Children's home run by Footsteps to Futures Limited in Gedling

Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 1 SC484402 Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This home provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation. There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since October 2025. An acting manager has been in post since October 2025, and they have submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good 12/10/2023 Full Good 25/10/2022 Full Good 23/06/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the experiences and progress of the children are good. Staff develop strong relationships with children and understand their needs well. A social worker said how staff show commitment to continuous improvement for children and a child-centred approach.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills and plan for their future. A social worker said how well supported their child had been in preparing to become an adult. Support from staff includes support with their cooking, budgeting, shopping and emotional wellbeing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of continued relationships with people important to children. Family and friends of children are welcomed to visit children in the home, when it is safe to do so. Staff support children to spend positive time with family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have their own collection of photos from the variety of activities staff support them to access. They are a lovely reminder of the positive experiences staff support them with. Staff celebrate achievements children make by recording these in 'positive books' that each child has, even on those days children may find difficult. Children enjoy reading these books.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although children do not attend school full time, staff support them to engage in education. For example, staff have supported one child to engage in learning and increase their attendance. A second child has progressed from online tutoring to face-to- face tutoring.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for when a child moves into the home is mostly detailed and robust. Staff consult with children already living in the home about potential new children moving in. There was one occasion when all relevant documents and information about a child were not received by the manager prior to the child moving in. The strength of the care planning was impacted as a result. However, the manager and staff have spent time reflecting and have adapted how they plan for future children moving into the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment requires some attention. There are areas around the home that are not well maintained. The kitchen area is tired, with the worktops being in a poor state of repair. Children's bedrooms have all necessary furniture. However, there is no evidence of children's involvement in decoration or making their rooms feel like their own. Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 4

p.3

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

Individual risk assessments identify the challenges children may experience and how staff can best support them. Risk assessments are long. However, staff say they are helpful.

p.4

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

When children go missing from home, staff work with other professionals to find the child and return them home safely. Staff look for children when they are missing from home and visit the places known to them. Staff speak with children after episodes of going missing to help understand what is happening for the child and how staff can help them. Managers support staff to reflect on incidents and whether there is anything that could be done differently.

p.4

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

Physical interventions to manage children's behaviours are only used as a last resort. Incident reports are detailed and help all involved understand what happened. Staff help children explore their emotions and establish how they can be best supported. A social worker said about staff, 'They are genuine, attentive and willing to make sacrifices and develop creative strategies to negotiate with the young person, who can often present with challenges.'

p.4

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

Staff support children to develop positive peer relationships. Staff explore with children their experiences of living together. Where there are challenges with peer relationships, staff encourage children to express their feelings. Staff use curiosity with children to understand their views and support them as needed.

p.4

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

If children make allegations, managers take prompt and appropriate action. Investigations are carried out quickly and thoroughly. The manager informs external professionals, and plans are put in place to support children and staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are reflective and committed to improving and sustaining good care for children. Learning from challenging behaviours for children is evident, although could be strengthened to ensure consistency. Manager oversight considers how staff have supported a child and if there is anything they could have done differently.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by managers. Despite challenging periods, staff feel supported by one another. One member of staff commented how they have not allowed the challenges 'to impact the care that is provided to young people, continuing to go above and beyond'.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and professional supervision are held regularly. They consider the individual needs of children and the support required by staff to provide the best care possible. The manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice and highlights the importance of learning for all. Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 5 Managers support staff to have good access to training. This helps staff develop their skills in line with the needs of children. Training that is specific to the needs of children is not always provided.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, overall, write records that help children understand their journeys. Most of the records are written in a language that cares and is free from jargon. Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment is well maintained and that staff support children to have relaxing and personalised bedroom space. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all necessary information for a child is obtained from the local authority before accepting to look after the child. It is essential that homes understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child's placement to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 56, paragraph 11.5)

p.6

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: SC484402 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Footsteps to Futures Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 5, Riverbank Business Park, Whatton-in-the-Vale, Nottingham NG13 9FX

p.7

Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC484402 8 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.

p.7

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 .

p.8

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8