Children's home run by Nuevavida Ne Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 1 Registered provider: Nuevavida Ne 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 managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection three children were living in the home. The inspector spoke to all the children during the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2023

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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: 2502176 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Good 25/05/2022 Full Good 20/04/2021 Full Good 27/11/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are looked after by a highly caring and loving staff team. Staff and managers ensure that children are at the forefront of their decision-making. They refer to the children as ‘our children’. One child said, ‘They listen to me, and I feel heard.’ They have created a family-like environment by using an exceptionally nurturing approach. This enables children to develop trusting relationships and feel valued by those caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children have made incredible progress from their starting points. This includes development of their communication and emotional regulation and a reduction in behavioural incidents. Parents and professionals echo that all children have progressed since living in this home. The staff and managers have a significant focus on improving the lives of children. One staff member said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

‘They are loved and cared for by an amazing bunch of people whose sole aim is to provide them with a warm, nurturing family environment. One where they feel able to express themselves, a place where they feel safe, where they can learn from positive, trusting relationships to build their confidence and self-esteem.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Incredibly ambitious staff offer children exceptional levels of support when they experience difficulties with their emotional health and attending their education. They are determined to help children overcome their barriers to learning. Staff ensure that children’s views are heard. They go above and beyond to gather additional resources and support the children’s learning when they are not in school or college. For example, children are involved in discussions about their education, and staff engage children in educational awards and trips such as gorge walking. For older children, staff focus on helping them work toward employment and independence. One child is learning to drive. One child has been supported to complete work-related tasks for the provider. Another child is described as thriving in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in the home a long time, which provides them with stability and consistency. Staff support children to develop their independence skills throughout the time they live in the home. Older children are helped to develop their own independence plan, which supports them to recognise their progress and their areas of development. Staff engage children in discussions and activities that enhance their skills in preparation for adulthood. The provider recognises the need for a network of support after children leave. They have gone the extra mile in starting the process to acquire a ‘move-on’ property for one child. This enables children to feel prepared and maintain their sense of belonging once they leave the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff develop and maintain strong links with family members and those important to the children. They recognise the significance of these relationships for each child. Staff’s regular communication with those in the children’s network helps children to see caring Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 4 adults working together. One parent said, ‘I couldn’t ask for anything better. They are more than 100% for [name of child]; they always keep me informed. Our [name of child] loves them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children access a significant number of activities aligned to their personal interests. Staff also promote children to access new enjoyable opportunities. Two of the children spoken to highlighted the significance these opportunities have for them. Staff capture these cherished memories in personalised memory books that also contain positive affirmations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is decorated to a high standard. The children contribute to decision-making about the home decor. Their personalised bedrooms enhance the children’s sense of belonging and create a homely environment where the children flourish.

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

Staff have an exceptional understanding of each child’s needs and worries. They recognise the impact that trauma can have on the children’s lives. Children have individualised care plans and risk assessments. These documents outline the children’s needs and give clear guidance to staff, helping to ensure that the children’s needs are met to a high standard.

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

Staff have created ‘My Plans’ tailored to support children to understand their own plans. They are written in line with each child’s age and understanding. Children are encouraged to contribute to their safety plans. For one child, this has seen a reduction in incidents linked to their mental health. Staff encourage and support children to attend meetings about their future. This supports children to develop their confidence and ensures that their views are captured.

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

Leaders and managers proactively support staff caring for children when new worries or needs develop. They ensure that specialist training is quickly sought to further equip staff with the necessary skills to meet the children’s changing needs. This helps to maintain staff’s safeguarding practice and reduce the risks for children.

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

There has been only one incident of a child going missing from home. This is significant progress considering the child’s starting point. When the incident did occur, staff took a proactive response. They liaised with others involved with the child as well as the police. Furthermore, they actively searched locations, ensuring the child safely returned to the home.

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

The need for staff to hold children is rare. Staff use their strong relationships with children to de-escalate situations before a crisis occurs. When holds are used, the use of restraint is proportionate to keep children safe, and there is strong management oversight. The manager ensures that staff use reflection to learn from incidents and dynamically develop their practice in response to the children’s changing needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 5 Staff engage children in discussions about their plans and any worries they may have, including sensitive topics. The children’s high-quality relationships with staff empower them to articulate their views and feel listened to. Staff’s guidance helps children develop maturity and learn from situations. This has helped to reduce behavioural incidents and risks for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are inspirational. They have created a nurturing culture for children and staff. The manager has a significant focus on staff well-being. She recognises that to provide a high level of care to children, staff need to feel supported and respected. Managers have developed tools to support staff to feel valued, and there are plans to share this across other homes in the service. Managers and staff strive to provide exceptional care to all children. One member of staff said about the managers:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘They are a force to be reckoned with. They are a strong management duo. They are on board with any ideas people have and ask us for our thoughts. The children go to them, and they have strong relationships with them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have developed their own assessment tools to understand staff’s abilities and identify their areas for development. A robust training package and induction programme further ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality care. One member of staff described their induction as ‘very thorough’. As a result, children are cared for by highly skilled adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are devoted to caring for the children. Team morale is positive and strong. Staff benefit from learning from each other as mentors. When new worries arise, staff support each other to work things through. The use of agency staff has not been needed at this home. These strengths all contribute to children experiencing consistent care with those most familiar to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is incredibly ambitious for children to receive the best possible care. She strongly advocates on their behalf when plans are not effective. She escalates her concerns when needed, such as to acquire important care documents or strongly challenge partner agencies when education plans are not effective. Additional support from the responsible individual ensures that children receive the support they are entitled to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s highly effective monitoring and auditing system ensures that shortfalls and areas of development are actioned promptly. Effective practice investigations are informed by partner agencies. The manager’s service development plan promotes continuous developments at the home. Staff receive practice-related supervision and team meetings that strongly focus on reflective and theory-based practice. This promotes the ongoing commitment to continuously improve the quality of care and outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 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: 2502176 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Oakwood Gardens, Gateshead, Durham NE11 0DD

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Inspector

Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 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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