Children's home run by Good News Nwk Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 1 Registered provider: Good News NWK Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 4 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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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: 24 September 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: 2679067 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2024 Full Good 10/10/2023 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home. There are currently 3 children living at the home. The inspector spent time with the children. There was a consistently caring, attentive atmosphere, with fun and laughter shared between the children and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in most aspects of their care and generally make positive progress, with staff using a wide range of nonverbal communication methods to ensure their views and feelings are understood and considered. However, staff do not always maximise opportunities to help children express their wishes and feelings when planning activities, which limits children’s influence in this part of their daily lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not have access to an independent advocate. The introduction of an independent advocate may offer children a dedicated and impartial support person. This could help facilitate children’s voices being heard and help in decisions affecting them. This could also strengthen their participation in decisions affecting their lives and provide valuable support as they prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood by staff. Children receive appropriate healthcare support and attend routine appointments. Staff promote healthy lifestyles by providing nutritious home-cooked meals and supporting children to be active through activities such as swimming and using the local gym. Children are encouraged and enabled to develop and maintain good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s contact with their families is encouraged and supported, where appropriate. Good arrangements are in place for children to spend time with people who matter to them. There is good communication between the home, children’s family members and professionals. This collaborative approach contributes to the stability of the children’s placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is a priority for staff. When children are home-schooled, they work hard with education provisions, and alternative options are explored and accessed to motivate them to learn. Due to the tenacity of the managers and working closely with education providers to ensure there is effective partnership working, children have re- engaged with their education and now attend school daily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides the children with a homely environment. Their bedrooms are personalised and children have their say in many aspects of the running of the home. Staff ensure that children develop a sense of belonging and stability. While the home is furnished well and has a homely feel, some of the internal fixtures and decorations are looking worn and tired. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 4

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

Children enjoy trusting relationships built with the staff. They provide a strong and consistent routine that children benefit from. Some of the children experience high anxiety; however, it is evident that the staff know and understand each child and are able to give nurturing, calm care. Children grow in confidence and self-esteem. This supports children to feel safe and secure.

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

Staff complete the provider’s mandatory training. Safeguarding training is thorough, and is planned to meet the children’s needs. Staff also receive bespoke training which is tailored to the needs of the children. The staff team members have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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

Children are safer because their risk assessments and plans provide clear guidance for staff and are regularly updated to reflect children’s current risks and vulnerabilities. These documents support staff to protect children effectively and to respond consistently to their needs. However, some plans and records lack careful, objective and clear recording, which reduces their overall quality and limits how well they inform practice.

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

Children receive thoughtful care from perceptive staff who understand their individual journeys. Children have staff they can trust, and spend meaningful time with one another. Staff participate willingly both in fun activities and sensitive discussions with children. This contributes to the sense of security children experience in their relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is focused and dedicated, and is visible within the home, creating a positive culture that promotes learning, growth and continuous improvement. Staff form a confident, diverse and stable team. They enjoy their roles and provide children with a safe, structured and nurturing environment. They receive daily support and guidance from managers and from each other, which strengthens consistency in practice and contributes to the stability experienced by the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak with pride about the home and enjoy their work, expressing genuine pleasure in spending time with the children and enhancing their experiences. They have confidence in the manager and recognise the progress the home has made under his leadership. Staff consistently describe receiving positive support and development opportunities and feeling listened to by managers. This positive culture contributes to children thriving in a nurturing and well-led home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision that provides meaningful opportunities to reflect on their practice, seek guidance and discuss any questions or concerns. These sessions support the development of staff’s skills and confidence effectively, ensuring Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 5 they have a clear understanding of their roles, duties and responsibilities while strengthening their ongoing professional development and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular team meetings, reflective practice sessions, scenario-based discussions and topic-focused quizzes, alongside dedicated meetings to review safeguarding protocols and policies. These opportunities enable staff to reflect on their practice, consider alternative strategies and plan improved responses to children’s needs. This supports the team to strengthen its consistency, professional confidence and overall effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to monitor the quality of care. This ensures good management oversight of how the children are being cared for. Children’s development and progress are communicated to external professionals such as social workers and families, who receive regular updates and reports. The professionals and family members who contributed to this inspection commended the work and commitment of the manager and staff. This supports the progression and achievement of children’s goals for the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person whom the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and to ensure they have the support they need to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their wishes, feelings and views to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided, with reference to choices in activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. This is with particular reference

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Recommendations

to the internal decoration and fixtures being updated in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non- stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 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: 2679067 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: DMO Accountants, 25 Sanders Road, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough NN8 4NL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nokuthula Mangwendeza

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Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679067 8 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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