Children's home run by Next Step Independence Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 1 Registered provider: Next Step Independence

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in July 2023 to provide care for up to two children. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a vacancy for registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2024 Assurance visit No serious or widespread concerns 31/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Failings in leadership and management have had a direct impact on the progress of children living in the home leading to serious shortfalls in the quality of care and safeguarding that they experience. Senior leaders were aware of the management challenges and had taken some steps prior to the inspection to address them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children’s bedrooms were found to be in a poor state. Insufficient action had been taken by leaders and managers to ensure that the children have clean, well-furnished and welcoming beds and bedrooms to sleep in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The decoration and state of the home both inside and outside is not sufficiently homely or well kept. Some furnishing is of a poor standard and repairs are not undertaken in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not take enough time to fully understand children’s needs or past experiences. Children’s behaviours are often negatively labelled and this has a direct impact on the way in which behaviour is managed. Care is not delivered in line with the statement of purpose. The trauma-informed approach that the home says they use is at odds with the behavioural approaches used by some staff in practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not ensure that children have healthy routines which include improving their sleep routines. There is a lack of planning around day-to-day activities, which leaves children feeling uncertain and anxious about what is happening. Despite the lack of plans, staff try hard to support children with a range of recreational activities inside and outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that appropriate education plans are in place. There has not been enough challenge to the wider professional network to ensure that a well-planned transition is in place for one child to attend secondary school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff respond consistently to the needs of the children living in the home. Some staff are highly skilled and demonstrate a calm nurturing approach, but others lack an appropriate level of experience or necessary skills to provide good enough care and safeguarding for children who have experienced complex trauma. This inconsistency is confusing for children and has an impact on their ability to flourish in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers have remained committed to a planned transition to another placement for one child. This is acknowledged by all involved to be positive for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers took immediate action during the inspection to address some of these shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 4 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 5

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

There are widespread failings in how effectively children in the home safe are kept safe.

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

Staff are not doing enough to keep both children safe from harm. Plans and protocols designed to keep children safe are not being followed appropriately and, in some cases, wilfully disregarded.

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

Staff do not fully understand when or how to use restraint appropriately. Records are not accurately used to record when restraints have taken place and there is a lack of debrief with the child which has impacted on their understanding of the actions taken by staff.

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

Leaders and managers do not do enough to support staff to understand and apply appropriate de-escalation techniques. As a result, children’s behaviours sometimes escalate to a point which necessitates police involvement when this could have been avoided.

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

Safeguarding records do not always accurately reflect the incident. Leaders and managers do not always ensure effective oversight and there is a lack of learning. This has led to a number of repeated incidents for one child.

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

Any allegations about the conduct of staff made by children or others are managed appropriately and a proportionate response is taken to concerns raised about practice.

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

Leaders and managers are taking immediate action to address some of the shortfalls in safeguarding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that children are adequately or consistently cared for and have not taken sufficient or timely action to address shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not done enough to consider the needs of both children in the home when placing them to live together. This has led to one child experiencing poor care due to staff needing to prioritise the needs of another child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight of the practices in the home are inadequate. Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to monitor what is happening in the home or the impact of this on children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision has not taken place regularly and staff report feeling unsupported. Staff talk about feeling ‘burnt out’ and how this has a negative impact on their ability to work effectively with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 6 Staff have commented on recent improvements in support from leaders and managers. In addition, a new management structure is planned which is intended to help provide more support to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have acknowledged the gaps and shortfalls in the care provided to the children and they took immediate action during the inspection to address some of the concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 7

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 24 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that the home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. In addition, leaders and managers should ensure they have effective oversight of systems and practice within the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been re-instated from the previous inspection.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s need;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should challenge the placing local authority when there are delays in decision-making or shortfalls in practice which are having an impact on caring for children. 24 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 24 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 9 registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets the child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking into account the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are age appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children are provided with a suitable environment which is homely and welcoming. In addition, the registered provider must ensure that staff take time to understand the children’s specific needs and follow the care outlined in the home’s statement and purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 24 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 10 registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(xi) (b)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff support children to understand and express feelings and emotions without aggression. In addition, the registered provider must ensure that when children do become distressed, staff understand and apply appropriate de-escalation techniques and safe behaviour management strategies.

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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 24 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 11 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the homes day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to effectively protect each child from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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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: 2730493 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Step Independence

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Next Step Independence, Wellington House, Queen Street, Taunton TA1 3UF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bridget Drew-Spyer

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Inspector

Stacey Pellow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730493 13 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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