Children's home run by Solace for Children Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 1 Registered provider: Solace for Children Limited

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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 company. The home is registered to care for three children with social and emotional difficulties who may have experienced childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. Two children were spoken to during the inspection.

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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: 12 November 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: 2600541 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has been welcomed into the home, following a thorough assessment of their needs. On arrival, each child receives a personalised welcome pack that reflects their individual interests. This helps children begin building positive relationships with the people who will be caring for them and supports their understanding of what their new home will be like.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection, in line with their care plan for reunification with family. The manager successfully advocated for the staff team to continue supporting the child for a month following their departure. This provided a vital support network for the child’s parent in establishing a routine, helping to ensure the child experienced consistency in having their care needs met during this period.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have fun and enjoy a range of activities both in and outside the home, such as horse riding, go-karting and trampolining. One child recently returned from a camping trip and talked about how well it had gone. All children have a planned summer holiday and will be completing a 5k inflatable course for charity this year. Each child has chosen a charity they will be raising money for, which helps them understand the positive impact they can have in supporting others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and well decorated throughout. Children’s rooms are personalised, and the living areas are well furnished and homely, providing a comfortable environment for children to live in. One child initially referred to their bedroom as ‘the bedroom’ and the home as ‘the home’. They now describe them as ‘my bedroom’ and ‘my home’, demonstrating the staff’s commitment to exploring ways to help children feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support from staff to develop the skills they need for their futures. This includes learning self-care skills and spending time independently in the community. These experiences help ensure that children are well prepared for leaving the home and are more able to live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and friends, helping them maintain connections with the significant people in their lives. The home recognises the importance of children developing social networks and actively promotes opportunities for them to do so.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the risks posed to children, including those related to internet use and online safety. Monitoring strategies are in place to protect children, and staff engage in regular conversations with them to raise awareness and understanding of these risks. Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 4 Children feel safe and have trusted adults they can speak to. Individual risks are identified, understood and managed effectively by staff and leaders. Risk assessments provide staff with the necessary information to keep children safe, and these are consistently applied. Missing-from-home incidents are few. When children have gone missing, their individual protocols are followed effectively to ensure their safe return.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Each child has a personalised incentive chart that reflects goals tailored to their individual needs and interests. For the younger child in the home, staff have enhanced their chart with pictures representing the rewards they have chosen, providing a helpful visual aid to support their understanding of what they are working towards. The effectiveness of these charts is regularly reviewed with children to ensure they remain meaningful and motivational.

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

Staff spend quality time with children to understand how best to support them in managing their feelings safely. When children struggle to do this, physical intervention is used as a last resort to ensure their safety. Children consistently receive welfare checks following the use of intervention, however, staff members are not always spoken to about these incidents. This results in missed opportunities to support staff welfare and to review the accuracy of the restraint records.

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

Responses to incidents of self-harm are not always consistent. While children’s immediate safety and welfare needs are met, there is a lack of consistency in how staff follow up with children to explore their feelings after such incidents. This creates missed opportunities for children to share concerns and receive emotional support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child focused and is supported by a staff team that shares her ambitious vision to provide the best possible care for children. They hold high expectations for children and are passionate about supporting them to achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality, regular supervision. They say they feel well supported by the management team and are encouraged to continually develop their skills through regular access to specialist training and team workshops. When the manager identifies a specific developmental need for a child that cannot be sufficiently met through the home’s planned training programme, specialist training is sourced for all staff to attend. This ensures that the care provided meets each child’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Working in partnership with the wider network to support children’s needs is a key strength of the manager’s practice. Staff and leaders have developed excellent working relationships with external agencies and individuals identified by children as important in their lives. This collaborative approach has been integral to improving children’s safety and overall experiences. Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 5 Feedback from professionals and parents is consistently positive. They particularly praise the manager and staff’s communication, as well as the progress children make while living in the home. One parent commented, ‘They are doing a brilliant job.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of children’s progress and strong oversight of the service. She recognises the home’s strengths and areas for development and is continually striving for improvement. Children’s views are incorporated into individual staff appraisals, ensuring that reviews of staff performance are focused on the experiences of children and the quality of care they receive. Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 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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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 8 September 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 7 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to offering the appropriate support and guidance following the use of physical intervention.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as they arise. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: 2600541 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solace for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tadcaster House, Kempton Road, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2TA

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Inspector

Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2600541 9 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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