Children's home run by The Bettermeant Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 1 Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group Limited 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 provider and is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may require support with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home was registered with Ofsted in July 2025. The home is led by a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with both children.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming, with a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Children are settled and comfortable. The staff and children have developed strong and trusting relationships. Children feel safe, and one child said this is the ‘most settled’ they have been.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with those who are important to them, such as friends and family. Staff recognise the significance of these relationships for children’s wellbeing and identity, and they work effectively to sustain and promote these important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly engage in conversations with children. Staff provide the children with reassurance and constantly provide them with positive reinforcement, which helps to build children’s confidence. However, these interactions are not always sufficiently purposeful or consistently focused on helping children explore their behaviour and personal development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. They put a strong emphasis on promoting the children’s attendance with their identified education provider. When children are not attending education, the manager advocates for children to ensure timely support is provided and delays are minimised in children accessing the education they need. Staff provide the children with educational support in the home to promote children’s learning and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consistently praised by staff. Children’s achievements are recognised and celebrated, regardless of what these may be. This supports children’s emotional wellbeing and promotes a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect the children’s individual identities and cultural needs. Staff have received tailored training, which equips them with the skills and knowledge to support children effectively in this area. Children are given regular opportunities to talk about their culture and what is important to them. As a result, children feel that staff understand and value their cultural background.

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

When the children’s behaviour falls below expectations, staff use behavioural consequences to address this. These consequences are appropriate and proportionate. They reflect the natural consequences linked to children’s behaviour. However, records do not consistently capture key information, such as the duration of a consequence and management oversight and review. The manager has now introduced a new recording system to address these shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 3 The children have behaviour support plans that are individual to them. These plans help staff to provide support for children to help manage their behaviour. They are detailed and regularly reviewed and updated in line with the children’s changing needs. The plans incorporate children’s views and reflect how the children wish to be supported during difficult situations. Staff respond to children in ways that are tailored

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

to their individual needs. Staff have a strong understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and how to respond appropriately. As a result, children are safer.

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

When incidents do occur, staff are reflective and consider potential triggers for children’s behaviour. There is thorough management oversight of incidents, with analysis and evaluation of both the incident and the response from staff. Where areas for improvement are identified, these are promptly addressed through discussions with staff and meetings with external professionals. These measures help to support ongoing learning and improvement in care practice.

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

Children say that they feel listened to and that they can speak to staff and external professionals if they are worried about anything. Staff know the children well and are attentive to changes in their emotional wellbeing. Staff can recognise when children may be struggling and respond promptly, providing appropriate support to meet their needs.

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

When new staff are recruited to the home, the safer recruitment practices are effective. Robust checks are completed before staff are appointed, ensuring that only adults who are deemed suitable and safe to work with children are employed. This helps to protect children and promotes their safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an ambitious manager who maintains high expectations for both staff and children. The manager has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. When areas for improvement are identified, swift action is taken to address shortfalls. This ensures that staff practice continues to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to regular professional supervision. During these meetings, the children’s needs and progress are discussed in detail. This provides staff with space to reflect on their care practice and consider ways to improve the support they provide to children. Staff are routinely offered praise from more senior staff and managers, and their personal and professional development is supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive the appropriate training to equip them to provide good care to children. This training includes safeguarding and ensures they can effectively support the children to remain safe. When areas for improvement in staff care practice are identified, staff are provided with additional learning opportunities and sessions beyond mandatory training to enhance their knowledge and skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 4 There are strong and effective working relationships with professionals involved in children’s care. This helps to ensure that plans are appropriate and reflect children’s needs. When plans are not in place or require progression, the manager is proactive in advocating for children and ensures that their views and voices are heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they enjoy working at the home and benefit from a supportive team environment. They feel well supported by the manager and are confident that any concerns or issues they raise would be listened to and addressed appropriately. This positive staff culture contributes to the stability of the team and the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views, acknowledging that it is not the sole responsibility of the child to ‘tell’. They should also understand how children might communicate their feelings through their behaviour and hold regular discussions with children to support them to grow and develop. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)

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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: 2839001 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6, Heritage Business Centre, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1SW

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2839001 7 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 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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