Children's home run by Surrey County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 1 SC040633 Registered provider: Surrey County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 29 April 2025.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2024

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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: SC040633 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2024 Full Good 04/01/2024 Full Outstanding 21/03/2023 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive exceptionally good care at this home, and they make significant progress from their starting points. Staff understand the importance of individualised care and are highly committed to nurturing children and creating positive experiences for them. Staff want the children to feel loved and not just cared for. All children said they like living at the home and that staff support them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in relation to their health outcomes and their emotional, social and psychological well-being. A child who was previously afraid of going to the dentist has been helped to overcome their fears, which has had a positive effect on their health. Other children have improved their social skills and self-esteem by making friends. This has enabled them to enjoy outings and have fun without staff being present. A child who has struggled to regulate their emotions can now freely talk to staff about any concerns they have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are enrolled in education provision. Staff’s commitment to supporting the children’s education has had a positive impact on their attendance. Staff and managers work relentlessly to identify education provision for children who were not attending schools before moving to the home. Staff understand the benefits of education and therefore ensure that children positively engage in alternative education until school places are secured. Staff have made extensive efforts to help children prepare for the new academic year and achieve their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff value children’s wishes and feelings, listen to them and respond in a proactive manner. Children are supported and provided opportunities to progress and further develop their talents. All children participate in activities individually or as a group. The group holiday away from the home was a highly positive experience for all the children, especially those who had never been away before.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported very well in their transitions into and out of the home. Admissions to the home are exceptionally well planned. The managers ensure that full information is gathered from professionals. Children have individualised transition plans that are child friendly and in line with their wishes. Staff think therapeutically about each child’s history and will modify their usual arrangements if doing so is in the child’s best interests. For example, two children from the same family were allowed to share a bedroom for a few nights, as they had never had separate bedrooms before living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are well prepared for adulthood. Staff maintain links with children after they leave, going above and beyond what could be expected of them, as the children have lived there for some time and staff genuinely care that they experience positive outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 4

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

Staff identify, understand and manage children’s vulnerabilities well. Clear and straightforward guidance supports staff in keeping children safe. Children and staff establish strong relationships, creating a safe and supportive environment that enables children to modify their behaviours. External professionals are positive about the support staff provide to keep the children safe.

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

Children are helped effectively to understand their individual vulnerabilities. Staff aim to educate the children regarding risks outside the home, including social media and the more general risks of being online. However, staff also allow the children to take proportionate risks, enabling them to develop their ability to keep themselves safe.

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

One child has sometimes been at risk of harm in the community. Staff followed the required procedures to ensure their safety, and the registered manager escalated their concerns appropriately. The manager initiated joint working with relevant professionals in the community and participated in risk management meetings. The manager also ensured that agreed safety plans were reviewed. This joint working was effective and reduced the risks to the child.

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

Physical interventions are rarely used. Staff are aware of the trigger points for each child, and this understanding, together with strong relationships between staff and children, helps reduce the possibility of incidents escalating. Restraints are only used as a last resort and for safety reasons. Post-incident work with children and staff is exceptionally good. When serious incidents occur, the registered manager ensures that their oversight is thorough and reflective. In addition, the responsible individual carries out their own overview. This provides an additional quality check and some independent oversight.

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

When safeguarding concerns and allegations are reported to the registered manager, they ensure that the relevant professionals are informed without delay. Close working with local authority designated officers and social workers is focused on keeping children safe and protecting them from harm. The registered manager ensures that the required procedures are applied to follow up the allegations, and appropriate outcomes are evidenced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The newly registered manager is passionate and ambitious about children’s welfare and safety. There is an embedded culture of having high expectations for what the children can achieve. The staff team and children’s professional networks share the registered manager’s expectations. The registered manager inspires all staff, and they are happy to follow their lead.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff retention is exceptionally good, and no staff members have left the home since the last inspection. The new staff have been carefully selected and have the required experience and skills. There are no agency staff working at the home, allowing consistent care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 5 All staff receive mandatory organisational training. Furthermore, the registered manager identifies and organises any additional training that is required to meet the specific needs of the children. For instance, mental health professionals carried out in-depth self- harm training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff receive regular supervision. Staff said that this offers a secure environment in which they can reflect and enhance their professional development. Regular staff meetings provide opportunities for staff to discuss the most effective ways of working with children, reflect on their practices and learn. To enhance staff development, the registered manager invites external professionals to the meetings, such as the advocacy team, the looked-after children’s nurse, a local authority quality assurance officer and local authority designated officers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 6

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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: SC040633 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surrey County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate RH2 8EF

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Inspector

Sonata Brisley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040633 8 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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