Children's Home run by Fresh Start Care Group Ltd in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2862252 1 Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2025 and is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 children with complex emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. They did not wish to speak to the inspector. However, their relationships and interactions with staff were observed.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2862252 2

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Summary of findings

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff provide consistent care and have high expectations for the children, which supports their emotional wellbeing, independence and safety. The quality of this support helps children to achieve positive outcomes that continue to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming home where they feel valued and cared for. They personalise their bedrooms to reflect their likes and personalities and contribute to the home’s decor and furnishings. This helps children to develop a strong sense of belonging and emotional security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting, positive relationships with staff. Staff understand children’s needs well and provide consistent, therapeutic support that promotes their emotional and physical wellbeing. Staff use the home’s therapeutic model effectively and are well supported by specialist professionals in reflecting on and adapting their practice in response to children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong emphasis on children’s education and ensure that children attend school. Staff work closely with education professionals to provide consistent support to children. A professional described one child as being a ‘different child behaviour-wise’ and said that they are now able to manage their day so much better since living at the home. This collaborative approach helps children to feel valued and supported, contributing to their educational engagement and success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since registration, 2 children have moved into the home. The manager and staff work effectively with relevant professionals to ensure that the moves are appropriately supported. As a result, children experience well-planned moves, which have enabled them to settle quickly and feel supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out individual sessions with children to further support their needs. These sessions occur regularly and are of good quality. However, recording is inconsistent and does not always capture the child’s voice, limiting how well children’s views are understood and acted on.

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

Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities well. Children are supported to understand their risks through targeted education and guidance from staff, helping them to keep themselves safe. As a result, children develop an awareness of risk, and incidents have reduced significantly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2862252 3 Children are provided with consistent expectations and boundaries, which are clearly reflected in their support plans. This consistent approach helps children to feel safe and secure. Furthermore, children respond well to established routines, and their risks and vulnerabilities are decreasing.

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

Physical intervention is used rarely and only when necessary. When it is used, it is proportionate and appropriate. Children receive good support following incidents and have opportunities to discuss what has happened with staff, helping them to understand and learn from these situations. However, staff do not always record incidents consistently and factually. The registered manager maintains effective oversight, ensuring that interventions are in children’s best interests, practice remains safe and accountable, and staff are supported to improve their recording.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been some infrequent incidents relating to self- harm. The registered manager has implemented comprehensive, therapeutically informed support plans that are well understood and applied by staff. As a result, incidents and associated risks for these children are understood and have reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that children receive high-quality, therapeutically informed care. He promotes a culture of emotional warmth, consistency and reflective practice, which helps to secure positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working with children and feel well supported by the registered manager. They receive regular supervision and attend team meetings that are child focused and help to ensure that children receive consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably trained and speak highly of the training they receive. They are further supported by specialist therapeutic professionals to enhance their learning and development. This strengthens the therapeutic care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior leaders have effective oversight of the home. They have implemented robust monitoring systems that help them to understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. When areas for development are identified, the registered manager takes prompt action to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff maintain positive and effective working relationships with families and professionals involved in the children’s care. One social worker said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘The staff have managed [name of child] really well. They have made significant progress. Communication is very good, and they consult me to discuss progress and concerns. Overall, I am really pleased with how [name of child] is being cared for.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2862252 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, they should ensure that children’s views and wishes are recorded clearly and factually so that they are fully understood and acted on where necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that incidents of restraint are factually recorded. These records should support the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint and identify effective practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: 2862252 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fresh Start Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Regus, Community House, Stourport Road, Kidderminster DY11 7QE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Whitworth

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Inspector

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2862252 6 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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