Children's Home run by Bridge2Future Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 1 Registered provider: Bridge2Future Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. They have been living at the home for a year.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is newly registered following a change of ownership.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home commenced in the role in October 2024. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted and is working towards a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 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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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home was spoken to as part of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home re-registered, the care and experiences for the child who lives in the home have improved. Staff have supported the child to become more settled and they are starting to make progress. Their education attendance is improving, and staff have helped them to enjoy better relationships and to spend more time with their family. As a result of the progress the child has made, they are soon moving on to foster care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been refurbished. There is a new kitchen, and the home has been redecorated. The home is spacious, well decorated and comfortably furnished. There is a large garden, and a games room with a pool table, which children can enjoy. Staff have supported the child to decorate their bedroom to their taste. This provides the child with comfortable surroundings that they can call their own and take pride in and creates a sense of belonging for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children’s education and access to learning. The manager and staff have been working with education professionals to support the child to improve their education attendance and prepare for their exams. This support from staff enhances children’s future life chances and helps them to achieve their aspirations. In addition, staff are supporting the child to develop their independence skills, in preparation for when the child transitions to adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have multiple opportunities to have their say and influence the decision-making that affects their care. While the child’s engagement can be variable, staff carry out regular key-work sessions, house meetings and have general discussions with the child about their views, wishes and feelings. Staff support the child to attend their looked-after reviews. When staff are unable to agree to the child’s wishes, they talk to the child about the reasons for this. The manager is thinking of new ways to be more creative to get the child’s views, less formally, to further improve the child’s engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have good physical and emotional health and well-being. The child is registered with local health professionals. Staff support them to attend all their routine health appointments and will seek additional health support when required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families and friends. As a result, the child is now spending more time with his family and maintaining these important relationships. This supports the child’s sense of identity and belonging and contributes to their life story. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 3

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

Leaders and managers respond promptly when there are allegations against staff. They quickly share information with other safeguarding professionals, and they take appropriate action to safeguard children and staff.

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

The risks to the child living at the home have significantly reduced. Since the home re- registered and other children have moved on, there have been no incidents in the home. Staff manage behaviour positively with the use of clear boundaries, rewards and incentives. Staff have not used physical intervention, and consequences are very rarely used. In addition, there have been no incidents of children being missing from care.

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

Staff know the child very well. They have a good understanding of the child’s lived experiences and how these affect their risks and behaviours. Staff use this knowledge, along with guidance provided by managers in detailed up-to-date behaviour and risk management plans, to mitigate risk and keep the child safe.

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

Managers ensure that staff are provided with regular safeguarding training. This ensures that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in relation to whistle-blowing, allegations and how to respond to incidents of children being missing from care.

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

Safer recruitment practices are not consistently followed. While there are organisational checks in place, the manager does not provide effective oversight on these. In one example, managers have failed to show professional curiosity around discrepancies in one staff member’s recruitment file.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a new manager in post. In the brief time that they have been in the home, the manager has developed a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager has high aspirations for the child living in the home and for the home to succeed. They have development plans in place to drive forward continuous, positive change. The manager is working closely with the responsible individual. They have started to make changes, which are having a positive impact.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems which support them to review the quality of care. They use these well to continually assess and improve the quality of care for children. However, at times, the independent visitor has struggled to get feedback from the child and professionals and has failed on one occasion to give their opinion regarding whether child is safeguarded effectively or their well-being is being promoted. The provider has questioned the effectiveness of the independent visitor’s assessments. As a result, a new visitor has recently been appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a small staff team and there are some vacancies. Recruitment is ongoing. Staff from other homes in the organisation support children when there are gaps. Staffing is provided in line with the child’s assessed needs and there is always an experienced Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 4 member of staff on shift. This provides the child with consistent care from staff who know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by management. Arrangements are in place for staff supervision, and regular team meetings take place. These are reflective and support the team to develop and work together. This also promotes continuity and improvements in the care afforded to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that all staff have completed a rigorous induction, which includes mandatory training and any specific training required to meet the individual needs of the child in the home. They have identified and planned further training to support staff development in preparation for children moving into the home. This ensures that staff have the skills to meet children’s varied needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers work with a range of professionals and external agencies. Feedback received from these is mixed. Professionals say that information about children and incidents has not always been shared in a timely manner, and they have raised concerns about the senior managers’ understanding of the importance of this. Not sharing information does not promote effective working relationships and well-coordinated care for children. The manager is aware of this shortfall and is in the process of implementing plans to address it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(d)) 13 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they consistently maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. All gaps in staff’s employment history should be fully explored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. This specifically relates to ensuring that there is regular consultation with children and professionals, and that the report sets out the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are safeguarded effected and that the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-

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Recommendations

being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 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: 2778059 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Surestore, Ninth Avenue, Burton-on-Trent DE14 3JZ

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2778059 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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