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

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

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 inspection, no children were living in the home.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 3

p.2

improvement to be good

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

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have reflected on the vulnerabilities that were identified at the full inspection and have taken action to address them. However, as no children are currently living at the home, the impact of these actions cannot yet be evaluated for effectiveness. Consequently, the home has been judged as ‘requires improvement to be good’ across all judgement areas. All the requirements issued at the previous inspection have been restated as there is not sufficient evidence to demonstrate that they have been met.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are working with placing authorities to explore the possibility of providing care for children once again. They are transparent about the concerns that were identified and say that they welcome increased scrutiny from placing authorities to ensure that standards do not slip again in the future. The independent person who visits the home monthly has also been changed to provide a fresh perspective and new ideas.

p.3

improvement to be good

Systems are in place to help leaders and managers to ensure that children’s plans accurately reflect their needs and the support that they require. Staff recognise the importance of working as a team to assess the effectiveness of the strategies that they use to support children. They explain that if a strategy is ineffective, it must be reviewed and adapted to meet the child’s individual needs. Staff also highlight the importance of collaborating with children to ensure that their views and wishes are considered when planning their care.

p.3

improvement to be good

Considerable work has been completed to repair and improve the quality of the environment, although some minor jobs remain outstanding. The registered manager explains that they hope to support children to contribute to the décor of the home, as this will likely engender feelings of belonging and togetherness.

p.3

improvement to be good

As the property has been unoccupied for some time, there is a strong smell of sewage in some areas of the home due to stagnant water. Leaders and managers have not yet resolved this.

p.3

improvement to be good

The registered manager spoke positively about providing children with the ‘space’ to reflect on their care and the support that they receive from staff. Opportunities for reflective practice have been embedded into the daily routines of the home for staff. Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 4 However, staff have explained that they would like further training on how to support children to reflect on their behaviours effectively. Furthermore, they would also welcome more training about the home’s therapeutic approach.

p.3

improvement to be good

All staff have received restraint training. The registered manager spoke positively about increasing oversight of incidents involving restraint to ensure that its use is always proportionate and necessary. Staff highlighted the importance of building trusting relationships with children to help them to express themselves in safer ways. Staff are clear that restraint should only ever be a last resort unless it is in response to imminent danger and significant harm.

p.4

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have received additional training to enhance their understanding of allegation management procedures. They are clear about when concerns about staff practice must be shared with relevant professionals. The registered manager has reflected on previous shortfalls in practice and demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that children are protected from harm.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safer recruitment procedures are being followed. Leaders and managers are currently completing checks for five new members of staff. A robust induction to the home is planned, which includes training, opportunities for staff to familiarise themselves with the home and its policies, and shadowing of more experienced colleagues. Leaders and managers hope that this will promote consistency and teamwork.

p.4

improvement to be good

Due to the number of staff currently onboarding, leaders and managers recognise that staffing levels are not yet sufficient to provide care to children.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home’s fire risk assessment has been updated. However, as the report was only received recently, the recommended actions have not yet been completed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

While staff recruitment is ongoing, leaders and managers are focused on ensuring that the team is suitably experienced and qualified to deliver high-quality care. In addition, leaders and managers are mindful of personal characteristics and attributes that they consider desirable and lend themselves to the care and nurture of children. Leaders and managers are clear that staff must be supported to apply their knowledge effectively and should demonstrate a ‘passion’ for helping children to achieve.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have been provided with relevant training opportunities to strengthen their skills and knowledge. Systems are in place to support staff development and to identify further training needs. However, monitoring staff training needs remains difficult, as processes have not yet been transferred to the provider’s chosen electronic recording system.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff supervision sessions are being used to help staff to develop their knowledge and apply their training to their day-to-day practice. In addition, staff are being provided with increased opportunities to reflect on the care of children and how this can impact their Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 5 own emotional well-being. It is hoped that this will reduce staff attrition. Although staff supervision records have improved in quality since the last inspection, they still do not demonstrate the breadth of supportive conversations that are taking place or how staff’s concerns are resolved.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff say that they feel supported in their roles, and they are optimistic about the future. Although improvements have been made, progress has slowed since the monitoring inspection. Leaders and managers explain that this is because they are committed to ‘getting it right’ for the next children who live at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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. 27 February 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 27 February 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 7 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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))

p.7

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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))

p.7

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. 27 February 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 27 February 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 8 registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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))

p.8

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.

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.8

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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

p.8

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))

p.8

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 27 February 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 9 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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of 27 February 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 10 any experience of abuse or neglect;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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))

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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: 2801609 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brighter Beginnings (HW) Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

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

p.11

Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2801609 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12