Children's Home run by Soaring Heights Care Limited in Haringey

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 1 Registered provider: Soaring Heights 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 privately owned home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities. This home was registered with Ofsted in October 2023, and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection, and the inspector spoke with both children.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care that meets their individual needs. They have good experiences and make progress from their starting points. Children settle in well when they first arrive at the home and share very trusted relationships with staff. A child described how they were unable to visit the home initially, but had a video tour of the building. The child said, ‘It’s a good place to live. I always get help, and every young person gets a whole day with the manager each week, “manager’s time”. I speak with all the staff, but I have my favourite!’ A local authority social worker said, of the other child living at the home, that their ‘attachment to staff’ is a large factor in the child’s stability in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make day-to-day decisions about their lives. For example, they choose from a range of leisure activities, they have a choice of meals and decorate their bedrooms as they prefer. Children are regularly spoken with about their wishes and feelings. For example, key-work sessions focus on how children think things are going, they take part in weekly house meetings and meet formally once a month with the registered manager so that she can directly hear about their views of the home. Children also complete easy-read questionnaires and surveys, which helps shape the home’s development. Children know how to make a complaint, but they prefer to speak with staff directly about any concerns they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live healthy lifestyles. Staff register them with primary healthcare services and other more specialist services if needed. Children eat healthy meals and exercise regularly; going for walks in the park is a popular pastime of children. The home’s therapist meets with children individually each week to explore their emotional well-being and mental health. Currently, children choose to participate in these sessions and say that they find them helpful. Children also access other therapeutic resources, such as equine therapy and child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s learning outcomes are good. Some children have not been attending school for a significant length of time. A child is preparing to start at a new school in September. With the support of staff, they have been completing educational workbooks each day. Children and staff openly celebrate children’s achievements. For example, children’s bedrooms display achievement certificates for a range of successes, including keeping their bedrooms tidy and for improved behaviour. Children enjoy receiving their certificates, which motivates them to continue to work hard to meet their agreed targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to keep in touch with their families and friends as outlined in their care plans. When children choose not to maintain this contact, staff respect their wishes. Children are welcome to have visitors at the home. A child’s parent visits the home each week so that they can spend safe, quality time together. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 4 Children develop practical living skills with the support and supervision of staff. This includes attending to their own personal care tasks, preparing snacks and completing household chores. This helps to prepare them for adulthood.

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

Children are protected from harm, abuse and neglect. Some children are subject to deprivation of liberty orders. Staff’s vigilance and supervision of children are effective. This helps to keep children safe. The home has comprehensive safeguarding policies, and staff induction and ongoing training has a focus on children’s safety and protection. However, some staff do not have a good understanding of whistle-blowing policies or the actions to take if a child makes an allegation. This does not promote children’s safety.

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

Managers and staff develop children’s behaviour management and safety plans. These provide staff with clear guidance about managing children’s behaviour and how to keep children safe. These plans are comprehensive and largely effective. Children’s positive behaviour is promoted. There have been several critical incidents in the home, including self-harm, suspicion of child criminal exploitation and incidents as a result of children’s poor mental health. Staff and the home’s therapist are working effectively with children to help to equip them with skills that help them manage their feelings. Children learn to use calming techniques and have learned to take time out for themselves to reflect on what is happening and how they are responding. The frequency of critical incidents is reducing.

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

Risk assessments identify risks posed to children and outline strategies for staff to use to help to reduce risks. These are largely kept up to date and inform staff of risks posed to children. However, risk assessments do not always highlight new risks posed following critical incidents or detail action required by staff in response. Staff restrain children infrequently and as a last resort to protect children and others from harm. However, the form used to record incidents of this is confusing in some areas, and staff do not consistently complete body maps as expected by the manager.

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

Staff manage the occasions when children are missing from their care effectively. The frequency of children going missing or being absent without permission is reducing. Staff are familiar with the home’s missing persons protocols, and records of times when children are missing from the care of staff are clear and comprehensive. Staff’s communication with the police and other professionals in these cases is appropriate and consistent.

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

Allegations are infrequent. Managers take swift and appropriate action and manage these well. On one occasion, the investigation report was not fully completed as there were no details of the actions taken as a conclusion. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 5 Managers and staff liaise very frequently with safeguarding professionals if there are concerns for children’s safety. A child’s social worker said that the home ‘is meeting [name of child’s] needs. He has developed very strong attachments to staff, who are working well to protect him. Staff understand his triggers, and their assessment of risks is proportionate. Staff are working collaboratively with professionals, and I get regular communication and updates.’

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers has improved since the last inspection. However, there remain some areas of the home’s management that require further attention. For example, some areas of children’s records are poor quality. These include risk assessments, records of restraint, investigation reports of allegations against staff and some body maps. Incomplete records do not accurately represent children’s circumstances or the work being completed with them.

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good

Staff recruitment files do not consistently evidence full information as is required. For example, for one staff member, no updated Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check was evidenced, nor was confirmation of managers’ discussions about the offences highlighted on the DBS.

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good

Leaders and managers prioritise the needs of children and have an ambitious vision for what children can achieve. Leaders and managers ensure that the home’s care planning processes are effective. They review the needs of children who might move into the home as well as the needs of children who already live there. Managers then make child-centred decisions about whether needs can be met for children who move in. Children’s outcomes improve from their starting points and their experiences are positive.

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good

The staff team has changed considerably since the last inspection. New staff undergo a useful induction, which prepares them for their roles. Managers encourage and monitor staff’s completion of an extensive training programme. Staff say this training is effective in developing their knowledge and skills, which helps them to meet children’s often complex needs.

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good

The staff team receives good support and supervision from managers. Staff appreciate managers’ ‘open-door’ policy and feel that their views and opinions are taken seriously. They also have good opportunities to help shape the home’s continued improvement and development. Since the last assurance inspection, the manager has registered with Ofsted. The registered manager is qualified and experienced to manage the home and has taken a full role in recruiting the largely new staff team.

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good

Staff ensure that the home environment is largely well maintained, decorated and well equipped to meet the needs of children. Children say that they very much Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 6 enjoy their surroundings, particularly their bedrooms, which they have personalised. However, managers have failed to mend the garden fence, and one child’s bedroom does not have net curtains or blinds in place to ensure that their privacy is maintained.

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good

Staff’s collaboration with key external professionals is highly effective. This is particularly the case for partnership working with local authority social workers, children’s guardians and school and health professionals. A child’s social worker said, ‘Communication between staff and me is great! I receive emails with updates, especially if there are issues. [Name of child] has come a long way, and it’s all been positive; she’s doing really well. She wants to stay.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 7

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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 that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must monitor staff’s documentation of key records effectively to ensure that these are accurate and completed comprehensively. This relates to risk assessments, critical incident records, restraint records, body maps and investigation reports of allegations against staff. 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement 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) (3)(d)) 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 8 In particular, ensure that updated Disclosure and Barring Service checks are completed and that managers explore with candidates any criminal convictions highlighted on these checks.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have a good understanding of whistle-blowing policies and of action to take in the event of a child making an allegation. 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the garden fence is repaired and that all bedroom windows have appropriate covering to ensure children’s privacy. 31 August 2025

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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: 2726456 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Soaring Heights Care Limited

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726456 10 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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