Children's Home run by Next Generation Care Essex Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 1 Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the home registered with Ofsted, two children have moved in and out in quick succession. Both children’s endings were poor. The planning for the children’s moves into the home was inadequate, which hindered their progress while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children who lived at the home experienced complex social and emotional difficulties. One child moved out two weeks after they moved in, as staff were unable to meet their needs. Leaders and managers failed to consult all relevant professionals to understand the child’s needs. Furthermore, leaders and managers did not use all the relevant information provided to create a suitable care plan to guide staff in how to meet this child’s needs. This meant that some risks to the child were not explored or made clear to staff. Consequently, staff did not have sufficient guidance on how they should support the child, and the child moved out in an unplanned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The second child lived at the home for six weeks before moving out in an unplanned way because staff were unable to meet their needs. Leaders and managers failed to ensure that staff had all the necessary information about the child before they moved in, as well as the skills and experience to meet the child’s needs. The child’s social worker provided negative feedback about this child’s ending, highlighting that staff were not adequately equipped to care for the child effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children moved into the home with no education provision in place, and they did not access any formal education while living at the home. Leaders and managers requested additional information about the children’s educational needs, but they were unsuccessful in gaining further support. While staff offered one child some informal learning opportunities, there was no clear or strategic plan for supporting both children’s learning and development in the absence of a formal educational arrangement. This did not help the children to make progress with their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Both children had complex emotional and health needs. One child had combined health and behavioural needs, which sometimes required hospital visits. Leaders and managers failed to provide clear and effective care plans on how to support the child at times of crisis. As a result, staff support was inconsistent in approach and variable in quality. Staff did not always understand what to do and when to seek medical support for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home requires some refurbishment, and the internal decoration is not welcoming or homely. Leaders and managers have made some improvements; however, there is still further work to be carried out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have generally interacted with children in a well-meaning manner. However, they have not yet developed the skills and experience needed to provide effective support for children with complex needs. This has resulted in children experiencing poor care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 3

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

On several occasions, children have experienced harm because staff have failed to keep them safe. As a result of staff actions, or inaction, children have gone missing from home, suffered self-harm, or experienced unkind interactions from staff. The care children have received from staff to help keep them safe has been poor.

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

Staff have needed to physically hold children on multiple occasions to keep them safe. At times, children have been held by three or more members of staff. On one occasion, staff used a physical intervention technique that has not been approved to be used in the home. Leaders and managers speak to children after they have been held. However, despite the incidents being significant and sometimes resulting in harm to children and staff, leaders and managers have failed to speak with staff following these incidents. On one occasion, the manager was involved in physically restraining a child. The record of this intervention was not reviewed by a suitable independent person to ensure transparency and verify that the physical intervention was necessary and proportionate. On another occasion, a child said they had been hurt while being held, but this claim was not followed up by the manager. It is unclear whether staff provided any medical

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

attention or notified the child's social worker about this incident. Management overviews are ineffective and lack professional curiosity. Leaders and managers failed to thoroughly explore what could be done differently or if all holds applied are necessary and proportionate.

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

On one occasion, a staff member reacted harmfully to a child’s behaviour. Leaders and managers took appropriate action to safeguard the child. However, this has not always been the case. One child made an allegation about staff, which was not reported in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. The record of this allegation is not clear or sufficiently detailed. Furthermore, the record fails to specify the immediate actions taken to ensure the child’s safety. Staff who witnessed the disclosure failed to report this to the manager. The manager failed to report the allegation to the local authority designated officer or Ofsted appropriately within the expected time frame. The manager failed to recognise the child's allegations of staff harm on subsequent occasions. Consequently, these were not referred to the appropriate safeguarding professionals, and the necessary review of this information could not take place quickly. The failure to share important

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

safeguarding information potentially undermines partner professionals’ ability to keep children safe.

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

Investigations into incidents by leaders and managers lack detail and clear outcomes. Leaders and managers do not always explore these incidents to identify learning and practice improvement. This does not help to ensure that staff learn from incidents or assure leaders and managers that children are safe.

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

Children have gone missing from home on several occasions, despite court-ordered restrictions in place for them to have constant supervision from staff. Staff have failed to follow the children’s care plans. As a result, children have accessed the community in unsafe ways and been able to harm themselves on several occasions. Care plans about children’s risk of going missing from home provide insufficient guidance, and they do not Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 4 clearly direct staff on what to do if a child goes missing. This does not help to keep children safe.

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

Staff have applied consequences for children’s behaviour that do not fit with the therapeutic ethos described in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff have imposed consequences to prevent children from participating in activities or days out. Staff have not consistently recorded all consequences. Leaders and managers have not reviewed records effectively to ensure that consequences are suitable, proportionate, and not punitive in nature.

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

The new member of staff at the home has undergone appropriate recruitment checks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been poor management oversight and monitoring of the home. As a result, leaders and managers have failed to identify significant shortfalls that have led to children not being kept safe and having poor experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that decisions about children’s moves into the home are well planned. This has undermined children’s experiences and stability. Leaders and managers have not consistently developed positive relationships with partner professionals. Feedback from social workers has been negative about children’s experiences at the home. In addition, leaders and managers have not challenged professionals effectively if they have required further information or advocated effectively for children to ensure that their needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have effective systems in place to monitor records regarding the quality of care children receive. Some important records do not have management oversight. Managers are not curious about incidents that have happened and what could be done differently. This undermines the manager’s ability to improve the quality of care children receive. Language used in some records is not always helpful for children and could be seen as stigmatising.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive some relevant and helpful training. However, they have not received suitable training about the therapeutic approaches outlined in the home’s statement of purpose or in trauma-informed approaches to meet children’s specific needs. Tools for tracking and monitoring staff training are not yet effective in helping the manager to determine their learning needs and if they require further support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been several challenging situations for staff at the home. However, staff supervision has not always been regular, with some staff missing out on these reflective sessions at times of high challenge. Some staff have been supervised by a manager from another home. This potentially undermines the manager’s oversight in terms of understanding staff needs and developing and improving practice. Staff have struggled to meet the needs of the children living at the home, which, along with other factors, such as poor staff practice, has resulted in both children moving out in unplanned ways. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 5 Leaders and managers have decided to temporarily cease admitting children to the home and focus on staff training and improving practice. Staff have begun to undertake additional training in areas such as medication management. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(b)) 2 June 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; 2 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)) 2 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 21 April 2025

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 2 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 8 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)) 2 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission. Additionally, the registered person should outline how staff should support the child on their return to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature. They should, in particular, link to the behaviour and avoid being punitive. The registered person should ensure that consequences are reviewed for their effectiveness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-

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Recommendations

party information. Information about the child should 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, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. This specifically relates to ensuring prompt repairs and maintaining a welcoming and homely environment. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff support children who are excluded from school or not on a school roll for any other reason to sustain or regain their confidence in education and engage in suitable structured activities. The registered Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 9 person should challenge the placing authority if an education place is not identified for

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Recommendations

a child to ensure that the child’s needs are met under Regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 2797065 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Newlands End, Laindon, Essex SS15 6DU

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Inspector

Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2797065 11 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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