Children's home run by Sportfit Support Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.1

Registered provider: Sportfit Support Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. The home provides care for up to four children who may have emotional and social difficulties. At the time of inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children were spoken to.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered on 25 April 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good 01/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.2

improvement to be good

Children’s experiences in this home are varied. One child has made positive progress from their starting points. Through their strong and secure relationships with staff, the child has developed language to better describe their emotions and strategies to manage complex feelings. This has resulted in a reduction in the child showing unwanted and harmful behaviours. Staff have also supported this child to build positive peer relationships and improve their school attendance. As a result, this child achieved well in their GCSEs, attended prom and secured a place in college. This has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the child’s self-esteem and feelings of autonomy over their future. Despite the positive progress this child has made, the experiences and progress of other children are inconsistent.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child has moved on from the home since the last inspection. When considering if they could meet this child’s needs, leaders liaised with the child’s professional network and considered available information. However, leaders did not include the child’s relevant plans. Once the child moved in, it became clear that the location of the home contributed to increased risks for this child. Leaders and managers were proactive in raising their concerns and worked closely with other professionals to help them to better understand the complexities of this child’s needs and risks. This resulted in the child moving to a specialised provision out of the area.

p.3

improvement to be good

The other child who lives in the home has only recently moved in. The child began forming positive relationships with staff as part of the moving-in process. Before this child’s move, there was a well-thought-out moving-in plan. This included leaders and managers liaising with the child’s professional network when completing their initial assessments. However, they also failed to consider the child’s relevant plans. As a result, leaders, managers and staff were not fully appraised of the child’s needs, specifically relating to their health. Consequently, this child has not received care in line with their health plans. The child’s diet is poor, and some prescription medication has not been given consistently. Furthermore, records for how and when medication has been given are ineffective.

p.3

improvement to be good

Despite their varied experiences, children speak positively about staff. They can identify trusted adults in the home and speak with them freely about a variety of topics. Staff are open, emotionally warm and reflective with children and have good adherence to the home’s chosen model of care.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff hold education in high regard. They support children’s attendance at their identified provisions. They challenge other professionals appropriately when advocating on behalf of children and keep a strong focus on routine to support educational attendance. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is generally warm and welcoming. One child’s bedroom room is personalised to their taste. For the child who is new to the home, they are yet to have an opportunity to personalise their bedroom, and they are still awaiting some of their belongings from a previous placement. Leaders have been slow to address these issues. Not all areas of the home presented well and could be improved with a stronger cleaning routine.

p.4

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

Although there is generally a strong safeguarding culture in the home, one new member of staff is not familiar with the whistle-blowing process or the roles and responsibilities of external safeguarding partners. Despite this, most staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in this context.

p.4

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

The arrangements for managing and responding to children’s risks are variable. For one child, their risk management plans clearly describe the child’s needs, are updated regularly and give staff clear guidance on how to respond to certain risks. Furthermore, staff know this child well and have a working knowledge of the child’s plans. However, risk management plans for the new child that has moved into the home are poor. This is because the plans are limited in detail and do not provide staff with sufficient guidance on how to respond or manage risks that are well known for this child, some of which are high risk. This compromises the child’s safety should these known risks present.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort and only when necessary. This is in line with the chosen model of care for the home. Staff utilise their strong relationships with children to de-escalate situations and support children to make safe choices for themselves. Records of these incidents are clear and are followed by conversations with the child and staff involved. Children benefit from the clear and consistent boundaries that are in place and know what is expected of them.

p.4

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

One child has regularly gone missing from the home. When the child went missing, staff were tenacious and creative in their efforts to locate and engage with the child. Additional staff were made available to collect the child at any time of the day, which included journeys hundreds of miles away. Staff and leaders remained sensitive and child focused throughout this challenging time and advocated on the child’s behalf throughout. As a result, knowledge of this child’s contextual risks developed, as did the child’s management and care plans. However, the risks became too high to be safely managed. The child moved on from the home to a location that helped to reduce the risks of further missing-from-home incidents. Since then, another child has moved into the home who also has risks around going missing from home. However, the plans in place regarding this are weak and not comprehensive.

p.4

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

Children know how to raise concerns. When children do raise concerns, these concerns are appropriately shared with other professionals and responded to swiftly. Leaders and managers take these opportunities to reflect on practice and learn.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has clear aspirations for the home, staff team and children she supports. However, processes for monitoring the quality of care, staff practice and training are not yet effective. Consequently, errors in medication recording and noncompliance with health plans had not been identified. Furthermore, the manager had not recognised that several members of staff’s core training is significantly out of date. This includes core training for the registered manager and deputy manager. Consequently, a member of staff administered medication when their training had significantly expired. While no medication errors had been made in this context, this left the staff member and children vulnerable.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager’s assessments of children’s needs prior to them moving into the home is, in many ways, creative and relevant. She speaks to various members of the child’s professional team, past and present, and consults with staff prior to accepting a child’s referral. However, leaders and managers fail to incorporate and consider this information along with children’s relevant plans, when making their assessment. This limits the understanding of the full scope of children’s needs and risks. As a result, specific training is not identified or provided to staff prior to children moving in. This limits their ability to meet children’s needs fully. Furthermore, learning from the circumstances that relate to the child who moved on from the home was not identified, considered or implemented in relation to the next child that had moved in. This has led to this child having a poor experience and staff not being fully aware of the child’s needs

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are positive about the support and guidance given by the registered manager, and many attribute her commitment and expertise as being the reason they have chosen to work in this home. Staff supervision takes place regularly. However, the quality of these sessions is inconsistent and they do not utilise the opportunity to appraise practice and professional development. Further, most staff have not had an appraisal this year and the registered manager has not had an appraisal since 2023.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children benefit from an established, stable and caring team. The registered manager leads by example and has successfully created a culture whereby the organisation’s chosen model of care is embedded in daily practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual is present in the home weekly. The children know him well and are comfortable in his presence. As a result, the responsible individual has a good understanding of the home’s function and the registered manager’s strengths and areas of development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A strength of leaders and managers is their partnership work with other professionals and parents. This is reflected in feedback from professionals, which is entirely positive and highlights the manager’s commitment and quality of communication. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))) 25 October 2025

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

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)(c)(h)) 25 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)) 25 October 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 25 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 25 October 2025

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the cleanliness and maintenance standards of the home are consistently high. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all children are given a choice about how their bedroom is decorated, that this is done in a timely way and that every effort is made to ensure that children have their personal possessions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

p.8

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: 2682524 9 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sportfit Support Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sportfit Support Services Ltd, 63a Millbrook Road East, Southampton SO15 1HN

p.9

Inspector

Becky Paradise, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 10 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.9

Inspector

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.

p.10

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 . 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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: 2682524 11 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

p.10