SC 2514259

Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 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 privately owned home provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff are referred to as ‘adults’ in the home and this is reflected in this report.

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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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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: good

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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

20/03/2024 Full Good 27/02/2023 Full Outstanding 01/03/2022 Full Outstanding 24/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from highly personalised care and nurturing relationships with adults who understand their needs extremely well. Adults relate to children with genuine warmth and respect and there is a sense of fun in day-to-day interactions. The care children receive helps them to make exceptional progress, including overcoming anxiety and making important friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Adults help children to enjoy a wide range of activities, pursue their own unique interests and have new experiences. One child has constructed a chicken hatchery, and the other is building on their ice-skating skills. Children are supported sensitively to spend positive time with peers. This helps children to have a positive sense of self, enhance their social skills and broaden their horizons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Adults frequently spend time with children and show interest in them. Skilled individual and joint work with children is embedded in daily practice to explore their wishes, feelings and relevant issues. This helps children to feel heard and cared for and to approach challenges, such as starting a new social group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Adults understand the value of education and learning. They support children to have healthy routines around school attendance and home learning. Adults are proactive in communicating with education colleagues to ensure that children are well supported and understood. As a result, both children are making excellent progress in accessing and engaging in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s important relationships are valued and supported. Adults work well with professionals and family members to ensure that children see and keep in touch with family members in line with their care plans. They closely monitor children’s experiences and work constructively with others to review plans when needed to make sure family time is positive for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is warm, comfortable and child friendly. The children also benefit from a large garden that is well maintained. Adults actively celebrate children and their achievements. These are beautifully captured in photos and in children’s memory books. There is a strong and positive sense of children throughout the home, including in their bedrooms, which they are helped to personalise. This all helps children to feel a sense of belonging and boosts their self-esteem.

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

There is a strong safeguarding ethos in the home. Adults understand their safeguarding responsibilities and children’s individual vulnerabilities well. Managers have effective oversight of safeguarding concerns, and they work constructively with partner agencies Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 4 such as the police and the local authority designated officer when required. This helps children to be and feel safe.

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

When children show behaviours of distress, adults respond helpfully. They work hard to help children express difficult feelings and to de-escalate situations. Physical interventions are only used as a last resort. There is strong oversight, and thorough follow-up discussions with children and adults after difficult incidents allow for reflection and learning. This helps to identify patterns and inform changes in how adults support children. For one child, this has helped bring about a reduction in the need for physical interventions.

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

Managers are proactive in sharing concerns with relevant professionals to inform reviews of safety plans for children. For example, when there were increased concerns about risks in the home, timely and careful planning with the placing authority enabled robust action to be taken. This supported the placement of one child effectively and prevented a placement breakdown. This shows that children’s safety and stability are priorities.

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

Adults support children to behave positively with each other. Risks between children are well understood and managed. Protocols are regularly updated to reflect changes and give clear, relevant guidance to adults. When there are difficult incidents between children, adults support them to share their feelings and learn from what has happened. There is excellent management oversight of this work. This support helps children to enjoy more activities and time together while also ensuring their safety.

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

Adults carry out a range of health and safety checks and assessments. They help children in an age-appropriate way to understand risks and the emergency procedures for the home. This helps children to understand risk and how to keep themselves safe.

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

The provider has safer recruiting procedures that are followed most of the time. However, records do not consistently capture when and by whom an adult’s original copy of their Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate was seen. Therefore, it is not always possible for the manager to confirm that these checks were carried out. Managers understand the need to verify the reasons why adults left previous employments where they have worked with children or vulnerable adults. However, these checks were not fully completed for one new member of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager alongside a trainee manager. Managers are enthusiastic about their roles, are child focused and are aspirational for children. They have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home. This makes them good role models as adults who underpin a culture of child-centred practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 5 There have been changes in the team of adults since the last inspection. Managers understand the importance of consistency for children and took swift action to improve recruitment and retention. As a result, the adult team is more stable. Sessional adults who are well-known to the children are used to complement the core team, as well as a small number of familiar agency workers when required. This has minimised the impact of the changes of adults working with children. This has enabled children to build

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults describe feeling well supported by managers and colleagues. They say managers are flexible, available and helpful. Adults receive regular supervision and appraisals and have opportunities to discuss difficult incidents with managers. However, adults who are on probation do not consistently receive the additional one-to-one supervision in accordance with the organisation's policy. This is a missed opportunity to bolster support and learning for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are used constructively to give adults a space to reflect and consider different approaches with regular input from the in-house therapist. The welfare of adults is consistently considered in these forums.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The adults have a wide range of skills and are appropriately qualified or on track to complete the required qualifications. Managers ensure that adults undertake a range of relevant training, such as safeguarding and positive behaviour management. They have a system in place to support oversight of training and qualifications. This is effective for full-time adults. However, training for some sessional workers has fallen behind. Managers recognise this and have begun to make changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults maintain highly effective communication with partner agencies. Social care professionals give very positive feedback in relation to the care of children, communication and working relationships with adults. This helps children to receive coordinated, individualised support. One professional said, ‘It is without doubt the best home I have had the opportunity to work with… The entire staff team appears to genuinely care about the children... Their dedication is not only commendable but truly inspiring.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 6

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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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Requirements Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirements Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirements Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirements Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirements Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirements Due date

In particular, ensure that original copies of DBS certificates are seen, and a clear record is kept of this; and that the reasons for adults leaving previous roles are verified in line with Schedule 2. 19 March 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice in relation to all employees. Specifically, ensure that all adults employed as sessional workers are up to date with required training and that adults on probation receive additional one-to-one supervision in line with company policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 61, paragraph 13.1) 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 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

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2514259 9 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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