Children's home run by Stoney Knolls Children’s Home Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 1 Registered provider: Stoney Knolls Children’s Home Ltd

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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 home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children of the same gender. The children may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 10/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good care from dedicated and caring staff. The staff team shows a genuine commitment towards supporting children. The children have very positive relationships with staff. This helps children to settle quicker following their move to the home. The good relationships children have with staff also support them to feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education that is suited to their needs, and they are all doing well. Children were struggling to engage with their education when they moved to the home. However, through encouragement by staff, children’s educational attainment has exceeded expectations. This was a real achievement for one child, who is now performing above expectations in their English. Another child has taken exams and is considering vocational training options for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enjoy taking children out into the community so that they can take part in lots of different activities. Staff are keen to provide children with as many opportunities to sample life outside of the home as possible. This is because they appreciate how it will enhance the children’s overall development and understanding of the community and world they live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each young person has a care plan, with clear expectations and incentives to encourage progress. Achievements and positive changes are reinforced and celebrated. However, for some children the care plan is not completely unique to the child and takes some information from other children’s plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with social workers and families to ensure that children sustain any relationships that are important to them. Staff help to monitor the arrangements for children to support safe visits.

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

There has been a steady reduction of safeguarding incidents over time. When they do happen, children are seeking support earlier or they respond quicker to staff intervention. The overall impact is that the home environment is calmer and a place where the children feel safe.

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

Children have been missing from care. However, this has significantly reduced. Staff understand the risks associated with young people going missing and being away from home without agreement and have followed the correct procedures. Staff search for children and liaise with the correct agencies to try and get them home. On return, the children are welcomed back with a nurturing and caring response. However, independent return interviews have not always been completed. This is a missed opportunity to ascertain any information as to why children went missing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 4 Staff receive a range of safeguarding training, and the registered manager uses team meetings to disseminate information about emerging child protection concerns and to refresh and test safeguarding knowledge and skills. Staff spoken with during the inspection were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, and records demonstrated

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

the staff’s commitment to keeping children safe.

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

Most staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention, and the home has a designated behaviour support instructor. Staff have used their positive relationships with children alongside holistic interventions to reduce the need for any physical interventions. This has a positive effect on children and builds their confidence and trust in the adults supporting them. Staff know to use all other positive behaviour support techniques and that physical intervention is the absolute last resort for keeping children safe.

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

Children, staff and visitors are protected and their welfare is promoted through the rigorous health and safety arrangements throughout the home. However, when practice fire evacuation drills are undertaken, these have not always been recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager of this home is a confident leader. They manage a highly motivated and dedicated team of staff who are committed to the well-being of the children. Excellent team morale and a sense of shared ownership are evident. Together, they act as positive role models to the children. All achievements and good news are celebrated. The manager is involved daily in the children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed. Many staff have worked at this home for several years and have provided a consistent level of care for the children. Staff say they feel supported by the manager and enjoy working here. There is a strong ethos of teamwork and supporting each other to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and focused supervision that supports their ongoing development, and overall competence is tested. The manager holds regular team meetings, and there is a strong culture of group reflection. There are effective systems in place for communicating information. Alongside this, they complete all mandatory training, coupled with any child-specific training as required. This provides the children with responsive and considered care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have established working relationships with a wide range of professionals and partner agencies. Social workers speak highly of the home. They highlight the quality of the staff who are providing care for children. They say that communication with families is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team uses a range of quality assurance mechanisms to improve practice and outcomes for children. Managers know and understand the needs of the children, and the progress they are making, and they are identifying where further progress is needed. However, leaders and managers have not yet ensured that there is Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 5 effective oversight by an external and independent visitor. This requirement is continued from the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 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

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the independent visitor’s reports are timely and effective in driving improvement. 24 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide the opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2733923 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stoney Knolls Children’s Home Ltd

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2733923 9 regulates 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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Inspector

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