Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 1 Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation that operates several registered children’s homes. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning difficulties. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

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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 good

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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: 11 December 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2024 Full Good 08/08/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good 27/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive exceptional high-quality personalised care. As a result, they thrive. Children benefit from secure and trusting relationships with the staff, who make them feel valued and cherished. These strong relationships contribute significantly to children’s positive progress, long-term development and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know and understand children’s needs in intricate detail and tailor their support accordingly. The team has been in place for a considerable period, and staff provide children with consistency and stability. This has helped children to have a sense of belonging while feeling wanted and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s opinions are regularly sought and are highly valued. Staff listen to and empower children, which helps them to influence how they are cared for. This approach enables children to confidently talk about their thoughts, wishes and feelings, as well as explore their identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to identify and manage their emotions. This is due to staff knowing them well and by them developing effective strategies to help children with their emotional development. Consequently, children trust and respect the staff and feel happy, safe and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children flourish and make extraordinary progress in all areas of their lives. Staff are ambitious about the children and encourage them to take pride in their progress. When children face difficulties, staff provide guidance to help them overcome challenges and motivate them to reach their full potential. For example, all children now have ways to describe their emotions and have strategies to regulate difficult feelings. One family member said, ‘The staff team is incredible, and the care provided is thoughtful, child- focused, and the entire team genuinely understands them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s learning is a central part of their lives. All children attend the organisation’s school and have made remarkable progress in school attendance and achievements. Children who previously struggled with regular attendance or missed significant amounts of education have successfully reintegrated into the learning environment. The staff and education professionals work closely together to offer educational programmes and opportunities for children to develop life skills. For one child who has challenges with their education, the team is creative and sensitive to their needs as they work to support the child’s return to school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are proactive and work positively with children’s families to ensure that children have meaningful time with people who are important to them. Families are happy with the quality of care provided to their children. They value the progress children have made and appreciate the open lines of communication with staff. One family member praised the staff for their ability to connect with their child, stating that they ‘have found Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 4 the key to understanding and effectively communicating with them’, while another described communication with the staff as ‘fantastic’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is some ongoing building work being carried out. This is to expand the home and enhance the space for the children. Despite this disruption, staff have remained consistent and have ensured that children’s experiences are not compromised during this time. As a result, the home environment remains warm and welcoming, and children have remained settled during a period of change.

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

Children consistently say they feel safe and have dependable staff members they can talk to about any concerns. Staff take children’s worries seriously and respond with kindness and warmth. They take appropriate action to alleviate fears and promote the mental and physical wellbeing of children.

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

Staff demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of children’s needs and risks in a child-focused culture. This means that all children are encouraged to grow and develop in accordance with their capabilities and presenting needs.

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

Children are supported in managing risks as they arise and are empowered to develop their own sense of safety, feeling secure at home. Staff encourage children to learn new skills that help keep them safe and which promote their independence and wellbeing. Staff support children to make informed choices while adhering to risk management plans. Continued learning for children is facilitated through positive relationships with staff, one-on-one sessions and conversations, which are supported by an approach that fosters trust. One family member said, ‘I like the way that the staff keep them safe in a non-restrictive way. They allow space and trust, and they can navigate the world around them safely and confidently.’

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

Safeguarding practices are strong and embedded in the culture of the home. Staff are proactive in identifying emerging risks and respond appropriately and swiftly to any concerns. Experienced and well-trained staff provide high-quality care that helps keep children safe. Children benefit from the consistent boundaries set by staff, who continually support them in managing their own feelings and maintaining their safety. Staff take the time to engage in important conversations with children and do not shy away from difficult discussions.

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

Staff consistently use de-escalation approaches to manage behaviour, and restraint is rarely used. However, when restraint is used, it is as a last resort. Records of interventions are comprehensive, and staff demonstrate reflection and curiosity. Reflective conversations with children after incidents are effective. They help children explore their emotions, find different ways to communicate their feelings and increase their sense of safety, while also helping to repair relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 5 Staff and managers follow the organisation’s safeguarding processes when responding to allegations made by children, and they work with external agencies effectively. Sensitive work is carried out with children. This helps them to explore their emotions, find appropriate ways to communicate their feelings and increase their sense of safety. Allegations made against staff are investigated and shared with relevant safeguarding

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

professionals. However, on one occasion, Ofsted was not notified of this concern as required by regulation.

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

The organisation employs a dedicated mental health worker who visits the home regularly and is on call to provide support to children and staff. During times of crisis, this worker is present daily, which helps children feel more secure and gives staff greater confidence in their ability to provide effective support. This approach has had a positive impact on children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a reflective leader who understands the children and staff. His enthusiasm is a fundamental part of the environment, influencing how the staff interact with and care for the children. He has created a culture that sets high aspirations for each child, helping them to fully enjoy their childhood. This ethos is embraced by all the staff, who work together to enable children to achieve excellent outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the importance of collaborating with health, education, therapeutic and social care professionals to meet the diverse needs of children. External professionals and families report positive relationships with the manager and staff team. They note that staff communicate regularly and provide strong support for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular opportunities to discuss the practices and strategies for supporting children during team meetings and in group clinical team sessions. Staff say they find this supportive for their wellbeing as it allows them to share any worries or frustrations. Additionally, these discussions enhance cohesion in their teamwork, improving the support they provide to the children and each other. As a result, staff feel valued and well connected, which ultimately benefits the children through a knowledgeable and cohesive staff team. However, staff have not always been provided with regular supervision. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice and promote their development even further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at the home. The manager interacts with children and staff with kindness and affection. Most staff have been in post since before the last inspection. Staff retention is high, and agency staff are never used. This has enabled children to be cared for by a consistent, well-established team that knows them extremely well. This has been fundamental to the excellent progress that children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is enthusiastic about the quality of care provided to children and is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. However, oversight of some of the Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 6 children’s records is lacking, and are not completed in a timely manner. Furthermore, the manager’s support from the senior leadership team has been lacking. However, this has not had a negative impact on staff practice or children’s experiences, progress and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a clear commitment to continuous improvement. He has already begun to strengthen internal monitoring and staff supervision. Although changes have been implemented, they have not yet been fully integrated into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

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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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have full and consistent oversight of all work being completed to evaluate patterns and trends and identify areas of learning in order to make continuous improvements.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is consistency in the frequency and quality of staff supervision. 1 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted when required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 8 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: 1258343 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Sharron Dormand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1258343 10 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

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