Children's Home run by Highlands Care Solutions in Southampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 1 Registered provider: Highlands Care Solutions

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s second inspection since its registration with Ofsted, and it is the organisation’s only children’s home. The home provides care for up to three children aged eight to 16 years old with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2730126 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a safe, comfortable home that is well furnished. To ensure that the home has a ‘homely’ feel where children can feel they belong, the manager has added the children’s photos onto the walls.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like their bedrooms and enjoy personalising them. Consequently, each bedroom reflects an aspect of the child’s personality and their personal interests and hobbies. For example, one child has their bedroom decorated with a theme of their favourite football team. This provides an insight into the children’s identity and interests which the children are proud of.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in line with their individual goals, and they all attend education. The staff have been instrumental in advocating for one child when the education provision did not provide the child with the hours they need. They have supported the child by providing alternative activities during the times education has been unable to fulfil. The child that recently moved into the home is settling in well and has started to build positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a variety of activities with the children in the home and in the community. Staff use the children’s interests to engage with them. For example, one child that enjoys cooking is supported and encouraged to do so with staff support. Staff also encourage independence that is age-appropriate. One child, at their own request, is now using public transport to get to school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are sought regularly and are valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a diverse group of staff. This has been key in educating the children about different cultures and issues on equality and diversity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have moved on in a planned way, this has been managed well. The staff were thoughtful in the way they prepared a child to return home to their parents. The moving on was completed in a gradual way at a pace that suited the child and their family.

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

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, and the home has good partnership working with the local authority designated officers (LADOs). Safeguarding allegations are recorded clearly and reported appropriately to the relevant agencies. Allegations are managed well, and the safety and welfare of children are a priority for staff. Staff recognise the value of multi-agency support to ensure that children are safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 4 Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and know how to manage risks when children go missing from home. A key strength of the staff team has been the ability to be proactive and challenge the professional network when it feels that more needs to be done to keep children safe.

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

All permanent staff are trained to meet the individual needs of the children living in the home. However, there was an occasion where a non-permanent staff member had not received the relevant training on managing behaviour safely. Training has now been commissioned to ensure that all staff receive the relevant training, including non-permanent staff.

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

Physical interventions are used in line with approved methods and only as a last resort to prevent harm. The manager reviews the incidents and has good oversight of practice to identify any areas of learning to reduce the need for physical interventions.

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good

The registered manager and deputy manager are both relatively new in post; however, they have significant relevant experience of working in and managing children’s homes. The registered manager has high aspirations for the home and high expectations of the staff to achieve good outcomes for the children. They are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development and have plans in place for how these are to be improved.

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good

Staff feel supported and speak highly of the registered manager, describing the support from them as ‘incredible’. They value the reflective group sessions facilitated by a psychologist as being vital in helping them cope with challenging situations and to help inform their understanding of children’s needs to guide their practice.

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good

On occasion, managers have not always given enough consideration to the range of needs of children moving into the home. They have not fully considered the experience of the staff to meet these needs or the compatibility in terms of the children already living in the home. This has contributed to the home making the decision to end some placements at short notice and/or in an unplanned way.

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good

Managers have not kept their own core training up to date. Managers acknowledge this and have plans in place to address their own training needs.

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good

Feedback from professionals and parents is positive. They report that staff are nurturing and supportive. One professional described the staff as being ‘instrumental’ in ensuring that a child’s move on from the home and back into the care of their parent was successful. Professionals report that the manager works closely with one child’s social worker and the LADO when managing repeated allegations. The manager follows the guidance of professionals when it has been provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 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.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(c)) 4 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. It should be a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the

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Recommendations

impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 6

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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: 2730126 7

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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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Inspectors

Chido Mangava, Social Care Inspector Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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