Children's home run by NASHE - UK LTD

Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 1 Registered provider: NASHE - UK LTD

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 21 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in this home. The staff have improved their relationships with the children. The children actively seek out staff members they want to spend their time with. Staff have received good-quality training and now have a better understanding of the children’s experiences and how to support them using the organisation’s approach. As a result, the children are receiving improved care and support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Activities for the children are varied. The staff use activity planners to give the children more opportunity to choose activities they want to participate in. Children have been ice- skating, bowling and trampolining. The children enjoy having their friends over to visit. The children take part in independence tasks such as shopping and low-level DIY and have recently opened savings accounts. These opportunities are helping to build on their life skills. Staff are currently preparing memory boxes for the children where they can store photos and memorabilia from their experiences. This helps the children to have positive memories as they get older.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given the opportunity to have their wishes and feelings heard in meetings and in individual sessions with staff. Staff have responded to the children’s wishes to communicate electronically. They provide the children with a platform where they can communicate their wishes and feelings through an electronic application. As a result, the children are more motivated to share their views and requests and are not afraid to raise concerns. Any concerns that have been raised have been thoroughly investigated by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the children to improve their health and well-being. The children are now engaged in mental services, which is helping them to process previous experiences. The children are developing better eating habits and have improved diets. Staff are due to undertake training with a nutritionist to support the children with these dietary changes. Staff have been extensively trained to support one child with a complex health condition, and can confidently explain how to support the child around this. Staff have supported the child to make decisions around the health needs that will positively affect their quality of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress with their education. Their attainment and attendance have greatly improved. Staff have worked closely with education staff to change schedules for the children that are better suited to the children’s needs. The manager strongly advocated for one child to remain in their chosen school, when the school raised concerns that it felt unable to meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a comfortable, well-decorated home and decorate their bedrooms to reflect their own personal taste. However, some aspects of the environment are not homely. There are several noticeboards around the home and the children are expected Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 4 to sign a register when entering and leaving the home. This creates an institutionalised environment that is not replicating a family home.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of the children being missing from home have reduced since the last inspection. Some staff are not able to explain the process they are expected to follow when the children are missing and when they are located. On one occasion, when a child was missing, staff were slow to respond to the situation. The child was away from the home for a significant period before the staff acted. As a result, the child was placed at further risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the children’s risk and vulnerabilities. Plans and risk assessments for the children are comprehensive and are a good tool for staff to use when supporting the children. However, some staff do not fully understand safeguarding processes, which can put the children at risk. Additionally, some staff do not understand the roles of some external professionals, which can affect their ability to use these services effectively to support the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff manage the children’s behaviour positively. Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively and, as a result, there have been no physical interventions. After any behavioural incidents, the children are offered the opportunity to reflect on what happened and find alternative ways to express their emotions. This is helping the children to improve their communication skills.

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improvement to be good

Senior leaders manage medication errors well. They complete thorough investigations to identify lessons. Appropriate actions are taken to ensure that medication errors are not repeated.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practice has improved. Managers complete all checks on staff before they start working in the home. Any concerns raised from candidate checks are explored and risk assessed before staff begin employment. This ensures that only suitable individuals can care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Support for the manager has significantly improved. The organisation has recruited new senior leaders and a deputy manager. This has strengthened the leadership team, and the manager is receiving appropriate levels of support. As a result, the manager can now manage her service effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring and reviewing tools in place that enable her to have good oversight of the home. The manager can identify strengths and weaknesses and implement strategies to address any shortfalls. She is ambitious and is always looking for Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 5 ways to develop the service. The manager is making progress with her development plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a positive role model for the staff and the children. She is passionate in reaching outcomes for them and works tirelessly to achieve this. The manager has trusting relationships with the children and has built these relationships by ensuring she is able to spend individual time with children. She takes part in tasks such as transporting the children to the school to create opportunities for the children to speak openly with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly of the manager and the commitment she shows to the team. Staff describe the manager as supportive and are confident to approach her with any queries or concerns. Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision and appraisals. New staff experience comprehensive inductions, which help embed them into their new roles. Morale in the team is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident to challenge partner agencies when they make decisions that are not in the best interests of the children. External professionals unanimously describe the manager and staff as unwavering in their support and commitment to the children. One professional described being ‘blown away’ by the staff’s dedication. The manager ensures that the children have access to a wide range of professionals that can support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When the placement for a child needed to come to an immediate end, the manager ensured that a learning review took place. The review highlighted shortfalls and acknowledged what could have been done differently to support the child. This highlights the shift in the culture of the home. Instead of individuals being reprimanded for shortfalls, the team focuses on lessons that have been learned to improve practice and decision-making in the future. Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action when children are missing from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are aware of safeguarding processes.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff are aware of all professionals involved with the children and their roles. 30 June 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment, and should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 7

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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 children’s home: 2783240 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Farmbrough Close, Aylesbury HP20 1DQ

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Inspector

Louise Webling, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2783240 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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