Children's home run by Hampshire County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 1 Registered provider: Hampshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

It provides care for up to three children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection since the home and the manager were registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in 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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in this home because staff quickly build trusting relationships with them. Staff are skilled at communicating with children in ways that make them feel most comfortable, including children who are nonverbal. They are interested in children’s lives and hobbies. As a result, children enjoy spending time with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders employ full-time education staff to help children who have been out of formal education for long periods. Care staff work closely with educators to create flexible, individual learning plans that ensure that children have opportunities to achieve qualifications and access work experience. As a result, one child has recently gained formal maths and English qualifications after staff helped them to prepare for their exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have well-planned experiences when moving into the home. They are involved in the planning and are kept updated throughout. Staff create helpful resources for children and visit them in advance of the move, as well as offering opportunities for an initial visit to the home. This helps the children to become familiar with the staff team and their new home before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to learn skills that will be useful to them in later life. They work with each child to agree on the level and types of support that they will receive, for example through verbal prompts or visual timetables. Children’s targets are individualised and focus on areas where children need the most support. For example, one child is preparing for a more independent living arrangement, and so they are learning to plan meals and shop for ingredients while working to a budget. Similarly, another child is being helped to become more confident in interacting with others in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been creatively designed and furnished in a way that is adaptable to the particular safety needs of the children who may live in the home. For example, children and staff use colourfully configured wristbands to access certain areas of the home which may not be safe for every child. Similarly, there are features in children’s bedrooms which provide additional levels of monitoring and communication, such as intercom systems and acoustic vents. However, these measures are not required for all children and could be considered institutional. There are no processes in place to assess or review the level of monitoring or restrictions required for each child. This means that some children are being unnecessarily monitored and denied access to areas of their home.

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

Adults discuss risks with children. Staff implement a therapeutic approach and do not use formal consequences to discourage unwanted behaviour. Instead, they seek to Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 3 understand why children have made certain choices and talk to them about how their actions have impacted on themselves and others.

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

Children who go missing from the home receive a robust response from staff. Staff assess risk dynamically and work collaboratively with partner agencies, such as the police. They stay in contact with the children when possible and work well with children’s wider networks to locate them. As a result, children are returned to the home as quickly as possible. Staff act promptly on any concerns about children’s welfare when they are away from the home, and they share relevant information with safeguarding partners.

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

When children experience uncomfortable feelings that lead them to harm themselves, staff respond with care to help the children to feel safe, and they get them the support that they need. The staff work effectively with the on-site and community mental health services to ensure that the children have well-planned care and that their needs are clearly understood. This has led to a recent reduction in self-harming behaviour for one child.

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

Children’s health needs are prioritised by staff. Specialist services are used to ensure that children receive any required assessments or treatment to help them to become healthier. Staff respond well in health emergencies and follow professionally informed care plans. They work creatively with children to help them to overcome their anxieties. For example, one child’s oral health is improving because staff encourage them through ‘toothpaste parties’, where staff dance and play music while they brush their teeth at the same time as the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly registered manager is in the process of enrolling to complete the relevant qualification. They are supported in their development by the responsible individual, who is available and present when required, as well as an experienced and qualified deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders advocate strongly for children and challenge other professionals if they believe that a response is not in the child’s best interest. This helps to ensure that children receive a response from partner agencies that is in line with their needs. On one occasion, leaders felt that a child did not receive a proportionate response from the police. Managers worked closely with police partners to review their concerns and to share the learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of the home is effective. The manager uses a range of monitoring systems, enabling them to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, as well as the progress that children are making. When shortfalls in practice and records are identified, learning is shared with the wider team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children have a variety of ways in which to express their views and wishes. They are willing to share their views, as staff have demonstrated that they will take them seriously Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 4 and act on them if possible. Managers also monitor the progress that staff make towards acting on children’s views, ensuring that children receive a response, even when their requests cannot be met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from managers. They say that this is helpful to them and supports them to reflect on their practice. New staff say that their inductions prepare them well for their roles, ensuring that they understand how best to help each child. Staff are positive about their experiences of working with the manager. One colleague said, ‘She always has time for me,’ while another said, ‘Managers have created a really nice environment to work in.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any modifications or measures in place to restrict children’s access to shared areas of the home or monitor their activity are informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, are properly recorded and are kept under regular review. Children’s homes should also seek, as far as possible, to maintain a domestic, rather than an ‘institutional’, impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2828641 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hampshire County Council, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG

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Inspector

Glen Strowbridge, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2828641 7 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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