Children's home run by Step-A-Side Company Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 1 SC028868 Registered provider: Step-A-Side Company Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and it provides care and accommodation for up to four children with social, emotional and behavioural needs. The registered manager has been in post since July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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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 outstanding

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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: 23 October 2024

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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: SC028868 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2024 Full Good 15/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value children and they have developed meaningful relationships with them based on mutual respect and trust. Children like living at the home and they are confident that staff will keep them safe, listen to their views, and promote their wishes and feelings. Staff are keen to learn about children’s interests and aspirations. This motivates children to participate in positive activities, for example music lessons and driving lessons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s education, recognising that it can enhance children’s life prospects. One child received school awards for their efforts and academic progress. Another child struggled to attend school for several months but participated in educational activities during this period. Owing to staff’s encouragement, they returned to school and completed their exams, and staff have supported them to select a college course. A third child lived at the home and they attended a local construction college.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend health appointments, engage with specialists and take their medication. They work with children to agree plans and strategies related to their medication administration and aids. For one child, there has been a marked difference in their communication skills and emotional literacy since they worked with speech and language therapists. This has coincided with a reduction in the number of incidents. Staff support children to improve their diets, and they have created a gym in the garage to promote exercise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff work hard to develop trusting relationships with children’s families. Social workers praised staff for helping children to remain connected with the people they love. The registered manager has instigated increased family time by working collaboratively with social workers to devise safety plans that take account of children’s wishes, ages and transition plans. Parents are fond of the staff and they are happy with the progress their children have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. While they made good progress living at the home, this was not sustained when they moved to another home within the company. The child has sometimes sought support from the registered manager, and she has responded appropriately, providing them with a sense of safety during periods of crisis.

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

Staff understand that the children require opportunities to talk with trusted adults in order to make sense of their lived experiences and to address confusion about their identity. They encourage children to engage with the in-house therapist, and they respond calmly when children make disclosures, verbalise intrusive thoughts and share their fears. Staff skilfully navigate emotive topics and help children to understand healthy Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 4 boundaries and safe behaviours. They are empathetic towards children, demonstrating that they care.

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

The registered manager and staff work closely with the in-house therapist to explore the function behind children’s behaviours. They devise strategies that support the children to calm when they experience high levels of anxiety and distress. Consequently, there has only been one physical intervention since the last inspection, and this was necessary and proportionate. Incidents of children going missing from home are rare, but when they occur, staff respond appropriately by notifying parents and professionals.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and risks and the impact these could have on their peers and people in the community. They monitor children’s behaviour to ensure interactions are safe and highlight inappropriate behaviour, educating children through conversations while listening to their views. When necessary, staff escalate concerns to the registered manager, and she works with external professionals to determine next steps.

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

Staff empower children to use their voice, and they take their complaints seriously. For example, one child stated that they wished to make a complaint about their peers due to some unrest in the home. A staff member supported the child to write their complaint, which was lodged with the registered manager. She responded appropriately, helping the child to understand her decision-making and actions. Any complaints made about staff are thoroughly investigated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is ambitious for the children and has high expectations of the staff. She is a child-focused and critically reflective practitioner. She supports staff development through supervision sessions, training, direct observations, team meetings and modelling good practice. Staff describe the registered manager as ‘dedicated’ and ‘approachable’, and they feel inspired by her leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager skilfully balances collaborative working and respectful challenge. She is a fierce advocate for the children and takes steps to raise concerns when she believes external professionals are falling short of their duties towards the children. For example, she challenged a school about their practices and outlined how these negatively impacted the child. This resulted in system changes and an apology, giving the child confidence to return to school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Parents and professionals respect the registered manager and the staff. The registered manager uses her influence to secure improved outcomes for children. For instance, she challenged the local authority’s approach to one child’s health needs and pushed for greater collaborative working and transparency. In order to ensure that staff could meet the child’s needs and prognosis, she sourced specialist training from a charity. She also ensured the child could attend an overseas school trip by organising training for the school and devising a robust safety plan. Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 5 Staff are extremely caring and committed to the children. They are keen to develop their skills and embark on new training. The registered manager has supported staff to initiate projects that benefit the children. Two projects are underway, and these involve exercise and forest school. Other projects and specialist training will commence in 2026. The

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

registered manager and staff are proactive care givers who persistently seek to improve their practice and the quality of care delivered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made during this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 6

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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: SC028868 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Step-A-Side Company Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 29 Market Place, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8AA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Carwardine

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Inspector:

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC028868 8 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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