Children's home run by Footsteps Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2540285 1 Registered provider: Footsteps Care 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 privately owned home provides care for up to eight children who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2019. The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2540285 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/12/2022 Full Good 18/05/2021 Full Good 10/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have improved their decision-making about new children moving into the home. Consequently, the current children in the home are settled. When children move out of the home, staff ensure that they experience a positive farewell. Children and staff celebrate children’s time at the home together at leaving parties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have influence and choice in their home. Children’s meetings happen regularly and are recorded in a picture format in line with children’s needs. This gives children an opportunity to be updated on what is happening in the home and to share their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carefully consider children’s interests when arranging activities for them. This consideration enables children to go swimming, attend nature reserves and see tourist attractions. One child has a passion for trains, and they regularly attend train-related activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are healthy and their personal health needs are well met. Staff support children to attend both routine and specialist health appointments. Children enjoy home-cooked, nutritious meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers work in partnership with education providers and the virtual school. They advocate effectively for all children to be in school. This has helped all children in the home to have access to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children spending time with family and establish good connections with significant people. Children maintain safe relationships with their family regardless of the distance from their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn about road safety, money management and self-care. Staff also use key- work sessions as a tool for teaching children about emotions, relationships and other important life skills. This helps children to develop independence skills that they can use later in life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a homely place to live. The many memorable experiences and activities children enjoy are displayed in the home through lots of pictures. Children’s artwork is proudly displayed on the walls for all to see. All children’s bedrooms are highly personalised. The home is well resourced to meet children’s needs. The sensory room provides a relaxing environment that children enjoy.

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

Children have trusting relationships with staff. Staff closely supervise children and communicate with children using methods individual to each child’s needs. Staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 4 attuned and responsive as to how children present. They provide a calming influence, which helps children feel comfortable.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities. Children’s support plans and risks are regularly reviewed. These plans are comprehensive and tell staff how to respond. Staff manage risks for children well, which keeps children safe.

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

Staff use consequences effectively to address behaviours that are difficult to manage. Staff are dedicated in helping children to understand how to make better decisions.

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

Physical interventions are rarely used. However, when needed, staff use this as a last resort to keep children and staff safe.

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

Allegations of harm are well managed. Leaders and managers consult promptly with the local authority designated officer. As investigations take place and conclude, appropriate and necessary safeguards are put in place to protect children and staff.

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

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that children have positive experiences and good outcomes while living at this home. She secures additional training for staff. This develops staff’s understanding of children’s individual needs, so staff feel well supported and equipped to care for children. Not all staff have obtained the required qualification for the role within the appropriate timescale.

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

Staff benefit from frequent team meetings and supervision. During supervision, there is a strong focus on staff well-being. However, not all sessions discuss safeguarding practice and children. Staff appraisals are not completed within the required timescale. These are missed opportunities for staff to understand how they can improve on their practice.

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

A data breach has resulted in children’s records being misplaced. Leaders and managers have made efforts to retrieve these files and this process is ongoing. As a result, not all files were available on inspection.

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

Leaders and managers complete a quality-of-care review. The written report and actions being taken as a result are not shared with the regulator in line with timescales.

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

Feedback from external professionals is positive. One social worker values the strong relationship they have built with staff and the management team. However, leaders and managers do not challenge local authorities effectively when they fail to receive children’s care planning documents.

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

Leaders and managers consult with a competent person to identify and take precautions against the risk of fire. The registered children’s home is on the ground floor of a large property owned by the provider. Leaders and managers take action in response to the fire risk assessment for the children’s home, but remain in consultation around the Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 5 recommendations for the wider building. Leaders and managers cannot demonstrate how they consider incomplete actions for the wider building and assess any implications of this for the children’s home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 3 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records. (Regulation 38 (i)) 3 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take place annually. Appraisals should consider the views of other professionals and views of the children in the staff’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that they escalate with the local authority when it fails to provide care planning documents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a safe environment that complies with relevant health and safety legislations, including fire safety. (‘Guide

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 7 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  All staff must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: 2540285 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Orchard, Ashmead Drive, Denham UB9 5BA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anslim Narinesingh

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Gloria Natasha Bailey

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2540285 9 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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