Children's Home run by Next Step Independence Ltd in Swindon

Inspection report children's home: 2638617 1 Registered provider: Next Step Independence Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns this home. It provides care for up to 2 children who may have social and emotional needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, 2 children were living in the home. They were both spoken to as part of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant. The Responsible Individual supported the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2638617 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2025 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2638617 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Although staff and leaders provide a warm, welcoming environment and children generally feel settled, supported, and able to build positive relationships, inconsistencies in practice mean that standards are not always maintained. This includes shortfalls in cleanliness of the home, boundaries around online safety, and educational support. Safeguarding practice is not yet sufficiently robust, particularly in relation to online safety and risk management. Leadership of the home is developing under a new manager. However, improvements are at an early stage and are not yet consistently embedded.

p.3

improvement to be good

The standard of cleanliness in children’s bedrooms and bathrooms is not consistently maintained. Staff do not always maintain oversight to ensure children are living in clean and well-presented environments. Despite recent deep cleans, some areas were found to be unclean, including one bathroom that was not functional. Maintenance issues are not always addressed promptly, including damaged wallpaper in a bedroom and delays in redecorating shared areas. This is in contrast to the communal areas of the home which are generally warm and welcoming. Managers recognise these shortfalls and are taking steps to address them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are starting to introduce clearer boundaries and expectations, helping children to build skills for adulthood. However, this approach is not yet applied consistently in line with each child’s individual needs, leading to variability in practice. Actions have been identified and are beginning to be implemented to address these gaps.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children indicate that they feel settled and are developing relationships with staff and the new manager. They feel able to approach staff and managers for support when needed.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and staff recognise the importance of children’s education and work with partner agencies to support their learning. However, staff do not always carry out educational activities consistently with the children. Despite this, children have been supported to sit examinations and have made applications to college.

p.3

improvement to be good

Families speak positively about the setting. They describe a warm, family-like environment and report that their children are making progress. Families feel welcomed, involved in their children’s lives and receive communication from staff to keep them informed about their children. This contributes to maintaining positive relationships between children and their families.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are appropriately met. They are registered with relevant health services and attend routine appointments, including GP, dental and optician checks. Inspection report children's home: 2638617 4 Additional health needs are identified and responded to, with staff supporting children to access services such as sexual health provision where required. This ensures that children receive suitable advice and support to promote their health and wellbeing and to make informed choices.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s milestones and achievements are recognised and celebrated. Birthdays and special events are marked in meaningful ways, with children given choice and encouraged to plan how they wish to celebrate. Examples include meals out and barbecues to celebrate achievements such as completing examinations. Family members and friends are welcomed to take part in celebrations, helping children to build positive memories. Staff also capture children’s achievements creatively, providing children with a record of their experiences while living in the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Incidents within the home are generally low level and managed at the time. However, reflection following incidents does not always take place and identified learning is not always embedded, limiting opportunities to identify patterns or respond to emerging risks. Staff do not consistently demonstrate professional curiosity when considering factors, such as the influence of children’s past experiences, emotional wellbeing, relationships with others, and what may be influencing or contributing to their behaviour.

p.4

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are beginning to take steps to achieve a more balanced approach to risk, enabling children to take part in age-appropriate activities while giving greater consideration to both their safety and independence. However, this approach is not yet embedded in practice. Although agreed risk management strategies are in place, oversight of online safety is limited. The lack of parental controls on devices, together with children not accessing the home’s Wi-Fi, reduces staff’s ability to effectively monitor online activity. In addition, direct work with children on online safety is not always undertaken.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff talk with children about staying safe, relationships, and boundaries. Children are generally open in these discussions. However, safeguarding practice is not consistently robust. Checks relating to individuals known to children online are sometimes insufficient, and arrangements for children to meet others are not always underpinned by appropriate risk assessment. On one occasion, responsibility for managing these risks has been inappropriately placed on a child.

p.4

improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of physical restraint, and no children have been reported missing from the home since the last inspection. Missing from home procedures are clear and accessible to staff, supporting their understanding of the actions required if such as incident where to occur.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are followed within the home. Required pre-employment checks are completed to support the appointment of suitable staff. Recruitment records Inspection report children's home: 2638617 5 show that appropriate vetting processes, including identity verification and references, are undertaken in line with safer recruitment guidance.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is new in post and continues to develop their confidence and oversight. While initial changes have been introduced, these are not yet embedded, and expectations are not consistently applied across the team. Important areas for development, including consistency of practice and raising standards, remain at an early stage.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Their support to the manager is helping to identify priorities. However, further work is needed to ensure that improvements are implemented and without delay. Systems are not yet organised effectively, and key information is not always easy for staff to access. This makes it more difficult for staff to quickly find and use important information in their day-to-day practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff speak positively about leaders and managers. They describe having warm relationships with children and a settled, supportive environment. Staff report feeling better supported under the current leadership, with improved communication and a reduced focus on paperwork, allowing more time to spend with children. There is recognition that the manager and responsible individual have introduced a more open and inclusive approach. However, some staff feel that stronger direction and confidence in leadership are still needed to fully embed expectations across the team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision sessions for staff are regular and reflective, providing staff with opportunities to consider their practice. However, children are not routinely discussed within supervision sessions. The responsible individual has recognised this and has begun to address it to strengthen oversight of children’s experiences and progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are held regularly and include the whole staff team. These provide opportunities to share views, review practice, and consider areas for improvement, supporting the development of a more consistent approach to children’s care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team is stable and consistent, with strong retention, which supports continuity of care and the development of positive relationships with children. This provides a level of familiarity and stability, which contributes to children feeling settled within the setting. Inspection report children's home: 2638617 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are clear about their responsibilities when caring for children and the levels of supervision required to manage risks. That staff take appropriate action including completing appropriate checks when children are meeting unknown people online and make sure that children have appropriate levels of checks on their devices. 30 June 2026

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— 30 June 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2638617 7 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.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home which includes providing consistency of care and boundaries. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a home environment that meets high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Repairs and routine housekeeping tasks should be completed promptly to prevent slippage in standards. This includes making sure that children’s bathrooms are cleaned up to a good enough standard and that decorating of a child’s bedroom is completed within a reasonable timescale. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 7, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that systems are organised effectively so that key information is easily accessible to staff. This will support staff to consistently access and use information in their day-to-day practice. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff consistently support children who are

p.7

Recommendations

not accessing full-time education to engage in meaningful educational activities within the home, so that their learning and development continue to be promote. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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 children's home: 2638617 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Step Independence Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wellington House, East Reach Court, Queen Street, Taunton TA1 3UF

p.8

Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2638617 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