Children's Home run by Hampshire County Council in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 1 Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection there were no children living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has yet to apply to register with Ofsted and has previously been registered for another home in the local authority.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On the 23 April 2025 Ofsted undertook an assurance inspection and found serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of one child. This child has since moved on from the home and has been placed in an environment that is better suited to meet their needs.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Since the assurance inspection, leaders and managers have demonstrated a clear desire to make improvements and enable staff to develop their skills and knowledge. There has been a period in which no children have lived in the home, and managers have used this time effectively, providing opportunities for staff training and peer reflection across the team.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers recognise that in the past they have not provided the right care to children, and care planning decisions have not enabled staff to meet children’s needs to the best of their ability. The management team understand the impact this had on one particular child, causing avoidable disruption and inconsistency in their day-to-day care. In the future the management team aspire to ensure that relevant senior managers are included in care-planning decisions to support children’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 2 Staff previously felt overwhelmed by a sudden increase in their caring responsibilities, caused by three children moving into the home in only a matter of days. The management team have supported staff to be able to reflect on this period, and consequently staff report that they have increased confidence to be able to challenge decision making. However, as there has yet to be any children placed

p.1

This monitoring visit

into the home recently; this remains untested.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have benefited from a range of training opportunities, which have been focused on previous regulatory shortfalls and wider improvement in the home. Staff were also invited to express their preferences relating to training requirements, helping them to feel valued and increasing confidence that leaders were taking on board their feedback. All staff also benefited from an additional dedicated weeklong training programme.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff are preparing themselves to move their first child back into the home and have a strong desire to support this child to settle. The management team has carefully thought about the presenting needs of this particular child, contrasting these with the knowledge and skills within the staff team. Leaders and managers are further committed to ensuring this child is able to settle appropriately, before moving any further children into the home, recognising that this may take several weeks. This demonstrates child-focused practice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are keen to ensure that staff feel supported and are intending to implement regular de-brief meetings as standard practice, this will help staff to think about their roles and reflect on the care provided within the home. It is hoped this will build the foundations of a reflective culture in the home and support the development of an emotionally attuned staff team.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2022 Full Inadequate 16/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 4

p.3

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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.4

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.4

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that all staff act immediately when children may be at risk of harm and consistently carry out the actions required of them to keep children safe, in accordance with their individual plans.

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 27 June 2025

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(e)(i)(ii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG

p.6

Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259734 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7