Children's home run by Highlands (Fareham) Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 1 Registered provider: Highlands (Fareham) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who have learning disabilities. There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 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

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2023

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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: 2623544 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Outstanding 23/03/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive due to the exceptional care that they receive from a dedicated staff team. Relationships between staff and children are strong. Children experience kind and caring interactions and positive role modelling from staff. As a result, children’s resilience improves and they develop healthy relationships, especially with one another.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The stability of the staff team helps to create consistency of practice. This helps children to feel secure and to understand expectations and reduces their anxiety about living in a children’s home. This also helps in providing structure and routine to their daily lives. The home is personalised throughout, to reflect the children who are living there. Children said that they ‘love it’ and call it ‘home’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are creative and they encourage children to try new activities, while proactively supporting their current hobbies and interests. Children speak proudly of their achievements and eagerly show their certificates. Each child’s individual success is celebrated in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made excellent progress from their starting points. Their confidence and self-esteem have improved as a result of unwavering support from staff. Children are achieving goals that are important to them. Examples include taking part in theatrical or dance shows and joining other children for lunch at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education and health outcomes are priorities for staff. On occasions, when children are not receiving a high-quality service from external professionals, staff act quickly to ensure that this is resolved. Excellent working relationships with other services have led to a joined-up approach to care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand the importance of children maintaining contact with their families and other people who are important to them. Staff are compassionate and find the best way to support children to achieve this. Consequently, children and their families and friends have positive experiences that enhance their relationships.

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

Children feel safe because they know that they can speak to staff if they are worried about something. Children spoke confidently to the inspector because their experience of living in the home helps them to know that their views are important, and that their voices will be heard.

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

When children make complaints or allegations about staff, the leadership team responds swiftly to ensure the safety of children. Consultation with external safeguarding professionals ensures that there is oversight of the safety plans that are implemented. Learning is shared with the staff team. On one occasion, the registered manager did not Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 4 inform the regulator about an allegation. On this occasion, however, this did not have a negative impact on the safety and well-being of children.

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

Staff know the children extremely well and have an exceptionally thorough understanding of their strengths and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are comprehensive and are regularly updated when new risks are identified. As a result, staff know exactly what they need to do to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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

Well-planned key-work sessions provide opportunities for staff to help children to learn safe ways of managing their emotions and expressing their feelings. Consequently, the frequency of incidents has significantly reduced. Staff are equally thoughtful about the way in which they help children to build safe relationships with people outside of the home.

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

Physical restraint is used only when necessary to keep children safe. When it is used, the registered manager or another member of the leadership team carries out a thorough review with staff and children, with a focus on repairing relationships. This helps children to understand the impact of their emotional responses on others.

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

The environment is well maintained and safe. The process for managing health and safety matters is excellent. Children understand what action they need to take in the event of a fire.

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

Staff recruitment procedures are thorough. All necessary checks are carried out. This reduces the likelihood of unsuitable people being employed to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a highly capable and compassionate registered manager. She is supported by a dedicated deputy manager. They are both passionate about improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective monitoring systems are in place and the managers’ oversight and scrutiny of the home are extremely thorough. This means that they recognise any patterns and trends in children’s behaviour or needs and can respond swiftly to any areas of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision and have their practice appraised annually. Consequently, managers are making sure that staff know how to look after children in line with agreed plans, and they have meaningful discussions about staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

New staff receive a comprehensive induction. During this time, increased oversight by senior staff ensures that they are informed, knowledgeable and confident to carry out their role. New staff said their induction prepared them well for looking after the children in their care. Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 5 All staff receive training to ensure that they offer high-quality care. Regular and well- attended team meetings provide an additional forum to discuss practice, share knowledge and ensure consistent working arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The senior leadership team has taken steps to ensure that the independent person provides a rigorous level of scrutiny. Managers make good use of the independent person’s reports and their own review of the quality of care provided to children. This means that managers have a well-rounded view of the experiences of the children and the impact that the care is having on their outcomes. However, the manager’s quality of care review could be more detailed in relation to children’s experiences and progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the quality standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the

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Recommendations

registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: 2623544 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Highlands (Fareham) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Deansway, Worcester WR1 2JG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Smeeth

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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2623544 8 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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