Children's Home run by Brighter Beginnings (HW) Limited in Swindon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 1 Registered provider: Brighter Beginnings (HW) Limited

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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 owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities. At the time of this monitoring visit no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in October 2024. The registered manager has been in post since registration. The responsible individual left the home shortly after registration. However, they applied to Ofsted to be the responsible individual again in March 2025. This appointment was confirmed in May 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 July 2025. This monitoring visit was undertaken to assess the provider’s response to the requirements that were raised during the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The child who was living in the home during the full inspection has been supported to move out. This was a planned move, and the child was helped to understand his move-on journey and say goodbye to staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are accepting of the vulnerabilities that were raised during the full inspection. Actions are being taken to address the concerns and meet the requirements that were made. However, all actions are ongoing. As a result, all requirements have been restated and the judgements from the full inspection have not changed.

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This monitoring visit

The home is undergoing significant renovations and refurbishment to improve the quality of the environment. Leaders and managers speak passionately about their vision for the home and demonstrate a renewed commitment to providing children with a homely family environment to live in. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 2 Leaders and managers have commissioned an external consultant to support the home’s improvement journey. In addition, the management arrangements for the home have been reviewed and clarified. Senior leaders hope that this will ensure that managers are able to access the support that they require in a timely manner.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders recognise the strengths within the staff team and are seeking to address areas for development. New systems have been introduced to evaluate staff’s development needs and staff are being offered the opportunity to access additional training. Alongside this, leaders and managers plan to provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and understand how to apply their new knowledge to their day-to-day role.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed their recording and reporting procedures. New systems are being introduced to ensure that these procedures are effective. Additional quality assurance processes have also been implemented to improve leader’s and manager’s oversight of the care that is provided to children. Further, it is hoped that these processes will support continuous improvement and ensure that any vulnerabilities that are encountered in the future are identified and resolved swiftly.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reflected on their response to concerns about children’s safety. Appropriate learning has been identified, and additional training has been offered to all managers and staff.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s fire risk assessment has been reviewed and updated. However, the use of fire drills does not currently demonstrate who can safely evacuate the building and who may require additional support.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed their processes for assessing the home as suitable to meet children’s needs and help them to stay safe before they move in. A focus has been placed on increased information sharing and multi-agency collaboration. However, as with many of the reviews and updates to procedures, the changes are in their infancy and cannot yet be tested for efficacy.

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This monitoring visit

The provider does not currently have sufficient staffing to offer care to children. Recruitment of skilled and experienced staff is a priority for leaders and managers. Senior leaders have been clear that they will not move children into the home until they are satisfied that they are able to offer good-quality care to children and help them to stay safe effectively. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/07/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 4

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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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); and

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that every restraint that is used with children is necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm. Restraint records must clearly describe what happened to enable the registered person to do this effectively. In addition, staff must only use restraint techniques that they have been trained in and that are in line with the provider’s approach to the care and support of children. 22 September 2025

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 22 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 5 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)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that concerns about staffs’ practice towards children are swiftly shared with the relevant professionals. Immediate and ongoing action must be taken to safeguard children.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the actions that are identified on the home’s fire risk assessment are completed promptly. Further, the registered person must use fire drills effectively to ensure that staff and children are able to safely evacuate the building on hearing the fire alarm. When barriers to safe and swift evacuation are identified, the registered person must make arrangements to support safe evacuation. 22 September 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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 22 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 6 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that before children move to the home their needs and associated risks are carefully considered. The registered person must review the skills and experience of the staff team to ensure that children’s needs can be met and that they can be helped to stay safe effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s plans are up-to-date and reflective of the care and support that they require. Further, the registered person 22 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 7 must maintain oversight of staff training needs to ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge that they need to deliver personalised care and help children to stay safe effectively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must use oversight and monitoring systems to ensure that the care that is provided to children is effective. When actions are agreed through care planning processes, the registered person must ensure that they are completed promptly and not left to drift.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that children and staff are supported to reflect on their behaviour and/or practice. This must include how children and staff could respond differently in the future to achieve more positive outcomes. The registered person must evaluate the effectiveness of the use of restraint and ensure that learning opportunities for staff are identified.

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Requirement Due date

Finally, the registered person must ensure that they receive the support and guidance from senior leaders that they require. If the registered person determines that the support from senior leaders is insufficient, they should escalate their concerns, as per the home’s policies.

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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; and

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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; 22 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 8 help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is suitably furnished for children and that repairs are completed swiftly. This includes in children’s bedrooms. Further, the registered person must seek to reduce the environmental restrictions that are used in the home so that children are able to access all areas of their home, as per risk assessment.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that the care and support that is offered to children is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose and children’s individual care plans.

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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: 2801609 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brighter Beginnings (HW) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, 1st Formations, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2801609 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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