Children's home run by First Steps Residential LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 1 Registered provider: First Steps Residential LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional needs. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2025. The registered manager left in March 2025. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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 previous 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: 2817287 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection there were two children living at the home. One child moved in shortly after the home was registered, and the other moved in shortly before the inspection. The inspector met and spoke with one child, who showed them around and spoke positively about the home. The inspector also received positive feedback from both children’s parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have made progress during their time living at the home. Staff have built positive relationships with them and have helped them to improve day-to-day routines. For the child who has lived at the home longer, there have been more notable changes in their engagement, presentation and demeanour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and promote education. One child is in full-time education, and although the other child is not, alternative provisions have been organised. These are tailored to support the child’s needs. The manager has pursued a re-introduction into full-time education and has advocated for this to happen.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health and well-being needs. They help the children to attend all medical appointments. Staff and managers place emphasis on supporting children’s emotional well-being. Staff receive therapeutic training, and a therapeutic approach is being introduced and embedded to help staff support children. Staff and leaders also work with other professionals, for example specialist mental health services and an in- house psychologist. Medication is managed effectively with detailed and accurate records kept.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children’s leisure interests and social activities. For example, one child likes fishing and swimming, and these interests are regularly supported and encouraged. Staff have also taken both children out individually, and on occasion together, for trips or activities, and a schedule of future activities is planned. A scrapbook is kept for each child, which is regularly updated by staff and captures a positive history of activities and trips.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are listened to and captured effectively. Staff and managers regularly speak with children about these and have an ‘open door’ policy. Children have not made any complaints, but the home has a complaints procedure in place, and children know they can raise a complaint or a concern if they wish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, modern, well-decorated and furnished to a high standard. Children’s rooms are a good size, and children can personalise them. The garden is large and includes an external therapy room and an additional space known as the ‘robin’s nest’, which can support meetings or on-site education. The home environment is well maintained both inside and outside. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 3

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

Staff know their safeguarding responsibilities and understand whistle-blowing procedures. Children are supported to be safer.

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

Children have developed good relationships with staff and receive help to find ways to manage their feelings and behaviours safely and appropriately. Staff understand children’s issues and risks, and they know children’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Staff work with children to help encourage positive changes in behaviour. For example, one child has been helped to cease smoking and is reducing vaping.

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

No physical restraints have taken place. However, staff have training on appropriate restraint techniques. There is a strong focus on using de-escalation techniques.

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

Staff are aided by risk assessment and behaviour support plans, which are detailed and individualised. Children also have access to their own versions of behaviour support plans, called ‘My plan’, which they are jointly involved in writing. Plans and assessments identify behavioural triggers, preventative measures and de-escalation responses. Consequences are proportionate and well recorded.

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

Fire and safety checks are conducted routinely. Fire drills take place regularly, and all children have personal emergency evacuation plans. Health and safety risks are monitored and managed effectively.

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

There have been no episodes of children going missing from the home. However, the missing risk assessments and individual plans for children were not clear. One child had no individual missing profile tool. The risk assessment for the other child was lacking in detail such as expected staff responses. Without clear missing risk assessments and action plans, staff may be unsure about how to respond if a child goes missing, or responses may not be consistent.

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

While significant incidents are well recorded and evaluated by the manager, other incidents or events are not consistently well recorded or evaluated. Several incidents of verbally abusive behaviour or bullying were recorded in daily records with only minimal evaluation. Records of other events, such as room searches, did not show a rationale for why they had taken place, and no detail about how the search was conducted was recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has not been a registered manager at the home since March 2025. However, the deputy manager has taken on the role of interim manager. They strive for the best outcomes for children and lead the staffing team diligently and competently. The interim manager has shown great commitment and dedication to the home since the manager’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 4 departure, and this has limited the impact of no permanent manager having been recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and the director have also provided additional oversight and support. There is a good working relationship among senior staff. The interim manager, the responsible individual and the director have all shown good expectations and aspirations for the home and have shown insight and reflection on areas where practice can improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff show a positive and child-focused ethos about working at the home. While many staff are new to the home, and some new to care work, they show enthusiasm and speak positively about their role. For example, one said, ‘I really enjoy it. It’s been my best job,’ and another said, ‘It’s nice. Everyone gets on really well.’ Feedback from the staff about the interim manager has been entirely positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a good staff induction process. Staff receive a range of training and feel this gives them the necessary tools to be able to support children at the home competently. The interim manager ensures the home follows safe recruitment protocols.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In-house staff have regular supervision sessions, which they say are helpful and supportive. Supervision records are detailed and reflective. Staff also speak about a culture that welcomes informal ad-hoc advice, supervision or discussion, as part of a positive and supportive team ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional feedback is positive, both in response to individual children’s care and in respect of the management and staff support across the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staffing team is quite small, and most staff work over their contacted hours. Some staff have fed back that this can be a strain, or they are worried that it will become a strain if it continues. Agency staffing levels mean an agency staff member works at the home most days. Although agency staff are typically consistent individuals, and feedback from agency staff has been positive, they do not receive supervision. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 5

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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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) 31 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. In particular, they should evaluate staff records to ensure good conduct and practice, especially in response to incidents of bullying or abusive behaviour, and room searches. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that as set out in regulations 31-33, they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, they must ensure staff concerns about working hours are explored and that agency staff who work regularly in the home have access to support such as supervision (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that 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, are specified. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28) Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 6

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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: 2817287 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Steps Residential LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 43, The Cobalt Building, 1600 Eureka Park, Lower Pemberton, Ashford, Kent TN25 4BF

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Inspector

Daniel Rankin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2817287 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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