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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 1 SC363268 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

This home is owned by a private company. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. According to the home’s statement of purpose, its ethos is to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment for the children in the home, while supporting them to understand their early experiences and be able to develop in all areas for the future.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 3 April 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 08/02/2022 Full Good 02/07/2019 Full Good 18/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 3

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outstanding

All children are making exceptional progress in this well-maintained, comfortable and personalised home.

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outstanding

Children are at the heart of practice. They openly talk to staff, including senior leaders. Staff respond to their needs with kindness, respect, and empathy. Children feel listened to and know that their concerns will be acted on by staff who care about them. The positive presence and voice of children is a golden thread throughout this home.

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outstanding

The staff are nurturing and responsive. They lead by example and are great role models for the children. Staff think creatively about how best to engage children. This allows them to have important conversations and help children to make good choices. This ensures continued progress and positive outcomes. Children’s behaviour improves significantly. Consequently, there has been a notable reduction in physical interventions.

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outstanding

Children attend school and are making substantial progress. One child, who had previously found school difficult, is now described as having ‘flawless’ behaviour. This is aided by the high-quality, stable and informed care that they are receiving. This child is also now mentoring younger children at school and having a positive impact on their lives.

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outstanding

All children benefit from a range of activities and hobbies, including sports, dance and Guides. Children speak positively about their personal achievements, such as taking part in performances attended by family members. Dedicated staff have supported one child to go on holiday abroad. Other children have enjoyed day trips and outings to their favourite places, including a football stadium and museum.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of supporting family relationships. Children enjoy spending time with their families and know that staff will help them to do this safely. Staff advocate for children and their families to spend time together in more relaxed environments when appropriate (for example, meeting in the community instead of a family centre). Staff take action to ensure that these visits are well planned, safe and enjoyable. This approach has significantly improved relationships between one child and their family.

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outstanding

One family member explained that their child has made ‘massive amounts of progress’. They went on to say that they could not thank the staff enough for the positive change they have made to their lives.

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outstanding

The manager and staff ensure that, when children move into or out of the home, this is well planned and takes children’s views fully into account. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 4 Relationships between staff, family members and other agencies, such as the police and education staff, are excellent. This informs effective and child-focused care- planning, avoids drift and keeps the child at the centre of decision-making.

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outstanding

Children said that they feel safe. They can speak openly and honestly and know that they will be heard. Children also highlighted the support that they receive from each other.

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outstanding

Informed and knowledgeable staff understand their roles and responsibilities. All staff have a sound knowledge of how to safeguard children. Children openly speak to staff if they are concerned about another child or are experiencing difficulties themselves. Staff confidently provide support and advice when needed. For example, work with one child prevented the child from being harmed online.

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outstanding

Staff know the children incredibly well. Informed and proactive responses reduce the need for physical intervention, which is only used as a last resort. Identifying learning from incidents is a priority for senior leaders. Significant and purposeful reflection informs practice.

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outstanding

Excellent, thorough and child-focused key-work sessions help children to explore some very difficult emotions. Records of these sessions are written to the child, using their words. This will benefit children should they wish to access their records in the future.

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outstanding

Children access a range of resources and engage with other professionals to support their health and development, including their mental health. The provider’s therapeutic team is supported by mental health practitioners. Managers and staff work collaboratively with agencies such as community teams, children’s services, youth offending staff and police officers. This is a fundamental part of the excellent approach to managing and reducing risk.

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outstanding

Children know how to complain. When children have made a complaint, they are spoken to, and their wishes acknowledged and clearly recorded. Proactive and sympathetic staff ensure that children are informed throughout and guide them sensitively to understand the outcome.

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outstanding

The leadership team has a meticulous oversight of allegations. Appropriate and swift action is taken to ensure the well-being and safety of children. Records are comprehensive and actions are clear. Proactive communication with relevant agencies, including the local authority designated officer, ensures transparency and collective learning. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager was not present during this inspection. However, children and staff spoke positively regarding their relationship with her and the support that she provides. The responsible individual visits the home regularly, and children recognise and engage confidently with him. Staff said that senior managers are approachable and receptive and that they enjoy working for the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive regular practice-related supervision and benefit from a wide range of training activities and resources. Staff who are new to the home said that they are supported by the leadership team and that the induction process is thorough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and family members are confident about the high quality of care and support provided to children. They also highlighted the excellent communication they have with the manager and staff. This approach supports the commendable progress that children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of the service and strive for continuous improvement. Senior managerial oversight is good. The responsible individual writes to children when preparing management reports to acknowledge their individual progress and achievements. Children respond extremely well to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Improvements have been made to some formal monitoring processes. However, not all are fully embedded and they rely on the registered manager providing feedback to senior managers. The registered manager’s quality-of-care review provides a good narrative of children’s progress and shows that managers know them well. However, there is less detail regarding improvements to the service. In addition, the independent visitor does not consistently gain the wishes and views of children, stakeholders or family members and their reports lack analysis in some areas. Action is already being taken to address these shortfalls and other processes have ensured that there has not been any negative impact on children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 6

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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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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC363268 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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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 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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Inspector

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