Children's Home run by Next Generation Care Essex Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 1 Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2023 and is owned by a small organisation. Care is provided for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The manager also registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted. This is the first inspection after registration.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 2

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved into the home since it registered in November 2023. One child has returned to a previous provision. Another child moved into the home three weeks before this inspection and is subject to a deprivation of liberty order. One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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improvement to be good

The child has settled well and has developed some positive early relationships with staff. However, they are not yet receiving consistently good care and support. The child has restrictions placed on their movements outside of those agreed in their current care plan. This means that monitoring and surveillance in some areas of the home have led to the child having little privacy and restricted them from having as much freedom as possible. In addition, during the inspection, staff did not always ensure that appropriate risk mitigation was enacted for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager have supported children to settle in the home. They have helped them to choose the colours for their bedroom walls. This has helped to ensure a positive first few weeks in the home for the newest child. The child who has moved on from the home spoke positively about their time there and the good relationships they had with the staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to express themselves. One staff member shares a passion for art with the child and they spend time painting together. Staff show curiosity about the child’s interests and encourage them to display their talents. Staff have supported a child to learn how to grow food. They have become actively involved in gardening and have enjoyed planting herbs and vegetables. This has further helped the child to develop relationships and new skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the child is kept busy and active. They enjoy games in the garden and activities in the community, such as going to the cinema, bowling and playing golf.

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improvement to be good

The manager has been proactive in trying to ensure that the child has a suitable education provision. She has challenged agencies and advocated for the child.

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improvement to be good

The child in the home receives a high level of supervision, which is reflected in high staffing levels and restrictions permissible in court orders. As a result, they are being kept safe in the home. However, during the inspection, staff and managers were observed to leave items lying around that the child should not have access to. This has the clear potential to lead to incidents inside and outside of the home and presents a risk to the child’s and staff’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 3 The provider has not ensured that the child knows what to do in the event of a fire. The child has yet to participate in a fire drill at the home. Consequently, staff are not confident about whether the child would require extra support to leave safely in the event of a fire.

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improvement to be good

The child has not been missing from the home, despite having had the opportunity to do so. Staff maintain high levels of supervision and monitoring in line with the child’s care plan. However, risk assessments are not consistently kept up to date. This could lead to staff having outdated information and create confusion on current care planning for the child.

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improvement to be good

There are times when staff use consequences in response to incidents. On occasion, these have been implemented without a clear time frame for review and risk being open- ended. In addition, staff have not made sure that children participate in reviewing the consequence, and the oversight of leaders and managers has not captured their views on its effectiveness.

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improvement to be good

When staff use physical intervention techniques, they do so appropriately, and their use reflects the level of risk involved. Incidents are recorded effectively, and the manager ensures that debriefs are carried out with staff and children. The clear recording helps the manager to monitor incidents to ensure that the use of physical intervention techniques remains necessary and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that safe recruitment procedures are followed. They make sure that only appropriately vetted staff work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is registered and qualified. She is supported by a responsible individual who spends time in the home with staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Several areas of leadership and management require improvement. During the inspection, leaders and manages struggled to provide some of the information required. Management monitoring is not sufficiently effective and has not identified several of the issues found at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Record-keeping is not consistently good enough. Leaders and managers have not ensured that they have all the neccesary documentation required regarding delegated authority. Records relating to children moving into the home are not always shared with local agencies. The statement of purpose has not been kept under review, updated with important information or shared with Ofsted. The manager is in the process of moving over to a new electronic system for recording, monitoring and reviewing documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has introduced a research-informed model of care to support staff. She has ensured that staff receive the necessary training to implement this. This has helped staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 4 to build on their knowledge and understanding of how to care for children safely and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have cultivated a positive approach to equality and diversity. A diverse staff team has helped children to develop their awareness of different cultures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager provides staff with regular supervision sessions. They listen to staff and provide them with a safe space to share their thoughts and feelings. This has helped staff be able to reflect on their practice and on incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a good range of training designed to ensure that they understand and can meet the children’s needs. This has included training in deprivation of liberty and self- harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Placing social workers spoke positively about the care provided and the manager’s involvement with the child. One social worker said, ‘She is incredibly involved in all aspects, not just managing the home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 30 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 30 May 2024

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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— 14 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 6 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 1 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home.

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Requirement Due date

A notification under this regulation must be in writing and must state—

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(1);

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989(2);

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority; and 30 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 7 the independent reviewing officer appointed for the child’s case; and

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Requirement Due date

whether the child has an EHC plan or a statement of special educational needs and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 41 (1) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or healthcare. 1 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date and signed by staff. Information about the child must 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 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff support children to stay safe. In particular, ensure that children are made aware promptly of how to respond in the event of a fire. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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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: 2726013 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Residential Group/Next Generation Care Essex Limited, 1 Newlands End, Laindon, Essex SS15 6DU

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Inspectors

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726013 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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