Children's Home run by Fresh Start Care Group Ltd in Gloucestershire

Inspection report children's home: 2730402 1 Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider. The home provides care for two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home registered in May 2023. A second manager has been developing into the managers role, they have submitted an application to register. Should their application be deemed suitable the current registered manager intends to resign but will continue to support the new manager.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2730402 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report children's home: 2730402 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled in quickly forming trusting relationships with children. This helps children to settle in the home and develop a good sense of permanence and belonging. Staff know the children well and take time to understand each child’s individual needs and how they can best support them. Staff use this learning to ensure children experience positive outcomes and make progress in many aspects of their lives. Childrens achievements are celebrated with pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are sensitive and respectful in supporting children with their identity needs. Staff are well-informed and able to provide clear information effectively to answer any exploratory questions children ask. Staff use carefully planned activities and have important conversations to assist the children in developing a positive sense of their own identity and build emotional resilience. A social worker commented that they were impressed with how well staff know the child and the respect staff show towards their child’s identity needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the importance of children attending and doing well in their education. One child has a 93% attendance at their school and is progressing well. However, despite staff’s determined encouragement, one child continues to struggle to engage in their educational provision. The manager advocate’s for the child and challenges the local authority and virtual school to ensure that the child receives the right educational provision that would encourage attendance and meet their needs. Staff take every opportunity on a daily basis to engage the child in meaningful informal educational activity to aid the child’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to enjoy a range of activities in the home and the community. Each child has their own memory book and with support from staff use photos, drawings, and written text to remember poignant fun times that they have experienced. These are of exceptional quality and enable children to look back on what they have done and achieved with fondness and pride .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The caring staff team understand the importance each child places on spending meaningful time with their relatives. Staff are aware of the positive and negative impact this can have on children’s emotional well-being. Staff work sensitively with children and their family members to help ensure they enjoy valuable time together. One family member commented that staff are absolutely fantastic, nurturing and do all they can to facilitate them spending time with their child.

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

Staff understand the support each individual child needs to help keep them safe and protected from harm. Staff ensure they maintain clear and important boundaries that promote safety and encourage acceptable behaviours. If incidents occur, staff respond promptly and effectively to protect children and support them to manage Inspection report children's home: 2730402 4 their emotions safely. Incident records are detailed, the management oversight is effective and used to identify information that enables staff to understand the children better and minimise the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future. Restraint has not had to be used to manage the behaviour of either child which is positive.

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

Staff are aware of the risk’s children are exposed to when they go missing from the home. Staff promptly follow a clear protocol to minimise the risk of harm and help ensure the child returns home safely. The manager reviews each incident and ensures any lessons learned are shared and staff practice is changed to help better protect the children in the future. Incidents when children have gone missing from home have significantly reduced.

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

When concerns are raised by children about staff, leaders and managers act efficiently and effectively to protect the child and keep them safe. There are valuable links with the local authority and their designated officer. Thorough investigations take place, children are listened to, believed, and supported throughout. The staff members involved are also supported and have access to a psychologist to support their emotional wellbeing.

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

Children say they feel safe living in their home. Staff have developed trusted and secure relationships with children. Children have staff they can turn to if they feel upset or anxious. Staff take a positive risk approach. Effective contact with each child’s social worker allows staff to understand the balance between allowing the child to have autonomy and independence, while at the same time keeping them safe and protecting them from harm. Children enjoy spending independent time in the community with their family and friends.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a caring manager who puts children at the heart of their practice. The development plan focuses on improving the lives of the children they support. Children have a say in the improvements that are made within the home. Staff receive regular and effective supervision that focuses on children’s progression and experiences. Staff are supported to develop their skills, have opportunity to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work proactively with external agencies and have developed positive and effective relationships with professionals. The manager and staff listen to children to obtain their views and wishes, then make sure their voices are heard by advocating on children’s behalf to help ensure issues that may hold them back are resolved and positive outcomes are achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is sufficiently resourced to meet the needs of the children. However, consistent agency staff and staff from a nearby sister home are being utilised to cover existing staff absence. The manager ensures that when these staff are used, they work alongside experienced members of their team so that children are always Inspection report children's home: 2730402 5 supported by staff they know well. Safer recruitment practices are followed to ensure, newly recruited staff are assessed for their suitability to work with the vulnerable children they support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the home is maintained to a high standard and has a warm and homely feel to it. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, spacious and they enjoy having an ensuite. The walls of the home are full of pictures of the children taking part in fun activities with the adults that support them and their family. A parent commented that the home itself is absolutely beautiful and when they first visited the home, they thought to themselves WOW!

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations have been raised at this inspection. Inspection report children's home: 2730402 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 children's home: 2730402 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Inyanga, Lawnswood Drive, Stourbridge, DY7 5QW

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Whitworth

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Inspector

Gary Turney, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 2730402 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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