Children's home run by Footsteps Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 1 Registered provider: Footsteps Care 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 managed and operated by a private provider and can provide care for up to 8 children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 5 children were living at the home. The inspector spent time with all 5 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: 10 December 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: 2540285 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Good 04/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/12/2022 Full Good 18/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships with staff who know them well. Staff spend time with the children and adapt their communication styles to meet each child's individual needs. As a result, children feel understood and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a varied range of activities that reflect their personal interests and developmental needs. Staff actively engage with the children in play and leisure opportunities, helping to strengthen relationships and promote a strong sense of belonging. The home environment is welcoming, child-centred and accessible. Children move freely around the home, including communal areas and their bedrooms. The sensory room and well-used outdoor space offer further opportunities for exploration and recreation. The display of photos throughout the home reinforces the children's sense of belonging and helps them to feel settled and comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's transitions into and out of the home are thoughtfully planned. Staff develop individualised transition plans and spend meaningful time helping the children to understand the reasons for their move. Information is shared sensitively and appropriately, ensuring that children feel informed, prepared and supported during periods of change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health and wellbeing are promoted. Staff have a clear understanding of each child's medical needs and ensure that the children attend routine and specialist appointments, including dental care. Nutritious home-cooked meals support children's general health, and staff prioritise children's wellbeing in daily practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's views, wishes and feelings are central to the running of the home. Staff use a range of communication methods to gather children's feedback, and they respond in ways that children understand. This means that children feel listened to and valued, and their preferences influence daily routines and decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not record their work with children consistently. Case records do not always reflect children's day-to-day experiences or the rationale for decisions made about their care. Recording systems are not always easy to navigate, which can make important information difficult to locate and may limit management oversight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager works closely with education providers and advocates for children to receive suitable education. However, when full-time education has not been offered promptly, escalation has not always taken place within appropriate timescales. This has resulted in missed opportunities for some children to access learning and to socialise with peers.

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

Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 4 Staff provide consistent supervision and maintain a secure and well-managed environment that enables children to be kept safe. The home is adapted in line with each child's individual care plan, ensuring that the necessary safety measures are balanced with a warm, homely atmosphere.

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

Risks associated with each child are clearly identified and regularly reviewed. The registered manager ensures that updates are communicated effectively to staff through a range of methods, enabling them to remain alert and responsive. As a result, staff understand children's vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to keep them safe.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. Staff remain vigilant and provide close, thoughtful supervision that reflects children's needs and promotes their safety.

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

When physical restrictions are used, they are proportionate and clearly linked to children's care plans; they are implemented only as a last resort to prevent harm. Children are supported to talk about any incident of physical restriction in a way that reflects their communication needs, helping them to feel heard and understood.

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

Staff have completed specialist training in de-escalation approaches. This has strengthened their confidence in supporting the children to express their feelings and manage distress. Staff now respond with greater sensitivity and skill, which has contributed to a reduction in the need for physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a permanent, experienced and committed registered manager. Their clear oversight and consistent presence provide stability and direction for the staff team and ensure that the children receive high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has strong monitoring systems in place. Internal and external audits are used well to review the quality of practice, and the manager responds promptly to any identified shortfalls. This proactive approach results in continuous improvements that enhance the experiences and outcomes of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is appropriately staffed and well resourced. Safer recruitment processes are robust, ensuring that only suitably vetted and skilled staff work with children. Staff benefit from a thorough induction and receive regular, meaningful supervision that supports their development and enables reflective practice. Appraisal arrangements further reinforce accountability and professional growth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed strong partnerships with external agencies who know the children. Communication is described as responsive and timely. The registered manager works well with families and those people who are important to the children to ensure that information is shared in a timely way. The registered manager has established effective partnerships with external agencies, professionals and families. Communication is described by stakeholders as responsive, timely and child-centred. Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 5 These strong relationships ensure that information is shared appropriately and that children's needs remain central to all decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe a positive, supportive work environment with a strong and aspirational leader. They say that they feel valued and cared for. This promotes an effective workplace where the care for the children is paramount.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is comprehensive and tailored to the specific needs of the children. The registered manager closely monitors the relevance and impact of training to ensure that staff remain equipped to provide specialist, individualised support. This creates a culture of continuous learning, where staff are encouraged and supported to expand their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although training is a clear priority, not all staff have yet achieved the required specialist residential childcare qualification as set out in the regulations. The registered manager is actively addressing this and monitoring progress to ensure full compliance. Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(c)) 1 May 2026

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Recommendations

 Children should be in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full time attendance at school unless the child's relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.14)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure 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: 2540285 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Footsteps Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Orchard, Ashmead Drive, Denham UB9 5BA

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Anslim Narinesingh

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Children's home details

Registered manager: Gloria Natasha Bailey

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Inspector

Lisa Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2540285 8 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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