Children's home run by Solent Child Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1227788 1 Registered provider: Solent Child Care Limited

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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 home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home. No children have moved in or out of the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The term ‘home adults’ is used throughout this report as an alternative to ‘staff’ or ‘carers’, as this is the preference of the organisation and the children living in the 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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2024

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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: 1227788 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Outstanding 14/12/2021 Full Good 09/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1227788 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed both children in the home and spoke with one who was very positive about their experiences of living there. When asked what they would say about their home to a new child moving in, they said that ‘Everyone will listen to you.’ Both children have lived in the home for several years and are happy. This was evident with how comfortable they were in the environment and with the adults who care for them. The home is warm, friendly and highly personalised to both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults know the children well. The care they provide for them is based entirely on, and adapted to, their changing individual needs. The manager and adults speak enthusiastically about the children’s achievements. Both children have made good progress since they first moved to their home, and their growth and development are well understood and documented by the adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults and the manager are in regular communication with external professionals, and this supports the overall care of the children and their development, particularly in relation to education. Feedback received from the wider professional network commented on how effective the working relationships are with the team, and that they are strong advocates for both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults have worked hard to develop connections with the children’s family members, and this has allowed them to make appropriate challenge to them when required, without damaging the overall relationship. Adults are persistent in maintaining relationships with children’s family members and in facilitating visits to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults sometimes use clinical terminology in recording that does not accurately describe behaviour and would be unclear to a child when reading their records in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults give children multiple opportunities to share their views and these are acted upon. Adults understand the impact that previous trauma can have on children, and this helps them to respond to any behaviour that occurs in a holistic and empathic manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have both made good progress in respect of their education and attend school full time. Adults are working with children to prepare them for the future, and they have action plans in place. Some of the planning around this in respect of timescales is unclear. The manager has identified that some of this work could have started sooner for one child.

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

Adults understand the vulnerabilities and risks for both children and provide care that supports them to make safer decisions and choices. Adults are mindful of the previous experiences of the children and how this may impact their decision-making and actions. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227788 4 The children are kept safe, and feel safe, in the home. Adults manage safeguarding concerns appropriately. There have been minimal concerns during this inspection period, and the relationships the adults have with the children have supported this. Potential safeguarding situations are discussed in team meetings, but supervision sessions sometimes lack detail and do not always cover safeguarding.

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

The use of physical interventions has decreased significantly since the last inspection, and adults help children to understand and verbalise difficult emotions. Adults are clear in respect of boundaries and support the children in ways that work best for them. Adults tailor their approach to helping children to understand risks to their individual learning needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the children and their relationships are well established. The manager is ambitious for both children in what they can achieve and has clear aspirations for them and their futures. Leaders and managers understand how essential these relationships are for both children in respect of the significant progress they have made since moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, and the adults, understand the starting points of both children and the importance of supporting them to attain and achieve. Leaders and managers have effective working relationships with external professionals and advocate on behalf of the children. There are clear plans to support the future aspirations of the children, such as supporting one child to attend college alongside school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote a supportive and caring environment for adults working in the home, which in turn cascades down to the children. Adults feel well supported, despite the changes in managers over the past year. The adults feel that supervision is helpful and that they can be open and honest with the manager and senior leader.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths of the home and areas for development, including his own development as a manager. There are plans in place to make further improvements to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and adults involve children in important decision-making about their lives and seek their views and opinions on a regular basis, both through informal and formal discussions. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227788 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

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that supervision is appropriately detailed and includes discussion on practice- related topics, including safeguarding. 1 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that adults record information about the child in an objective, non-stigmatising and clear way. Adults should consider the impact that reading records in the future may have for children and should therefore record information in a way that will be helpful and clear to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1227788 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

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1227788 7 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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Inspector

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