Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited in Southampton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 1 SC485529 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 and operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience complex emotional, social and educational difficulties. All children have access to the organisation’s therapeutic services. There were three children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Good 17/02/2020 Full Good 21/03/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 3

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outstanding

The manager and staff at this home are referred to as ‘adults’.

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outstanding

Children are provided with an exceptional level of care by a friendly and nurturing team of adults. Adults persevere to build and maintain trusting relationships with children. They ensure that comprehensive assessments are carried out before children move into the home. Extensive consultation is also carried out with professionals, families, past carers and children currently living in the home. This has resulted in children settling from the onset and quickly building secure relationships with adults.

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outstanding

Adults have positive relationships with other professionals and children’s families. Family members appreciate adults’ commitment to promoting family bonding and helping to ensure that they build and maintain positive relationships with their children. Adults go above and beyond to ensure that well-planned family visits occur, regardless of distance and challenges. A child’s previous foster parent stated, ‘Adults make us feel like her real family; they travel long distances to bring her to visit.’ Another child’s social worker said, ‘The effort that adults make is unmeasurable. They even invited me and the child’s independent reviewing officer to visit the child on their holiday; we all enjoyed it.’

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outstanding

Adults strongly promote children’s education. Children have high attendance rates and achieve excellent results. Adults work closely with school staff and use excellent communication systems to ensure that a consistent approach to care and support is given to children. This helps children to quickly settle in school, prepare for their examinations and apply for college placements. Consequently, children enjoy education and understand how important it is.

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outstanding

Children live in a well-maintained, comfortable home. Children and adults take pride in their home. They ensure that it has a homely and welcoming feel. Children take responsibility for looking after their pets and make sure that they are well cared for. Children’s bedrooms are well decorated in line with their interests and sensory needs. A child said, ‘I like it here,’ as he proudly showed the inspector his bedroom and other parts of the home.

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outstanding

Adults use exceptionally well-planned methods to capture children’s voices. They creatively involve children in discussions using playful and child-centred approaches, such as the ‘huddle’ meetings and one-to-one key discussions. These protected spaces are used to encourage children to talk about their daily experience, feelings and wishes. This improves children’s social skills, and they feel listened to.

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outstanding

Children participate in a variety of activities and enjoy life-changing experiences in the community. Children are kept positively stimulated and active. They attend Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 4 swimming clubs, go paddle boarding, ride their bicycles to school and go on holidays and camping trips. Children also independently attend scouts and gaming clubs. These experiences are captured in exceptionally well-presented memory books. A child excitedly showed the inspector photos of his happy memories and added, ‘Camping was my favourite holiday.’

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outstanding

Adults have high aspirations for children. Individualised independence plans and ‘task boards’ are designed with children’s involvement. Adults help children learn life skills, to be responsible and develop confidence in line with their age and abilities. They help children to budget, purchase food and cook meals for everyone in the home. Children feel empowered and continue to make progress.

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outstanding

Children are kept safe by adults who work in this home. Adults teach children about risks and how to keep safe at home and in the community. Extensive discussions are held by the manager in meetings and supervisions to ensure that safeguarding children is a top priority. Exceptionally well-documented and regularly reviewed risk assessments are used as effective tools to support safe practice.

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outstanding

The number of times that children go missing has drastically reduced. Children who historically went missing regularly, now rarely do. This is particularly significant progress for some children. Adults work collectively with other agencies and individuals in the community to ensure that they know where children are and that they take prompt action to get children home safely if needed.

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outstanding

Children understand and abide by the home’s rules and boundaries. Adults use trusting relationships, therapeutic models of care and guidance from the therapy team to help children manage their feelings and emotions. Incidents have drastically reduced. When they occur, adults talk with children and help them reflect on the impact of their behaviours towards others and how to resolve conflict with their peers. Incidents are captured in detailed records that use child-friendly language. Management oversight of incidents is excellent, and any learning is promptly identified to inform further improvements in practice.

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outstanding

Rigorous recruitment processes are adhered to. Leaders and managers ensure that thorough scrutiny takes place before adults commence work. Consequently, children are cared for by adults who are suitable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly ambitious and has high expectations in relation to outcomes that children should achieve. She ensures that children receive high standards of care from a valued team. She works alongside the adults and guides them to ensure that consistently high standards are maintained. Adults praise the manager, describing her as ‘friendly, supportive and caring’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 5 Leaders and managers use a variety of excellent tools to review children’s progress. Child-centred weekly targets are used to encourage and support children to track their own progress. Information regarding children’s progress is regularly shared with children’s social workers, schools and families. All individuals involved in children’s lives are aware of their achievements and celebrate these, no matter how small.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults and managers receive regular and highly effective supervisions. These are supplemented with regular group therapy sessions and house meetings. This helps adults to reflect on their practice and manage the emotional impact of their work effectively. The manager promotes a strong culture of openness, where adults confidently consult her and seek her support. One adult said, ‘Even though I work odd hours, the manager ensures that suitable time is arranged to conduct my supervisions.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers highly value adults’ professional development. Adults are provided with opportunities to learn new skills and develop within the organisation. Adults who are new to the home receive extensive induction training. Further training is provided to adults in accordance with children’s current needs. This helps adults to provide highly effective care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders and managers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager identifies areas for further improvement and acts swiftly on them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and adults promote equality, diversity and inclusion. Adults from a variety of cultures and diverse backgrounds encourage children to explore their identity and treat each other with respect. One child attends an LGBTQ+ youth group, where they meet like-minded peers. Adults and children respect each other, regardless of their differences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 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 for children’s home: SC485529 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

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC485529 8 regulates and inspects 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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