Children's home run by Step-A-Side Company Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 1 SC028868 Registered provider: Step-A-Side Company Ltd

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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 is owned by a private provider and is registered to offer care for up to four children. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified registered manager oversees the home.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/08/2021 Full Good 06/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in this home and value to adults who look after them. Dedicated and caring staff take time to build trusting relationships with the children. Children are supported to speak about a range of sensitive issues. Secure relationships with staff help the children to explore their feelings, which helps them to better understand their emotions and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education and support children to attend school. Leaders and managers strongly advocate for children to receive their educational entitlement and challenge the wider network when there are gaps. Staff provide a range of recreational opportunities for children to compliment their education. Children are encouraged to pursue their interests and staff give support with creative projects and activities around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles and are involved in creating healthy routines. Shopping and cooking are shared tasks and the children are supported with learning how to shop and cook healthy meals. Staff understand the importance of sleep and personal hygiene and children are appropriately supported with these routines. Staff developed a carefully thought-out plan to support one child to stop smoking and vaping, which has had positive impact on the child’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and homely with several shared spaces for eating together, relaxing and games. The children’s bedrooms are personalised to their tastes. Memory books are created for each child and photos of special occasions, events and people are kept for them to look back on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children enjoy regular, meaningful time with their family. Staff have built trusting relationships with family members, which has helped to develop a consistent network of trusted adults around the children. One parent talked about the progress their child is making and the ‘detailed, regular’ communication and support they receive from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although there are some good, individual pieces of work taking place, plans to support children with their independence are not clear. This could result in uncertainty for children as they approach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers are beginning to understand children’s cultural needs, but there are some gaps in knowledge about wider issues of diversity which is impacting on one child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 4

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

Safeguarding concerns are well managed, with robust action and timely action taken to address issues. Children do not go missing from this home. Plans to support staff to minimise risk for the children are clear and concise.

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

Concerns about staff practice and most complaints are responded to in a timely manner and thoroughly investigated. The children and individuals involved are supported throughout and the outcome is clearly communicated.

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

An age-proportionate approach is taken in relation to monitoring mobile phones and internet use. Children agree to a contract with staff about the ways in which their phones and internet use are monitored for safeguarding reasons. Staff have open conversations with the children about any concerns and there is an educative approach taken.

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

Staff support children to take age-appropriate risks as part of their development and learn skills to help keep themselves safe. Children enjoy spending meaningful time with their friends and family in the community without any unnecessary restrictions.

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

There have been two medication errors, which leaders and managers have thoroughly investigated to inform staff learning. Procedures have been reviewed and refresher training has been undertaken.

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

Staff use a variety of de-escalation techniques to support children who are experiencing distress. Staff use the positive relationships they have with the children to intervene and minimise risk during periods of conflict. Restraint is used as a last resort and, as a result, there have only been two incidents. Records are clearly written with management oversight, but lack reflection on practice.

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

Staff support the children to have positive relationships with one another. However, some negative interactions and behaviours have not been challenged and more needs to be done to address this as a wider issue within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and passionate manager who has a good understanding of the children’s needs. The manager strongly advocates for the children and provides good challenge to the wider network when there are gaps in planning or services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the importance of building relationships with children’s families and the multi-agency network. Professional feedback is positive about staff, the care of the children and the progress they are making. Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 5 Leaders and managers respond to children’s views in a number of ways and children are involved in decision-making in the home. Children know who to speak to if they are unhappy or wish to make a complaint. All of the children have access to independent advocacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that there are enough staff to care for the children, and agency staff are not used. Staff know the children well and demonstrate commitment and compassion in their roles. Several members of staff talked about the home’s ethos of ‘happy, healthy, loved and ready’ and how this is an important message for the children. Staff speak positively about the support of leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff are up to date with mandatory training. They organise bespoke training to support staff to respond to the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have made improvements to the monitoring and oversight within the home and these changes are starting to embed into practice. Records are written directly to the children and there is management oversight throughout case files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings take place regularly, but lack challenge or reflection on practice. Leaders and managers are not able to describe improvements needed in the home and there is a lack of critical challenge to accurately understand how the home is performing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children are able to maintain and develop their cultural or religious beliefs as far as practicable and where appropriate, through participation and instruction. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.22)

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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: SC028868 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Step-A-Side Company Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Step-A-Side Company Ltd, 29 Market Place, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8AA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Carwardine

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Inspector

Stacey Pellow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 8 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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