. One child’s teeth have improved, and another child is on the pathway for a specialist assessment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a range of activities, including going to concerts, the gym and out for meals. One child goes football training twice a week, and another child regularly goes fishing. The staff support children to enjoy different experiences. For example, staff arranged for one child to be a ‘ball boy’ at a league football match. One child has recently been accepted into a youth commissioning team with the police. This provides the children with opportunities to develop their social skills and resilience.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to see their family and friends. Family and friends are welcome in the home, and staff facilitate overnight stays for the children with friends. This helps the children to maintain their identity and continue to spend quality time with the people who are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individual work is carried out with children on important issues, such as healthy relationships, substance misuse and family time. This work is focused and specific to the children’s needs and daily experiences. The children’s views, wishes and feelings are ascertained by staff. However, the records do not always evidence how these are acted on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to carry out daily tasks, such as cooking, managing their personal care and shopping independently, in line with their individual needs. However, there is not consistent evidence in the children’s records of how staff help to prepare them for adult life. Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 4 Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and with the best possible planning. When children are preparing to leave the home, staff support them to experience a smooth transition and positive ending.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have a memory book of their time in the home. This supports them to reflect on their experiences and progress.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding. Staff understand the children’s individual experiences and respond by putting in place appropriate boundaries around what is safe and acceptable. The staff team educates the children to make safer choices and to keep themselves safe. One external professional said that they have seen significant improvements in one child’s safety and stability since being at the home.

p.4

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

Assessments of risk are detailed and understood by staff. This ensures that staff take the right action when children go missing from the home. For example, staff make every effort to contact and locate the child, working closely with the police, the placing authority and relevant others. Return home interviews are carried out.

p.4

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

Staff use effective de-escalation techniques, and there have not been any physical interventions for almost six months. This helps to create a positive environment where the children can flourish.

p.4

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. One child has a guide in place of how staff can support them in all areas of their lives. The guide is child focused and provides staff with a detailed overview of the child’s needs, including how staff can encourage positive behaviours and build on the child’s strengths.

p.4

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

The managers and staff know what to do in response to any allegations made. Timely referrals to the local authority designated officer are made, and actions are put in place to minimise the risk to children to allow the necessary enquiries to be made.

p.4

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

Children know how to make a complaint. They are kept informed throughout the process and informed of the outcome.

p.4

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

Searches of bedrooms are carried out sensitively by staff. All searches are recorded appropriately, and children’s views about the search are evident in the records. The reasons for the searches are clear and there is management oversight.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified manager. The manager is supported by an experienced responsible individual and a deputy manager. The managers know the children well and are positive role models for staff and children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 5 The home is adequately staffed for the children currently living there. There is a stable staff team in place. When additional staff are required, a specific bank worker is used, which helps to ensure consistency for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. The manager carries out monthly audits to ensure that they have regular oversight of what is working well for the children. The managers have recently introduced a self-evaluation form and action plan to further improve the quality of care provided to the children by managers and staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the managers are supportive and that they enjoy working in the home. Staff receive regular supervision and records demonstrate that supervision is of good quality and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on their practice. This helps the manager to clearly understand staff’s strengths and areas for development. Regular team meetings take place which allow for feedback and discussion.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the children’s individual needs. For example, staff have received training in topics such as online safety, protecting children from criminal exploitation and county lines. All staff have received PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) model of care training. This ensures that staff have a good knowledge and skill base to safeguard and support children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff work well with children’s families and all relevant agencies. Two external professionals described communication with staff as ‘excellent’. However, one professional said it would be helpful to receive monthly progress reports for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is consistent evidence of staff supporting children to develop their independence skills in their records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings, and the results of these being listened to and acted on, and are detailed in their records. Furthermore, information about the child should always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that there is a clear record for all children of how staff can encourage positive behaviours and build on the child’s strengths. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that information about the child’s experiences and progress is shared with relevant parties on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)

p.6

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’.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The guide is child focused and provides staff with a detailed overview of the child’s needs, including how staff can encourage positive behaviours and build on the child’s strengths. Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Beginnings Young People’s Care and Support Services Limited

p.7

Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2554036 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.

p.7

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8