Children's Home run by Next Generation Care Essex Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 1 Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 3

p.2

Summary of findings

There is a strong family ethos in the home. The manager encourages staff and children to express their true selves and celebrate differences. Staff provide access to a range of activities for children in line with their interests and build meaningful relationships.

p.3

Summary of findings

The manager has implemented strategies to ensure effective oversight. However, on one occasion, a post-incident debrief with a staff member was not documented. This limits the ability to reflect and learn. Several members of staff have not attained the required qualification within the specified time frame. The provider could not provide all relevant documentation relating to safer recruitment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to contribute to the high-quality presentation of the home. One child has created a family tree in the garden. It is decorated with the names of the staff and children who have lived and worked at the home. Children are supported to display photos of loved ones, and messages of affirmation and positivity surround the home. This creates a family atmosphere and a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build meaningful relationships with the children. They maintain contact with one child who has moved out. This supports the child in developing trust and consistency in relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and out of the home are well planned whenever possible. Staff advocate in circumstances that lack transparency for children around their care. For one child, the staff were persistent in meeting them and ensuring that they visited the home before moving in, despite limited planning by the child’s local authority. This helps children to feel settled and be involved in decisions about their care. Staff helped ensure that one child experienced a positive move out of the home and said goodbye in the way they wanted. Staff listened to their views and celebrated their time in the home in line with their wishes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with staff at children’s schools and encourage children to engage in their education. One professional said that staff ‘really align with the school’s approach’. This consistent approach from adults helps children make good progress in their school attendance and engagement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide access to a range of activities for the children that reflect their interests. They enjoy spending time together. Staff go on bike rides and paddle boarding with the children. This encourages physical activity while building positive relationships. Staff support the children to develop life skills. They have meaningful conversations and carry out activities relating to independence, self-care and budgeting. This helps children build confidence and develop skills for later life. Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 4 Differences are celebrated in the home. Staff are open, while maintaining appropriate boundaries, with children about their own experiences of neurodiversity and the strategies they use to help them manage. The support from the staff enabled one child who previously did not like to go out because of their neurodiversity to build their confidence to go for meals and activities. This approach supports children in feeling

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

accepted and proud of their achievements.

p.4

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

Physical restraint is only used as a last resort. Staff are guided by detailed behaviour management plans that are specific to children’s individual needs. This clear guidance and the relationships built with children have resulted in a reduction of restraints.

p.4

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

Staff have good knowledge of the risks the children face. They follow clear risk management plans, which are regularly overseen by the manager. This helps staff know how to keep children safe. One professional said, ‘Staff knew so much about [name of child] despite only knowing them for a week. They seemed so attuned and understanding of [name of child]’s needs.’

p.4

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

Staff have good knowledge of what to do when children go missing. They refer to a ‘grab folder’, which provides clear direction of actions they should follow when a child goes missing. This helps to ensure that children are located and return safely.

p.4

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

Staff support children to reflect on their behaviour. Consequences are proportionate, and the staff help children understand the importance of accountability. This provides children with the opportunity to learn from their experiences. Staff encourage positive choices through reward schemes and incentives. This encourages children to strive towards achievements by making better choices.

p.4

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

Staff work closely with the wider professional network to support children’s needs. They encourage children to work with a wide range of services to support their learning. This helps children reduce risk and keep themselves safe. One professional spoke positively about their experience working with staff. They said that they received ‘very good communication’ and detailed hour-by-hour weekly reports, which were beneficial to understand the child’s state of mind and areas needing more support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitable and qualified manager is passionate about her role. She displays willingness to learn and improve. One member of staff said:

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘The manager has worked tirelessly to create an environment that is safe and homely for our young people. She operates with an open-door policy that encourages all to seek support, feedback, and present new ideas when needed.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 5 There is a strong family ethos in the home. The manager encourages staff and children to express their true selves and celebrate differences. This creates a nurturing environment for children to grow in.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created a supportive atmosphere at the home. Staff are very positive about the support they receive from colleagues, leaders and managers. This supports staff morale and development. One member of staff said:

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘Our team is quite possibly the best team I have ever worked with, supporting each other and using each other’s strengths to give our young people the best of us all throughout their time within this home.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented strategies to ensure oversight and improve practice. Following an incident, the manager identified a shortfall in staff practice and delivered a training course to the staff team to provide further learning. However, a debrief with the staff member involved was not documented. This limits the ability to reflect on the incident and learn from the experience.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several members of staff have not attained a relevant qualification within the required time frame. There is a clear development plan to ensure that one staff member is supported, but for others, this is not yet in place. Safer recruitment procedures are in place to ensure clear oversight during the onboarding process. However, some documentation to evidence this was not available. This prevents effective auditing of documentation relating to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

managers clearly record what action has been taken to improve staff practice and that debriefs are documented;

p.6

Requirement Due date

all staff in a care role have attained the relevant qualification within the necessary time frame;

p.6

Requirement Due date

managers establish whether an existing qualification is equivalent the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare and keep a record of the information they have considered to establish ‘equivalence’. 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that good employment practices are maintained, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. Leaders and managers should ensure that documentation relating to safer recruitment is always accessible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.7

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: 2794236 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Generation Care Essex Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1, Newlands End, Basildon SS15 6DU

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Alexandra Seabrook-Rankin

p.8

Inspector

Sophie Levy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2794236 9 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.8

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 . 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9