Children's Home run by Footsteps to Futures Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 1 Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures 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

The home is owned by a private company. The home can care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection three children were living at the home. One child has previously moved from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is overseen by a manager registered with Ofsted.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to make the house their own. This has led to high levels of personalisation throughout. Children joke about one another’s interior styles; staff have helped children to collectively create an environment that suits all. Children’s bedrooms mirror their personalities beautifully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend education. This is assisted by staff working with professionals to find the best education package that meets the needs of the child. Children’s health needs are well known by staff. Staff feel confident in supporting children at health appointments and encourage children to access required support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Having sensitive conversations with children is a strength of the staff team. This helps children feel valued and explore their varying emotions. Staff encourage children to speak openly and explore topics on diversity. Staff give genuine and supportive advice. Staff recognise when there is a need for external expertise and facilitate this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move out of the home staff remain as a support system. Children know that staff care about them and they enjoy spending time together. Staff take an interest in children’s preferred activities. Staff encourage children to spend time with their family and friends. This is further supported by staff planning fun activities such as taking a child and their friend to a music concert.

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

Staff try to encourage children to make positive choices. This is done through supportive and educational discussions. If staff feel that children are making poor decisions, they try to think of different or creative ways to support the child’s understanding of risk.

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

On occasion, the manager has not thoroughly explored the need for staff to ensure there are no items of concern in a child’s bedroom which could hurt them or others. However, the absence of checking children’s rooms has not led to harm.

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

Children are only physically held as a last resort. This is to keep them or others safe. The staff team proactively try to find ways to further reduce this. The use of in depth, reflective discussions help staff to do this. This is as they actively explore how their response may have helped or hindered the situation.

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

When allegations are made in relation to staff practice, the manager responds promptly and appropriately. This is done in collaboration with appropriate external professionals. Parents and professionals feel that children are well cared for and that they are making positive progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children, staff, and external professionals like and respect the manager. Children seek her out for a hug on their return from education. Overall, the manager has good oversight of the staff team and the care they provide to children. She actively uses her monitoring systems to make continuous improvements to the quality of care in the home. This is particularly done through reflective team meetings and one to one discussion with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One to one discussion with staff is a strength of the manager. This leads to staff feeling well supported. The manager has clear oversight of the training needs for staff and ensures staff complete this within expected timeframes. This supports the retention of staff and maintains continuity of care for children. The manager recognises if there is a need for specialised training. She is proactive in sourcing this and works well with local services to share important information and knowledge to her staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On occasion, the manager has not recognised how recorded information about a child may be perceived when read. This results in documentation not always being written in a child-centred way. This however is not reflective of staff practice in person. The manager has also not always recognised typing errors in documents such as risk assessments. This has led to incorrect initials being written.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not effectively challenged a decision made by external professionals in relation to a child in her care. The lack of escalation meant that there were minimal precautions put in place for the child and others in the home. The management team has however reflected on this and understands that they could have escalated their views further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When complaints arise, the manager deals with them sensitively and children agree with the outcome. External professionals speak highly of the manager and the staff team. The manager and staff’s dedication to the children in their care is evident. This is shown through the staff team having a detailed knowledge of each individual child and their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 5

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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

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular this relates to the registered person appropriately challenging a placing authority or relevant person to ensure that measures in place are appropriate and in line with possible risk factors. 19 February 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that although a child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without their permission, immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 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: 2791409 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 5, Riverbank Business Park, Whatton-In-The-Vale, Nottingham NG13 9FX

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Inspectors

Ellen Monk, Social Care Inspector Tazim Akhtar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2791409 8 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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