Children's home run by The Forge Nuneaton Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 1 Registered provider: The Forge Nuneaton 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 home is owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to six children who have had adverse childhood experiences. The home is one of four homes on the same site. Each home is individually registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since September 2024. He has submitted his application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home, they were all present during the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a high quality, comfortable, spacious and well- maintained home. The children’s bedrooms and the living areas of the home resonate with a sense of individuality, achievement and special interests. Toys, games, drawings, photos, certificates and books clearly reflect individual hobbies, interests and achievements of each child. Staff are proud of the home they have created for the children. The décor, maintenance and organisation of the home clearly suggest that those who live there are important, valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality care that makes them feel valued and secure. Every child in this home has made significant and meaningful progress from their starting points. Children are positive about living in the home and say that the best thing about it is how the adults look after them. One child described the adults as ‘amazing’. It is a home where care for everyone is promoted. Adults and children celebrate and cherish their individual and shared successes. These positive relationships and experiences have resulted in children developing a sense of security and belonging, something that they have never experienced before.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite facing significant challenges, children’s self-esteem and confidence improve significantly. Consequently, they make excellent progress socially and emotionally and now have high aspirations for their future. Training in therapeutic approaches and a robust understanding of attachment theory underpin staff practice. One social worker said, ‘The adults are knowledgeable and friendly. The interactions observed are positive and it is evident that they have a deeper understanding of children’s trauma. This is evident in the way they engage with my children and how they understand the reasons behind some behaviours. They have the capacity to see beyond the behaviour.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults sensitively support and encourage children with their identity and have skilfully supported one child to be proud of their identity and sexuality. Adults and children have an inclusive attitude and celebrate diversity. Children are encouraged to celebrate and embrace their identity and plan to attend a local festival celebrating diversity and inclusion. As a result of this work, children have a greater tolerance to each other and there is no bullying within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are central to the running of the home. Adults consult children in all aspects of their care and support them to take increasing control of the decisions that affect them. All children said that adults listen to them. This ensures that children feel that their views are valued and provides them with a degree of control. The manager ensures that children receive feedback about any requests that they make. Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 4 Managers and adults understand the importance of education. All children have faced challenges with their education and have had periods of disengaging. The manager and adults are persistent with children in motivating them to want to learn and finding ways to engage them. They work in partnership with schools and the placing authority to find children a suitable provision that reflects their learning needs. They have successfully supported two children to reintegrate into education despite them

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

having a history of no attendance. This helps children to maintain a daily routine that supports their academic needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Internal care planning processes are structured and well recorded. These plans detail clear targets and enable staff to track children’s progress and achievements. Children’s internal care plans detail longer-term aims and mirror statutory care plans. There has been a missed opportunity because some changes in children’s plans are not captured as well as they could be. This does not promote good-quality and consistent care.

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

Adults form nurturing and trusting relationships with children. Children have experienced stability for the first time in their lives. . As a result, children can talk about their worries and concerns. They know how to make a complaint, and adults consistently advocate for children. This ensures that children are listened to and receive support to make choices in their lives. The manager and staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. Safeguarding incidents are few, and staff take immediate action when they do occur. They place a high priority on keeping children safe. They work in partnership with placing authorities to protect children and promote their safety. Safeguarding reporting and recording is good. The manager reinforces expectations of safety to the team. Adults follow detailed guidance contained in children’s risk assessments to keep children safe.

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

The positive relationships that adults form with the children are a significant protective factor in helping to keep them safe. As a result, there have been no incidents of restraint or children going missing from the home.

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

Incidents of children harming themselves have been managed well and have reduced from children’s starting points. The staff’s approach to supporting children who harm themselves is nurturing and caring. They are comfortable talking to the children and gently challenge them to consider the effect of their risk-taking behaviour. They talk openly with children and listen to them about why they harm themselves. They help them to work through their emotions and to talk more openly about their worries. Children are provided alternate strategies to keep them safe.

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

Staff go above and beyond to support children when there are worries about their welfare. They have meaningful conversations with children to provide reassurances and ensure that the conversations are non-judgemental. They complete focal Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 5 sessions with children on issues that are pertinent to their safety. This supports children to understand what it means to feel safe and how they can keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. He values and promotes good teamwork. As a result, children build positive relationships with the staff, whose skilled and caring practice increases the bonds between them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has excellent relationships with the children. He prioritises spending time with children, and is an avid advocate for them when needed. He demonstrated a strong knowledge of the children’s progress and a commitment to respecting their individual identities. He strives to provide excellent outcomes for children and improve the operation of the home. This ethos is shared by a highly motivated and enthusiastic team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is well regarded and is nurturing towards the team, which creates an environment where staff feel well supported. Equally the management team value and appreciate the team and go above beyond to recognise the good work they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager welcomes new team members and supports them with a clear development pathway for their personal development. Staff are very well supported by the manager through mentoring sessions and reflective sessions, this shows that he has a real commitment to the professional development of his team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak about the children with love, warmth and enthusiasm. They provide a culture of respect, nurture and safety. They are enormously committed to children. They love working in the home and feel supported by managers. One member of staff said, ‘I feel valued for the work I do. He is amazing and so supportive to all the team. He is so passionate about our children and goes above and beyond in everything he does.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs. The manager is creative in his thinking and is always looking for new ways to support staff, to sustain good quality of care for children. This strengthens staff’s understanding of the children’s needs and how to support children. For example, the manager has delivered upskilling sessions about research-based practise such as supporting siblings in children’s homes and creating a family environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ monitoring systems are embedded into practice, which ensures that they have a good oversight of the home and take action to address issues as they arise. This comprehensive oversight makes sure that all aspects of care and the running of the home are maintained to a good standard. This better assists the manager to Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 6 identify concerns and make prompt changes to improve and maintain good standards of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good connections with partner agencies. Professionals are positive about the communication with the staff team and about the care provided for the children. One social worker told the inspector, ‘All my children have made significant progress in such a short period of time, I am so proud of them. This is down to the relationships and support from the team. I would not want them to live anywhere else.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a child’s plans form the basis of their care. It is necessary that these are kept up to date in accordance with their plans and meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1)

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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: 2703604 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Forge Nuneaton Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Grimshaw

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2703604 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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