Children's home run by Solent Child Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 1 Registered provider: Solent Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to two children who have experienced trauma and who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

For the purpose of this report, staff are referred to as adults, which is part of the ethos of this home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a lot of playfulness and laughter in this home. It is immediately clear that young children live in the home. Their toys, interests and photographs are reflected in the environment, giving them a sense of belonging. Their bedrooms are full of items that they love, and adults have taken account of their views when decorating their bedrooms. One child rated the home ten out of ten.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults have helped the children to make good progress in many aspects including their education. Adults used their creativity to make learning enjoyable for one child who was home schooled for a short period. This child enthusiastically returned to school within a short time frame. Adults have offered good support to enable another child to attend a mainstream school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s health and emotional well-being are prioritised by adults. Children attend specialist appointments, and this has given adults and other professionals greater insight into their needs. Adults use creative tools to help the children understand and name their feelings. One child shares their feelings via a visual aid based on their favourite book.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from clear routines and boundaries, which provide them with predictability and consistency. Adults make efforts to ensure that routines are personalised for each child, for example acknowledging that one child only eats specific foods at lunchtime. The children like the fact that adults know their preferences as it makes them feel heard and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that the children spend time with people who matter to them. They promote family time, but they also take account of the children’s wishes and feelings. Adults have helped the children to maintain relationships with friends in the local community. They arrange playdates so that the children can spend time together.

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

The organisation prides itself on being trauma- and therapeutically informed. Managers and adults have a good understanding of the children’s lived experiences, needs and vulnerabilities. They are curious about how these influence the children’s thought processes and behaviours.

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

Adults are helping the children with their emotional and social development, knowing that this will benefit their relationships with people in the future. They set clear expectations in relation to behaviour, and they teach the children about this using age-appropriate language, such as talking to them about kind words and hands. Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 4 When the children show behaviours that demonstrate their distress, most adults respond appropriately and use interventions that help settle the children, such as showing empathy and curiosity and using distraction. Other adults, who have now left the home, were lacking in these skills. For one child, this resulted in avoidable and sometimes disproportionate use of physical interventions.

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

In most instances, the registered manager identified shortfalls in adults practice and took swift action to address this. They escalated the patterns they identified to the responsible individual, and the organisation’s induction training has been changed. Now, new employees will attend training on therapeutic interventions within the first two weeks of joining the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the deputy manager are nurturing in their approach, and they model this to their team. Despite their leadership roles, they make time for the children, and the children enjoy and seek out their company.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to strengthening their understanding of the children’s needs. They have advocated for the children to have specialist health assessments so that adults, and other professionals, have a better understanding of factors that influence their presentation and behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults spoke fondly about working in the home and said that they feel supported. This is positive, since the team has experienced some change. For example, the former registered manager is now the responsible individual. The current registered manager stepped into their role in April 2023. The transition has been seamless for the children and adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has quickly identified shortfalls in practice. They responded appropriately using supervision and performance management to highlight and monitor practice concerns. Management oversight could be strengthened in some respects, for example by reviewing proportionality of restraint and keeping a record of allegations that are not sustained or substantiated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 5

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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.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must review whether physical interventions are proportionate. They should also improve recording in information they share with the local authority. 23 May 2024

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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: 2671361 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solent Child Care 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

Tara Webb, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2671361 7 regulates and inspects 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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