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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 1 Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex 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 privately owned by a small independent organisation and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social, emotional and behavioural needs.

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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

There were no children living at the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The last full inspection was judged inadequate as serious and widespread shortfalls were found. Ofsted subsequently issued two compliance notices in relation to the protection of children and leadership and management. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the steps taken by the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved communication with staff regarding safeguarding children. Information is now made available to staff to help them to recognise and respond to children in a crisis. Staff are signposted to documents and quick reference guides to support their understanding.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have introduced new systems when planning for children to move into the home. This includes clarity about what information is needed to enable informed decisions to be made about the care planning of all children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now more involved in the decision-making process when discussing children moving into the home. They provide their views as to whether they feel that they possess the relevant skills and experience to care for children with highly complex needs and what is needed to better equip them. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 2 Staff have attended training to strengthen their understanding of how to keep children safe. This includes working in line with the home’s policies and guidance. Leaders have reached out to external companies to provide relevant and more intensive training courses.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have provided workshops for staff to refresh their understanding of topics such as administering medication and risk and conflict management. Further workshops are planned throughout the remainder of the year.

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This monitoring visit

The home is now a welcoming environment. Leaders and staff have personalised rooms for children who are due to move into the home and new furnishings have been provided for a more homely feel.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders hold reflective supervision sessions with staff. They create a safe space to discuss challenging situations. They revisit incidents and reflect on actions taken and use these as learning opportunities for staff.

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This monitoring visit

While no children have lived at the home since the last full inspection, leaders and managers have taken action to improve systems in place to ensure improved management oversight and better safeguarding of children. The compliance notices are deemed as met. This monitoring visit did not review all of the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. Therefore, these are restated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07 April 2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 3

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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 with the given timescales.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 July 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 July 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 5 July 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 4 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 July 2025

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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 and how staff should support the child on return to the home. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature. In particular, they should link to the behaviour and not be punitive in their approach. 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) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 5  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about 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, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, that staff support the child to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable, structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child's needs 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

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Ltd

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Children's home details

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

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Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2797065 7 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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Inspector

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