Children's home run by Here and Now Children’s Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2808730 1 Registered provider: Here and Now Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose highlights that the staff are trained to apply a specific model of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, and both children were spoken with.

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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: 2808730 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they have built good relationships with staff. This has been partly achieved through the manager’s diligent planning leading up to the children moving into the home. Beyond this, the staff are patient, calm and nurturing with the children. This enables children to settle into their new surroundings in a gradual and controlled manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware that broadening the children’s life experiences has wider benefits for their well-being and overall development. One child said that they have done ‘loads’ of things that they have not done before. A child said that they are now more confident and highlighted that this has enabled them to seek voluntary work in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home skilfully promotes the value of education. As a result, children have developed a more positive outlook on education and its worth. Therefore, children are more confident that their respective plans around education are more likely to better support their learning. Additionally, children have hope for their futures and talk openly about their career aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s daily routines promote better sleep and eating habits. Furthermore, staff are skilled at gradually supporting children in accessing dental and other health appointments. In one instance, staff helped a child to overcome their fear of injections. These practices provide children with a stronger foundation to build resilience and positive mental health.

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

Staff are confident about applying the therapeutic model used by the organisation. The organisation’s therapist supports this. Cumulatively, these structures have helped each child to talk openly with staff about what is on their mind. In doing so, children are learning to better use the support that is available to them to resolve issues or make plans.

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

The manager has a sound grasp of the risks associated with the children’s lives. Therefore, safety planning concerning children is clear for staff to follow. Fundamentally, approaches to risk management involve children. This influences healthy risk-taking as children learn strategies to keep themselves safer, whether this is online or in the community.

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

Leaders and managers are committed to ensuring that the adults they employ are suitable to work with children. If there are issues that require further exploration in the employment process, there is clear accountability, analysis and risk management. When staff leave and seek new employment opportunities in the care sector, the organisation fulfils its safeguarding obligations to other organisations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808730 3 The manager works closely with other safeguarding partners. However, on one occasion, the manager did not share a useful safeguarding strategy adopted in the home with all safeguarding partners, nor did a member of staff know crucial details of the strategy. This did not affect the child, and the manager took steps to strengthen this isolated shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have used their experience in professional practice to shape and influence staff to be more aware and confident in their roles. All staff say that this has been significant in their development, with supervision sessions being an important structure to enable this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses her professional expertise to inform how staff should approach the children’s care. Additionally, the manager has an embedded understanding of what other professionals’ roles entail. This better enables timely interventions so that the children’s plans progress. Equally, when the manager believes that the local authority is not acting in the best interests of the child, there is a respectful challenge to address this constructively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and a parent said that they value and trust the manager’s evaluations of the children’s care. Weekly reports from the home provide context and help to reassure others who play an important part in the child’s life. Furthermore, effective collaborative work has helped children sense that all adults involved in their lives are working together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have made extensive efforts to embed a rounded therapeutic approach to care, but children’s written records do not always demonstrate this. Children’s written plans do not always accurately reflect important aspects of their care. As a result, staff and children are unable to fully rely on the written records to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the care the children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808730 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff can apply the strategies that the manager implements to keep children safer. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person should encourage staff to record information in children’s written records using language that is meaningful for the children. In particular, the daily logs, daily summaries and the home’s key-work records should be helpful to the child, particularly in later years. Additionally, the children’s written records should help the child understand how staff are supporting them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2808730 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Here and Now Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Catherine Hodgson

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Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2808730 6 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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