Children's home run by Fresh Start Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 1 Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Limited

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Full inspection 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 company. The home provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. Children said they like living in the home and spending time with staff. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and one has moved out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works effectively to ensure that there are clear plans for children when they move into and out of the home. One child moved from the home earlier than planned due to escalating risks. Following this, staff completed outreach support work to ensure that the child’s progress was maintained. For another child moving into the home, staff made an animated book to help explain what life at the home is like. This helped to ease this child’s worries and anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are attending an education provision that is suited to their needs. Staff provide children with consistent encouragement and advocate for them to receive the correct support. Education professionals say that communication with staff is good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff want children to have fun and make lifelong memories. At the time of the inspection, children were enjoying a Halloween party with games, different foods and dressing up. Children also enjoy horse-riding lessons and trips to theme parks and the beach. Following activities, staff create ‘picture books’ that capture the memories made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers have a good understanding of children’s needs. Children’s care and support plans demonstrate that children are encouraged to read and understand the written information. However, one child’s plan failed to explain known information about the child’s identity. The manager acknowledged during the inspection that a small amount of information was missing from one child’s plan. This did not impact on the child. The manager provided assurances that she would address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s relationships with people who are important to them. Staff enable and empower children to make decisions about arrangements with loved ones. This helps children to build positive and meaningful relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a homely environment that they can be proud of. The home is clean, spacious and nicely decorated. Children have the opportunity to look after pets and personalise their bedrooms. As a result, children feel comfortable and recognise that they are important.

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

Risks to children have reduced. staff have a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and needs, taking appropriate action to increase children’s safety. There are individual written risk assessments in place for each child. However, these documents Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 4 are not consistently updated. While there was no impact found for the children, this means information in some written plans is not up to date for staff to follow.

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

Staff physically intervene when necessary to keep children and staff safe. Following incidents, the manager has reflective conversations with staff and children to explore why the incidents happened. The manager responds effectively and suggests responses with a focus on minimising the need for restraint.

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

Incidents of children going missing are rare. Overall, when children go missing, staff take appropriate action, and children are encouraged to return home. On one occasion, staff did not follow the required missing-from-home procedures and there was a delay in notifying the police. While the child did not come to harm, this shortfall in practice had not been identified or addressed by managers. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that staff are taking the correct actions to keep children safe.

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

Children receive direct work to help them understand their lives. Staff recognise when children need additional emotional support and respond appropriately. In one example, staff created a beautifully animated book, written specifically for the child, to offer reassurance and information in a child-centred way. This support eased the child’s worries and anxieties. The staff member involved was also nominated for a national award due to this high-quality of the book.

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

Children are sensitively supported by staff to reflect on their thoughts and feelings. For example, staff have created a box of items for one child that help to reduce anxieties and feelings of being overwhelmed and distressed. Self-harm is extremely rare and when children have harmed themselves, staff respond immediately and support the child effectively. In two occurrences, the written records did not demonstrate if staff had explored with children the reasons for the behaviour or if additional support is required. This impacts on how well patterns in behaviour are identified.

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

Staff recognise children’s positive behaviours and use rewards effectively. Children have individualised reward charts, which offer additional pocket money and sweet treats. Consequences in the home are rare and appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to providing a high standard of care. She is supported by a knowledgeable and committed deputy. Together, they form a strong leadership team that is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are child focused and enjoy working in the home. Staff invest time and care in building trusting and meaningful relationships with children. This contributes significantly to children’s sense of safety and emotional security.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions, and these are complemented by clinically led reflective sessions and team meetings. When staff are not performing in line with Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 5 managers’ expectations, support plans are used to develop skills and knowledge. This has helped to maintain a learning atmosphere and improve the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a variety of training. However, the manager has not ensured that staff have completed all required training to meet the specific needs of the children that live in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Concerns about staff practice are addressed appropriately and disciplinary processes followed as required. On two occasions, where staff have been dismissed, managers have not considered the impact this might have on children, or informed the children that the staff will no longer be working in the home. This is a missed opportunity to support children and limits the manager’s’ understanding about the impact of the change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with external professionals. Professionals value effective communication, proactive information-sharing and collaborative working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals’ and family members helps the manager to understand the strengths and needs of the home and inform the home’s development. An independent visitor visits the home once a month to monitor and reports on the quality of care. The visitor reviews children’s records, observes and speaks to children and makes recommendations that the manager also uses to drive continuous improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 6

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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;

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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

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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager considering the impact on children when staff are dismissed from their role and that children are notified when staff will no longer be working in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered manager must ensure that staff receive training specific to children’s needs. 10 December 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This specifically relates to staff being consistent in recording the children’s needs in their support plans and risk assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 7

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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: 2795315 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Regus, Community House, Stourport Road, Kidderminster DY11 7QE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Whitworth

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Inspector

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2795315 9 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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