Social care · Children's home inspection (SCCIF)
Children's home run by New Hope Children's Homes Limited
Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Group verified
New Hope Children’s Homes Limited
- Inspection date verified
22 Jan 2025
- Inspectors verified
Simon Jones
- Helped and protected verified
Good
- Leadership and management verified
Outstanding
- Overall effectiveness verified
Good
- Name on report verified
2728238
- URN verified
2728238
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2024.
- OverallGood
- Helped and protectedGood
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
70% of comparable inspections in the last three years were graded Good (12,716 inspections).
Tone of the report
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Reads more warmly than most reports of this type graded Good.
Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.
How the report reads, start to finish
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Strengths
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- He leads by example and is an inspirational leader who has high aspirations for the child and high expectations of staff. p.4
- Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 5 Highly effective monitoring systems ensure that there is robust and effective management oversight of staff’s practice. p.4
- Staff maintain highly effective partnerships working with all health professionals to support the child’s physical and emotional well-being. p.3
- The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding p.1
- The child is supported by a nurturing, caring and child-centred staff team, whose members are responsive to the child’s needs. p.3
Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
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What the report dwells on
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Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 8
- Words of findings
- 1,371
- about usual (typical 1319)
- Reading level
- Fairly hard
- Flesch 55, typical 51
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 2
- typical 4
- Hedged sentences
- 0%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 1 Registered provider: New Hope Children’s Homes Limited
p.1
Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework
p.1
Information about this children’s home
The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.
p.1
Information about this children’s home
One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.
p.1
Information about this children’s home
The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.
p.1
Overall experiences and progress of
children and young people, taking into account
p.1
good
How well children and young people are helped and protected good
p.1
good
The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding
p.1
good
The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.
p.1
good
Date of last inspection: 17 January 2024
p.1
good
Overall judgement at last inspection: good
p.1
good
Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 2
p.1
Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement
17/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 3
p.2
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child has been living at the home for over a year and said that they are happy . Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and are highly committed to supporting the child. This is enabling the child to develop a sense of belonging and permanency.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child is supported by a nurturing, caring and child-centred staff team, whose members are responsive to the child’s needs. Well-thought-out routines, which are designed to bring predictability, are implemented. This enables the child to overcome barriers so that they can participate in everyday life. The child is making progress in many aspects of their life.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child’s health and well-being have significantly improved since moving in. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships working with all health professionals to support the child’s physical and emotional well-being. The child is encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle through regular discussion with staff around a healthy diet, personal hygiene, and the importance of physical activities.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child is now attending school full time. The manager has high expectations for the child to engage and succeed in their education. The manager has worked with other professionals and identified a school that can meet the child’s needs. Staff work closely with the education staff and there is daily communication. This provides consistency for the child, and they are now fully engaging in their learning.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child is now engaging in regular activities. Staff support the child to overcome their anxieties about going out in the community. Through regular discussions and social stories, the child feels more confident to try new activities and experiences, such as attending their first holiday in the summer.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The child’s views are taken seriously and are central to the decisions made. The child is regularly consulted around activities, meal choices and incentives and targets to help improve their age-appropriate life skills. As a result, the child is respected, valued, and listened to.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
Staff celebrate the child’s achievements. Staff complete a weekly review of the child’s progress and achievements, and the child has input into this. This is shared with the social worker to celebrate the child’s successes. The child has also been supported to be involved in purchasing and donating toys to two charity events in the local community. This is developing the child’s self-esteem and confidence.
p.3
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Keeping the child safe is a priority for staff and is integral to daily practice. The child receives a high level of supervision and support that is in line with their assessed needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 4 Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and the support they require to ensure their safety both in the home and when out in the community.
p.3
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Staff have a good understanding of the child’s risks and underlying needs. Risk assessments are detailed and informative and are used to highlight the child’s vulnerabilities and the action staff need to take to protect them from harm. The manager ensures that these are reviewed regularly. Any emerging risks are identified quickly, and support is put in place.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
The child said they feel safe in the home. They said they feel listened to and if they had any concerns or worries, they would speak to any staff member. There have been no complaints.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
The child has built positive relationships with staff and positive behaviour is encouraged. Staff use appropriate de-escalation techniques to help the child to manage their anxieties and frustration. With this support and regular discussions, the child is learning to regulate their emotions and incidents of behaviours that challenge are reducing. There have been no physical interventions used, and the child has not been missing from home since they have lived there. This is a significant improvement for the child since moving into this home and shows that the child feels safe.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Incidents of the child being dysregulated are well managed. Many of the incidents have happened in the school. Staff support the education staff in discussing the incident with the child. This collaborative approach means that the child receives a consistent approach to their care and the likelihood that incidents will reoccur reduces.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Staff provide the child with a warm, welcoming, comfortable, and safe living environment. The child is encouraged to have an input in the décor of the home, and they have been supported in personalising their bedroom. However, the child’s bedroom door has an alarm, and the manager has not ensured that this has been risk assessed to see if this is needed for the child.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
The registered manager is experienced, knowledgeable, and qualified. He leads by example and is an inspirational leader who has high aspirations for the child and high expectations of staff. The manager efficiently and effectively supports the child and the staff team.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
The manager and staff work tirelessly to secure the best support and outcomes for the child and are strong advocates. As the staff team are stable, they provide the child with consistency and stability in their life.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
The manager has a strong daily presence in the child’s life. He supports a highly committed staff team, whose members share the same aspirations for the child. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 5 Highly effective monitoring systems ensure that there is robust and effective management oversight of staff’s practice. The views of the child, other professionals and staff are actively sought and considered to improve the quality of care provided. When any shortfalls are identified, the manager takes immediate action to rectify these to continually improve the care provided to the child.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
Supervision sessions and appraisals take place in the appropriate timescales. This gives the staff an opportunity to reflect and develop their knowledge and skills. The manager continually looks at developing the staff’s skills by giving them opportunities to take on additional responsibilities. This develops a sense of shared ownership in the continual improvement of the home and care provided.
p.5
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
There is a comprehensive training programme in place and all staff have completed the training identified as mandatory by the provider. The manager ensures that staff also receive additional training around the specific needs of the child. Staff value the training, and it equips them with the skills that they need to work with the child and meet their needs.
p.5
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding
Team meetings take place regularly and give staff an opportunity to reflect, discuss current issues and share good practice. The in-house therapist also attends the meetings each month to give advice, support and offer additional group training. This again provides consistency for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 6
p.5
Statutory requirement
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.
p.6
Requirement Due date
The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—
p.6
Requirement Due date
the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children.
p.6
Requirement Due date
the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance.
p.6
Requirement Due date
so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.
p.6
Requirement Due date
In particular, the registered person must ensure that if bedroom door alarms are used, there is a clear identified risk, and these are kept under review. 22 March 2025
p.6
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: 2728238 7
p.6
Children’s home details
Registered provider: New Hope Children’s Homes Limited
p.7
Inspector
Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728238 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.
p.7
Inspector
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Inspector
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Inspector
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
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