Children's Home run by New Forest Care Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 1 Registered provider: New Forest 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

The home was registered with Ofsted in February 2017. It can provide care for up to five children. The home usually offers short stays of around three months for children in crisis, or longer when needed. The home is based in a semi-rural location and uses a variety of settings, such as cottages and a lodge, in which children may stay or move between during their time in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since December 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/03/2024 Full Outstanding 28/03/2023 Full Good 08/09/2021 Full Good 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 3

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improvement to be good

The service is judged as required improvement due to shortfalls in leadership and management, which have had a negative impact on the overall experiences and progress of children.

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improvement to be good

A significant number of staff have moved between homes in the organisation. This has had an impact on children due to the destabilising effect of losing key relationships with staff who they are familiar with. This has made it difficult for children to build trusting and secure relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

The needs of children in relation to their culture are poorly understood and not met. For example, a child’s care plan did not identify any needs in relation to his race or culture when there were clearly needs to be assessed and met. In another example, a staff member demonstrated a lack of awareness in relation to attitudes that children may face in the community as a result of their race and culture.

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improvement to be good

Children leaving the home do not always do so in a planned way. In one example, very short notice was given and there was no opportunity for the child to have a positive ending or maintain any links with the staff who had been caring for him.

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improvement to be good

On occasion, children move to another house operated by this provider to manage periods of crisis. This not always well planned in terms of understanding the impact on the child of moving away from key relationships. In one example, there was no clear plan for if, when or how the child may return to live in the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is undergoing decoration. However, the children’s bedrooms are not given due attention. For example, children are not consistently encouraged to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. As a result, their rooms are not homely or welcoming.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to access the on-site education provision. Children who are not in formal full-time education are supported to engage in varied adventurous activities on site and in the community. Children are also encouraged to complete an on-site Unit Award Scheme, which formally recognises their learning. This helps children to gain a sense of achievement.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to keep in touch with their families. As a result, children benefit from maintaining and improving positive links with their family.

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improvement to be good

Children are generally healthy, and staff support them to access healthcare when they need it. Children have healthy routines, exercise and eat healthy meals. Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 4

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improvement to be good

Restraint and restrictive practice in the home are only used when necessary to keep children and others safe. However, appropriate actions are not taken to support the child to learn from incidents or repair their relationship with staff.

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improvement to be good

When children occasionally spend time in a separate house during periods of crisis, there is a significant gap in management oversight of care practice. For example, a child was cared for in a separate lodge, where physical intervention was used. The manager of the home had no oversight of these incidents to ensure that practice was appropriate and safe.

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improvement to be good

The children currently living in the home have not been missing. When children who previously lived at the home went missing, staff had clear safety plans, were proactive and took steps to work with safeguarding agencies in order to support their safe return.

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improvement to be good

Staff have been successful in supporting the two children living in the home to behave well and engage in a range of activities. They have successfully built positive relationships with these children, who clearly enjoy spending time with staff.

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improvement to be good

The provider carries out all relevant checks on new staff to ensure that they are of good character and suitable for the role.

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improvement to be good

When safeguarding incidents occur, the provider shares information appropriately with the relevant external safeguarding agencies.

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

The leadership and management is judged requires improvement due to shortfalls in the manager’s oversight of the quality of care. Significant changes in staffing and leadership have had an impact on the experiences of children, and there has been a lack of strong leadership to model and promote a positive culture in the home.

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

The provider has dealt with whistle-blowing concerns from staff and taken appropriate action to address staff concerns. Some concerns related to a culture of bullying in the staff team and management. Senior managers have taken robust steps to address this. However, it is not clear if they fully understand how this culture developed. Managers have identified the need for some specialised training, which will be arranged to enhance the senior leadership team’s practice and to support the staff who provide direct care to the children.

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

There has been instability in the leadership of the home, with the previous registered manager and responsible individual leaving the organisation. The senior leadership team is actively working on recruiting a new manager and restructuring the service. Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 5 Staff supervisions are taking place regularly. The induction process for new staff is thorough, and the company has a well-informed booklet for new starters to work through.

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

The senior leadership team has identified that there has been a bullying culture in the home and is taking necessary action to rebuild the service by appointing a new responsible individual and registered manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 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 provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 21 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 21 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 7 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(e)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 21 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 8 (Regulation 6 (a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation (14)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 21 March 2025

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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: 1246449 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1246449 10 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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