Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 1 SC419808 Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2011.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Good 19/04/2022 Full Good 28/10/2021 Full Inadequate 18/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home say they are well cared for and happy. The strong relationships between staff and children are a key strength of this home. The home provides a strong sense of stability and belonging for the children. As a result, children make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed into the home sensitively. Careful planning for children moving into the home means that they develop positive relationships with staff and other children. Staff understand children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. For one child, this means that their first experience of living away from family has been positive. Staff maintain relationships with children who have moved on from the home to live independently. One child who previously lived in the home said that the staff and children are still her family, and she enjoys visiting the home to see them. However, records do not always demonstrate how risks for new children may impact on those already living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children living in the home are happy and healthy. Staff support children to overcome barriers in engaging with health professionals. As a result, children’s health needs are met well. One health professional commented that the support from staff has enabled one child to significantly improve their personal care skills. Staff are proactive in ensuring that children’s mental health needs are addressed. Staff recognise when specialist support will help improve children’s emotional well-being. Staff support them well to engage with this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children’s education. As a result, children are making good progress. Staff support children back into education when they have not attended for long periods of time. One professional commented that the support given to one child to access education is ‘phenomenal’. Staff advocate for children to access educational provisions that are suitable for their needs and abilities. This helps children to maintain a good attendance at school and engage with learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences in the home are captured through photo albums and monthly consultations. Children enjoy varied activities in and outside of the home. One child has developed close friendships with children from another home in the organisation. They enjoy activities together on a regular basis that are suited to their shared needs. Another child enjoys regular time at a local riding school, where she rides and cares for the horse that has been provided for her by the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with family and those important to them. Friends and family are welcomed into the home to spend time with the children. Staff develop positive relationships with children’s families and engage them in meaningful and supportive conversations. This helps to strengthen and improve the relationships children have with their family and relatives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 4

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

The children are cared for by a stable and established staff team. The strong and trusting relationships between staff and children mean that children feel safe and secure in their home. Staff know the children well. Children say that the staff are ‘amazing’ and are always available to support them. Staff support children with warmth and empathy. This means that children are able to talk to staff about their worries and concerns.

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

Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities well. Staff support children to access specialist support from external agencies when new or emerging concerns arise. As a result, children’s risks have reduced since living in the home.

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

Incidents of children being missing from the home have reduced. Staff understand the underlying reasons for children being missing from the home. They support children with warmth and compassion. As a result, children feel listened to and safe. When incidents do occur, staff take appropriate action to ensure that they are located quickly and return home safely.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans reflect children’s lived experiences. Staff manage incidents of challenging behaviour well. They support children at times of distress in line with their preferences. However, children’s plans do not reflect the actions staff take when managing incidents of vaping, substance use or self-harm. Furthermore, records are not updated following changes in children’s circumstances or arrangements.

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

Positive behaviour in the home is promoted through consistent routines and boundaries. Staff spend time with children to support them to understand the impact of negative behaviour on themselves and others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed is by an experienced manager. She is supported by a dedicated deputy who shares the manager’s passion for the home. The children are cared for by a stable staff team. Staff from other homes in the organisation cover shortfalls when needed. This provides the children with consistent care from adults who know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for both children and staff. She is committed to always providing high-quality care to the children. She ensures the home environment is furnished and maintained to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Morale in the home is high. Staff are passionate about their jobs. Staff say they enjoy their roles and would not want to work anywhere else. They feel well supported by managers and colleagues. As a result, the team has remained stable, with no changes to the staffing in the home. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. Access to regular training and learning opportunities means that staff are able to Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 5 understand the children well. Training opportunities are meaningful and relevant to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the care being provided in the home. Monitoring systems are in place. However, development plans are not unique to the home and lack evaluation of areas for improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 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 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s records include clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow and that plans are updated following any changes to the children’s circumstances or arrangements. 28 November 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that development plans evaluate the care provided and identify further areas of improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should identify within plans how children will be supported when moving into the home and any potential impact on the children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 7 it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspectors

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Sally Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC419808 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

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Inspectors

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