Children's Home run by The Bettermeant Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 1 Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to two 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 in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 13 November 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2024 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has made exceptional progress in all areas of their development when considering their starting point from their arrival at the home. The staff and child have established safe, trusting, and meaningful relationships. This has helped the child to feel secure and resulted in a stable and long-lasting placement. The child speaks with pride when talking about their home and staff and said that staff have gone above and beyond to support them in every aspect of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise the crucial role education plays in the child’s life, and they are committed to supporting the child’s academic journey. After a significant period out of education, the child is now sitting their exams and showing a strong determination to succeed. The child is ambitious about their future and excited about the prospect of starting college. The manager actively advocates for the child’s educational needs. For example, they successfully challenged a decision made by an education provider that was not in the child’s best interests. The child was able to secure a place at their preferred college. This represents strong advocacy that leads to positive change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff actively support the child in maintaining meaningful relationships with those they are close to, regardless of the distance from the home. The child said that staff understand how important this is for them and consistently ensure that they have opportunities to see and stay connected with their family. The manager and staff maintain regular communication with family members. One family member described the child’s progress as ‘outstanding’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has good physical and emotional health. Staff recognise the importance of promoting and maintaining this well-being, ensuring that the child has consistent access to the necessary health and support services. They are proactive in identifying needs and facilitating timely interventions to support the child’s ongoing development and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide support to the child in developing their independence, embedding these opportunities in day-to-day life. They understand the importance of preparing the child for the next stage of their journey. Staff consistently encourage the development of practical skills, confidence, and decision-making abilities to support a successful transition into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff celebrate the child’s achievements, no matter how big or small. The child recently enjoyed a special birthday celebration, describing it as ‘the best one ever’. To support the child’s confidence, staff write complimentary notes and place them in a jar for the child to read at their leisure. This thoughtful practice has helped the child grow in self-esteem and feel truly valued. Staff speak about the child with genuine warmth and admiration, often expressing how proud they are of the incredible progress the child has made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 4

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

Safeguarding incidents are rare. When they occur, immediate action is taken to ensure the child’s safety. Following an incident, the child is given space to reflect and discuss their experience with staff, enabling them to share how they can be supported moving forward. The manager carries out a thorough evaluation of each incident, identifying areas of good practice as well as opportunities for improvement. Any concerns are promptly shared with relevant professionals to ensure appropriate oversight and response.

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

Staff have an excellent understanding of the risks the child faces, both in the community and online. They provide ongoing support to help the child understand these risks and how to keep themselves safe. Risk assessments are comprehensive and detailed. This provides staff with clear guidance on what actions to take if concerns arise. The child is actively involved in the development of their risk assessment, ensuring that their voice is heard and their views are central to how they are safeguarded.

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

The child’s risks relating to exploitation and going missing have significantly reduced and are no longer a cause for concern. The child is now confidently spending time in the community, an activity they previously avoided due to a lack of confidence and concerns for their safety. This improvement reflects the consistent and dedicated support provided by staff. The child praises staff for the role they have played in helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to keep themselves safe.

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

The manager implements robust safer recruitment practices, ensuring that only adults who are safe and suitable to work with children are employed in the home. Comprehensive due diligence is conducted to identify and address any gaps in employment history or references, maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding.

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

The child is given space and opportunity to discuss matters that are important to them. Staff engage in sensitive conversations to support the child’s learning and development. Staff are creative in ways to engage the child. Because of the strong relationships staff have built with the child, they are able to recognise when they may be struggling and offer timely support and guidance. Records of these conversations are thoughtfully written, using language that reflects care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has established a culture of high aspirations and positivity in the home. Staff consistently speak positively about the support and guidance they receive from management. One member of staff described the manager and deputy as ‘excellent’, another highlighted the empathy and kindness demonstrated by all staff. Staff feel valued and supported, which enables them to provide consistently excellent care to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 5 Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which they say is beneficial. These sessions routinely include discussions about the child’s needs and safeguarding concerns. Staff also take part in team meetings that often incorporate upskilling opportunities. The manager recognises the importance of staff development and has implemented the use of a Key Performance Indicator form to support the monitoring of staff performance. This ensures staff maintain the knowledge and skills required to provide consistent, high-

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff understand the importance of effective multi-agency working and maintain clear, consistent communication with the team around the child. However, the child’s file does not contain an up-to-date local authority care plan. This is important to ensure that planning is carried out collaboratively with partner agencies and continues to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is thorough oversight and monitoring by the home’s management. Managers clearly understand the home’s strengths and areas for development, taking prompt action to address identified issues. An independent quality assurance visitor also carries out regular audits, providing additional external scrutiny. However, the quality of care review report lacks a comprehensive evaluation of the period covered. This is identified as an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager consistently prioritises the child's needs and rights in all decision-making, advocating for their best interests with determination. The ongoing dedication of the manager and staff team has contributed to sustained improvements in the child’s life. Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make the best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that they and their staff engage proactively with the placing authority to fully contribute to the relevant plans for the child’s care on an ongoing basis. The registered person should ensure that they have up-to-date plans from the local authority and that these are available and visible to all staff. (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.3)

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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: 2786148 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6, Heritage business Centre, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1SW

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2786148 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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