Children's Home run by The Bettermeant Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 1 Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group 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 owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken to as part of the inspection. Two children had lived in the home during this period. Their experiences were taken into account during this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2025 Full Outstanding 13/11/2024 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 3

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Summary of findings

Children feel able to approach staff and managers with worries. Staff promote family relationships which supports children’s sense of identity. Placements are carefully considered with professional coordination, and reflection when they end unexpectedly. Children’s achievements are recognised and celebrated. Staff understand children’s individual risks and help them to develop safety skills. However, records of physical interventions lack sufficient detail and management oversight. In addition, children are not always spoken to after being held. A safeguarding concern was poorly managed, delaying appropriate action being taken. Staff feel valued and supported by management. Systems are in place to monitor the quality of care and identify areas of improvement. However, management oversight is not always sufficiently effective in ensuring that identified weaknesses are addressed promptly and that improvements in

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improvement to be good

Children can identify staff they feel comfortable approaching when they have worries or concerns. Children identify the manager as someone they can confidently talk to. One child shared a heart-warming letter with staff about their experience of living in the home and the impact the care had on their experience.

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improvement to be good

Children are ambitious for their futures and supported to make progress in their education. Children who were not accessing education prior to living in the home have successfully integrated back into education. One child spoke with pride about their educational progress since moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of family relationships and advocate for children to spend meaningful time with people who are important to them. This supports children to maintain enduring relationships with those who matter most to them, promoting their wellbeing and sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, careful consideration is given to gathering relevant information to make informed decisions about suitability. Children are supported to visit the home beforehand and meet the staff who will be caring for them. Management work closely with relevant professionals to ensure a co-ordinated and multi-agency approach to matching children in the home. When placements end unexpectedly, managers reflect on the reasons for the breakdown and identify learning to inform future practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff celebrate children’s important milestones and recognise their progress and achievements, no matter how big or small. This helps children to feel valued and proud of their progress in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 4

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improvement to be good

Staff have an understanding of children’s individual risks and support children to understand these and how to keep themselves safe. Regular communication is tailored to each child’s needs, helping them to develop the skills and knowledge to manage risks and keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Records relating to physical intervention do not always provide sufficient details about the hold used. The manager’s oversight is not consistent in evidencing whether the intervention was appropriate and proportionate. Children are not always spoken to following incidents of physical restraint to check on their welfare or to explore how the intervention made them feel. When the manager has been involved in physical interventions, the responsible individual has reviewed the incident to ensure independent oversight.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are generally managed appropriately with safeguarding procedures followed. However, one allegation made by a child against a staff member was not managed effectively. Insufficient action was taken to explore the concerns raised by a child to external professionals. Staff failed to report the safeguarding concerns immediately and this was not identified or challenged by management. The regulator was also not informed about this allegation. Following information being shared by the local authority several days later, management responded promptly, implementing appropriate safeguarding procedures. Consequently, this resulted in a few days where children were potentially left at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

When children harm themselves, staff respond appropriately to promote their immediate welfare and safety. Children are given opportunities to talk about their feelings and explore how staff can best support them in future. Staff seek medical advice for the child if this is required. Staff use creative and individualised approaches to support children’s emotional and mental health, adapting their responses to meet each child’s specific needs.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff follow their individual and agreed safeguarding procedures. Staff proactively search for children and contact police if there are concerns for their safety or they lose sight of them. On their return, staff speak with children sensitively to understand why they went missing and identify appropriate support to reduce future incidents.

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

The manager has high aspirations for children and staff. Management are confident in challenging professionals when decisions are not in the best interest of children. Managers will advocate effectively to ensure children receive the right support and opportunities. Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 5 Staff feel well supported by management and are comfortable raising concerns. During a difficult period, staff highlighted the support provided by management. One staff member shared that following a challenging incident, their welfare was checked on not only by the registered manager but also the responsible individual and director. This support contributes to staff feeling valued and well cared for.

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

Management are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and respond promptly to areas requiring improvement. Effective systems are in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children, from staff level up to senior management. Management take swift action to improve practice and ensure necessary changes are effectively implemented.

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

Management oversight following incidents considers how effectively staff have supported children. However, this oversight is not consistently effective in identifying areas for improvement or appropriately challenging staff practice where required. Further scrutiny and challenge are provided by the responsible individual, which provides an additional layer of oversight.

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

Staff benefit from regular supervisions and team meetings. Management considers staff development and supports career progression. Staff practice is further strengthened through additional training and development opportunities. Safeguarding is a consistent focus within supervision, providing staff with a safe space to discuss any worries. Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to identify when a child has made an allegation of harm and ensure this is shared with management without delay. Delays in staff reporting safeguarding concerns should be addressed and challenged by leaders and managers. 18 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 7 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure there is robust oversight of the care provided and ensure that action is taken to address any shortfalls. The registered person must ensure that recording systems are effective and that they review and evaluate all incidents to identify any learning and support to develop practice in the home. 18 December 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 18 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 8 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that descriptions of the measures used are clear within recordings. The registered person should ensure that there is oversight of the measure and ensure this was appropriate and accurate. Children should be spoken to following incidents of restraint to check on their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 18 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 9 a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the regulator is informed if an allegation has been made against staff.

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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: 2786148 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Bettermeant Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Helens House, King Street, Derby DE1 3EE

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2786148 11 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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