Children's home run by Steps 4 Life Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2787939 1 Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a private organisation. It provides care for up to six children who have experienced childhood adversity.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registering as a multi-building site in August 2024. The manager has been registered since April 2020. He holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management in residential care.

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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

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: 2787939 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since opening as a multi-building site, two children have moved out of the home and three children have moved in. At the time of the inspection, six children were living in the home, and all spoke briefly with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and staff support children to make excellent progress in their education. One child has excelled in their education due to support from staff in developing positive routines in the home. They are predicted to achieve high A-level results and have applied to university. Leaders and staff regularly communicate with children’s education providers to ensure that they are meeting targets, and to find out what support can be implemented in the home. In-house education is provided for some children while they await a placement. This has ensured that all children are making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has implemented effective tracking systems, which have contributed to the quality of care provided by staff. The use of tracking has enabled staff to support one child with their toileting and identified triggers for a child who previously displayed self- harming behaviours. This has positively impacted children, allowing them to have more positive experiences in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have well-planned moves in and out of the home. Leaders are careful when assessing new children to ensure that their needs can be met safely by staff. Children are warmly welcomed into the home and encouraged to form positive relationships with staff and peers. When children move out of the home, they are provided with good support. Children have maintained safe relationships with friends they made in the home, which has had a positive impact on children by helping them build a social network.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed meaningful relationships with children. One child said a staff member ‘fills a void’ in their heart and that they are the mother figure they have never had. They also said they could not have achieved the progress they have made without the staff team. Staff are child focused and use the relationships they have developed with children to support them to achieve the best outcomes. One child who was previously under the ‘Prevent’ team and ‘Channel’ panel no longer requires both services. Additionally, they enjoy spending time with staff from different cultural backgrounds.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with positive experiences in the home. One child went to Poland on holiday as this was a trip they wanted to go on with staff. Another child who had asked to go to a theme park was taken by the home’s manager. Children’s views and wishes are valued in the home and children trust that any requests will be taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is homely and well decorated. Children’s bedrooms reflect the children’s interests and what they enjoy. All the children have been involved in an ongoing garden Inspection report for children’s home: 2787939 3 project which has enabled them to have their own patch of garden and take part in modernising the home’s outdoor space.

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

There have been no complaints made since the home opened. Children are supported to understand the complaints process from the point of moving in and are regularly asked if they have any concerns. Children are comfortable around the staff team and are confident in sharing any issues that they have.

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

There are effective systems which provide children with safe online experiences. Each child’s risk is assessed individually, and appropriate plans are formed with their social worker. Staff hold regular discussions with children to provide education around the dangers of misusing the internet. This has led to children being more aware of how to keep themselves safe.

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

Leaders have ensured that children’s risk assessments contain relevant information. Information is detailed and clear for staff to follow. The manager routinely updates the risk assessments following incidents or changes for the child.

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

Physical intervention is used when necessary to safeguard children. Staff use techniques they have been trained in when carrying out physical interventions. Children and staff are provided with opportunities to discuss incidents involving the use of physical intervention. This has ensured children can voice any concerns.

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

Notifications to Ofsted are usually sent in a timely manner. However, on one occasion, the manager had not shared information about an allegation made by a child with Ofsted.

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

Staff respond well to incidents of children going missing. They have a clear understanding of children’s risk management plans and how to respond. However, the records of incidents do not always include all required information. Recording is a focus area for leaders in the home and they are conducting training with staff around this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are aspirational and passionate about supporting children to achieve the best possible outcomes. The manager is child focused, which has led to the staff wanting to do their best for children to achieve positive outcomes. Leaders have good oversight of the home and understand the areas for development to help drive further progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are complimentary about the support provided to them by leaders. One member of staff said, ‘They are really approachable and understanding, which I really appreciate as you never stop learning. They have so much experience and are genuinely nice, so I never worry about asking for help and advice.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2787939 4 The manager has ensured that new staff are safely recruited. All relevant checks are completed for new members of the team. This has assured the manager that staff are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The frequency of supervision is good as the manager has ensured that staff receive monthly supervision. This enables the manager to review staff’s development and well- being consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training in line with the needs of children, including autism and post- traumatic stress disorder Staff said this has helped them to become more competent in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems are robust and effective. The manager regularly reviews the effectiveness of his monitoring to ensure it is effective for the home. He has systems in place for health and safety, individual children’s trackers and a whole home review document. This has enabled the manager to identify shortfalls at the earliest opportunity, which has supported him and the team to drive progress in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2787939 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  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 and third-party information. 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,

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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: 2787939 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, International House, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 2LA

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2787939 7 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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