Children's Home run by Highlands Care Solutions in Southampton

Inspection report children's home: 2730126 1 Registered provider: Highlands Care Solutions Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is newly registered with Ofsted and the organisations only children’s home. The home provides care for up to three children aged eight to 16 years old with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in September 2023. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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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: none

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2730126 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have recently moved into the home. It has been a turbulent period in the home while the children settled in. Children are now settled and a child’s social worker stated there are ‘glimmers of progress.’ Staff track children's progress well and share this with family and professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to foster relationships with the children. Staff create a nurturing and vibrant environment for children. The house is filled with music, singing and laughter. Staff bake cakes and brownies with children to encourage them to spend time together. Staff offer the children a range of activities in the local area. Including going shopping and having beauty treatments. Children are offered after school activities/ clubs to promote opportunities for children to pursue their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children well. Staff know the histories of the children and are empathetic to the children's circumstances. Children’s plans are presented in a visual way to help the reader to understand key information. Plans are child friendly and support staff to identify children’s routines, goals and needs. These plans are reviewed often to ensure that they are up to date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not in education. Staff make efforts to motivate children to engage in learning at home including tutoring. Staff work with other professionals to overcome barriers to education advocating a prompt return to education. One child is due to start a local specialist education placement. Staff encourage children to cook, shop, and tidying their rooms to support their independent skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned. The manager carefully assesses their needs and considers the impact on the other children in the home. Staff undertake training to understand these needs. One child’s move occurred quicker than expected and staff worked hard to welcome the child. This child’s experience was not positive and they are being helped by advocates to complain about the local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in decisions. Staff seek children’s views, they can choose their meals, activities and personalise their rooms. Children have access to advocates to involve them in their care planning. When children have made complaints, these have been investigated. However, it has not been recorded that one child has been informed of the outcome of their complaint.

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

Staff take a positive approach to children’s behaviour. Staff understand that children communicate through their behaviours. Staff offer reassurance and alternative strategies for children to manage their feelings. Consequences are used infrequently, and the manager has good oversight of these to ensure that they are proportionate. Inspection report children's home: 2730126 3 Restraint has been used by staff as a last resort in line with children’s plans. The registered manager has prompt oversight of these, children receive debriefs and lessons are learnt. The manager has made changes to one child’s plan to reduce physical interventions and the involvement of police. The need for physical intervention is reducing.

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

Staff understand how to help children who are missing from home. Records are kept to a high standard and risk assessments are completed to reduce the likelihood of future incidents. Staff follow the homes procedures when children leave the home without permission. Staff follow children and offer reassurance. Debriefs take place when children return home. Children's missing from home episodes have reduced.

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

The registered manager responds to safeguarding concerns well. The registered manager meets with key professionals weekly to discuss safeguarding concerns for one child. When the manager does not receive an outcome from concerns raised, they chase this up persistently. One allegation has been made by a child and this was well managed. The local authority designated officer is consulted when needed. Staff remind children how to raise concerns with external agencies such as Ofsted and the NSPCC.

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

Staff have regular conversations with children to increase their understanding of staying safe. Staff use children’s meetings to discuss specific themes such as the dangers of smoking and promoting healthy routines. Staff speak to children about staying safe online and have plans with families to reduce risks when using electronic devices.

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

The manager uses health and safety audits to identify small areas to improve on. Action is taken on the findings of these audits. However, one child has broken his window restrictor, and the window now opens fully this has not been assessed for risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A permanent, suitably qualified, and experienced registered manager manages the home. Since the home was registered a new deputy manager has been appointed. Staff are well support and are developing their skills and knowledge. The managers have a clear ethos and promote a nurturing approach to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an excellent oversight of the children's care. She is a present figure who is actively involved with the children. The manager uses monitoring systems effectively to inform a detailed development plan. The manager has completed a quality-of-care review and is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a stable and diverse staff team. The staff promote celebrations of diverse cultures and involve children in these. This manager uses the workforce Inspection report children's home: 2730126 4 plan creatively to analyse the diversity of the team to ensure that it meets the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and supported to carry out their roles. New staff are well inducted into their roles. Staff are trained in children's specific needs including online safety, deprivations of liberty orders and child sexual exploitation risks. Staff receive regular good quality supervision including discussions about staff well-being, children and how to develop this new service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well with social workers and families. Staff provide frequent updates about the children to families and social workers to share key information. Staff work well with families to plan in detail the children’s time with family. Staff have formed strong relationships with family. Children enjoy quality time with their families as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses team meetings well to promote consistency in care. The team meetings include quizzes for staff and discussions about children. The meetings are effective ensuring that staff are well briefed on children’s routines, family time arrangements and safeguarding plans. A clinical psychologist attends team meetings to facilitate reflections with staff and improve staff practice. Inspection report children's home: 2730126 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislations by assessing the risk of not using window restrictors with children. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 15 paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with an outcome from their complaint, and this is recorded in their records. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 22 paragraph 4.13)

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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 children's home: 2730126 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Highlands Care Solutions

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 4 Jasmine Court, London Road, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks TN15 6BW

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Inspector

Mark Dawkins, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 2730126 7 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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