SC 2514259

Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 1 Registered provider: Solent Childcare Limited 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 small private company. It is registered to provide care for two children. According to the home’s statement of purpose, the objective of the home is to provide ongoing, intensive, individual attention, stability and support to children who have experienced disrupted developmental trauma and multiple placement moves.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since 10 January 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Outstanding 24/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 3

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outstanding

The managers and staff at this home are referred to as adults.

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outstanding

Children are cared for by a friendly and highly committed team. Children make exceptional progress from the onset, which is facilitated by exceptionally skilled adults who deliver high standards of care.

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outstanding

Adults invest their time in building secure relationships with children. Before children move in, comprehensive assessments are carried out. Extensive consultation is also carried out with families, professionals, past carers, children currently in the home and those moving in. This thorough and thoughtful approach helps children to settle in quickly and to start building secure relationships.

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outstanding

Adults share excellent relationships with children, families and professionals. Families and professionals are delighted with the thoughtfulness given to children’s care. Regular updates of children’s care and safeguarding issues are promptly shared with relevant individuals. A social worker said, ‘I remain very impressed with the team. They provide the children with excellent care and are a pleasure to work alongside.’

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outstanding

Children continue to make excellent progress in their education. The effective partnership work with education settings, and well-planned introductions, has improved children’s attendance and engagement. Children who struggled attending school and making friends now appreciate and look forward to going to school. They also enjoy reading and completing their homework with support from adults at the home.

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outstanding

Children live in an exceptionally well-maintained home. Adults and children take pride in decorating and maintaining a homely and welcoming environment. Children’s bedrooms and other areas of the home are decorated with indoor plants, soft toys and other personalised effects. One child proudly showed the inspector an insect museum she has built in the garden along with her collection of insects which she feeds and cares for.

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outstanding

Adults highly value children’s views and wishes. Excellent child-focused approaches are used to encourage children to openly share their views and opinions. These include the home’s family meetings and informal discussions that take place while travelling in the car and during playtime with children. Adults ensure that immediate action is taken to address children’s requests. As a result, children develop a sense of belonging and feel listened to.

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outstanding

Children have fun participating in a wide range of positively stimulating activities, including swimming, gymnastics and group holiday activities with children from the local area. This helps children to develop their confidence and improves their social Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 4 skills. Children go on family holidays and camping trips with peers and adults. One child said, ‘I loved it when we went camping, it was my best holiday.’

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outstanding

The home maintains a comprehensive selection of memory books for each child. These contain photos and adults’ feedback from activities that they have enjoyed. The books meticulously capture the home’s family feel and the children’s wide range of positive experiences.

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outstanding

Adults are aspirational for children’s progress and achievements. Children are supported to develop life skills, regardless of their age and abilities. Children as young as nine are encouraged to carry out tasks such as cooking, clearing the kitchen after meals and tidying their bedrooms and other areas of the home. Children learn to take pride in their appearance and maintain healthy routines with minimal prompting from adults.

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outstanding

Adults know the children well and are alive to situations where they could be at risk. They work closely with children to educate them and teach them how to identify and negotiate potential dangers in the community. Therefore, children understand how to make safer choices and know how to keep themselves safe at home and when out in the community. Exceptionally well-documented and regularly reviewed risk assessments are used as effective tools to ensure that there is a shared understanding of risks and safety plans.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from the home. Clear individualised plans are in place to guide adults to take prompt and effective action if children were to go missing.

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outstanding

Children are aware of the home’s rules and boundaries. Adults use their trusting relationships and therapeutic models of care to support children when they struggle with their emotions and feelings. When incidents occur, staff talk with children to support them to reflect on the impact of their behaviours towards others and resolve conflict with peers. Kind language is used to record incidents, which is complemented by excellent management oversight. Managers ensure that everyone involved in an incident has an opportunity to explore what happened, how it was managed and how people are feeling.

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outstanding

Children know how to make a complaint. They confidently report concerns to adults. Adults respond to all complaints. They ensure that these are assessed effectively and escalated promptly to relevant agencies for further investigation if required. Thorough investigations and effective multi-agency working ensure that excellent safeguarding practice is embedded into the culture of the home.

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outstanding

Rigorous recruitment processes are adhered to. Leaders and managers ensure that thorough scrutiny takes place before adults commence work. As a result, children are cared for by adults who can keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 5 Children live in a safe environment. Regular health and safety checks are carried out, which are complemented by highly effective oversight from leaders and managers. Excellent individualised emergency evacuation assessments are carried out to ensure that children with mobility needs are safely supported out of the home in the event of an emergency and can access different areas of the house with ease.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A new manager has been recruited and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. The manager was enrolled after undergoing a thorough succession process, which involved extensive coaching from the previous registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager was not present at this inspection. The previous registered manager, who is now the responsible individual, was at the home during the inspection. She continues to have a very visible presence in the home and is supporting the new manager to take over and settle into the role in a way that provides consistency for adults and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and have developed a culture of care and kindness in the home. They have a keen vision for the development of the home and high expectations to ensure that outstanding levels of care are given to the children. They share these values and expectations with a highly motivated team, which enables exceptional outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers use a variety of excellent programmes to review children’s progress. Child-centred weekly targets are used to encourage and support children to achieve and track their own progress. Information regarding children’s progress is regularly shared with children’s local authorities, schools and families. Therefore, all individuals involved in children’s lives are aware of their achievements, and celebrate these, no matter how small.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All adults receive regular supervision and appraisals. Exceptionally well-thought- through reflective discussions are held with adults in the form of debriefs, supervisions, clinical supervisions and adult meetings. This gives adults protected space to openly express their feelings, address practice issues and deliver excellent care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers provide adults with opportunities to learn and develop. Adults who are new to the home receive comprehensive induction training. Further development opportunities are provided to support adults to deliver high-quality care, in line with children’s current needs. This means that adults’ skills are constantly being improved to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses. When some adults moved, they carried out a comprehensive recruitment drive. This alleviated the need to use agency staff and maintains consistency in the care given to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 6 Leaders and managers promote tolerance, equality and diversity effectively. Extraordinary measures are used to help children to understand each other’s differences in a positive and respectful manner. They also support children to develop high levels of resilience and to be self-motivated. As a result, one child has made excellent life-changing mobility progress and developed her own dynamic self- identity. This helps children to develop a strong sense of belonging and self-worth. Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 7

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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: 2514259 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solent Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 St Georges Yard, Castle Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7LW

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Inspector

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 9 to 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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