Children's Home run by Solicitude Homes Limited in Hillingdon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2827749 1 Registered provider: Solicitude Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2025 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The responsible individual was found suitable in July 2025 and is now in the process of registering with Ofsted as the manager.

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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: 2827749 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home registered in July 2025, and the child moved in the following month. Staff have provided consistent, child-focused and individualised care. The child has made good progress from their starting point. Their wishes and feelings are actively sought and considered, with staff maintaining a therapeutic approach that ensures that the child feels heard and respected. Together with the manager, the child has created a personalised care plan that includes their own ideas for support during challenging periods. This collaborative approach has strengthened the child’s emotional well-being, helping them to build trust in adults and engage positively with staff. The child’s social worker noted that they have settled quickly. They described how the child has made ‘so much progress’ and said that they have built strong relationships, particularly with the support of the home’s manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are purposeful and well structured. The sessions include practical discussions and activities tailored to the child’s needs and designed to address emerging risks. Staff support the child in developing life skills, such as managing personal hygiene, travel, budgeting, healthy eating and cooking. They also work hard to support the child’s interests by providing opportunities for enjoyable activities, such as horse riding, cinema trips and visits to theme parks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child understands how to raise concerns, and the home’s manager responds promptly and effectively. Staff and the manager remain attuned to the child’s behaviour, showing flexibility and adaptability when plans need to change. For example, when the child expressed concerns regarding a family meeting, the manager explored all possible options to support them. Through clear communication with family members and professionals, alternative arrangements were made, ensuring that the visit went ahead, while listening to the child and maintaining appropriate boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the child is not yet in full-time education, staff and managers are prioritising this. The manager consistently advocates for the child, escalating concerns when necessary. Working closely with the child’s social worker and education professionals, they have sourced an alternative education provision, and the child has visited a potential school. In the meantime, the child receives home tuition, and staff actively encourage their engagement with this learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and manager take a proactive, trauma-informed approach, guided by professional curiosity regarding every aspect of the child’s care. To better understand the child’s anxieties around nighttime routines and sleep hygiene, they have developed a detailed sleep analysis chart. This is helping to identify patterns and create strategies that support the child in establishing healthy routines, promoting emotional and mental well-being. Additionally, the home arranged for a reflexologist to help the child to relax and unwind, supporting a calm and consistent bedtime routine. Inspection report for children’s home: 2827749 3 The physical environment is warm and homely; it is modern, well maintained and decorated to a high standard. The child chose their own bedroom, which is spacious and personalised according to their taste. This helps the child feel valued and comfortable.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and know their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. All staff receive mandatory safeguarding training that equips them to support the child effectively. They use the child’s history and experiences to shape individualised care plans and risk assessments. These are regularly reviewed as staff gain deeper insight into the child’s needs.

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

Incidents are managed promptly and recorded clearly, with robust management oversight. Physical intervention has not been required; however, staff have not been trained in this area should it be necessary in the future.

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

The child has not been missing for any prolonged period. On the one occasion they were briefly absent, staff followed the missing-persons protocol appropriately.

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

The child reports feeling safe in their home and knows who to approach if they have any worries. External professionals expressed no safeguarding concerns, and the physical environment remains safe and free of hazards.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed, contributing to a safe and protective environment for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the home registered with Ofsted, there have been some changes in management, resulting in the responsible individual currently overseeing the home. She has applied to Ofsted to become the registered manager and has proposed a responsible individual, with both awaiting their suitable-person interviews.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

These interim arrangements have worked well, providing consistency and stability for the child, who had already built a trusted relationship with the responsible individual before she took on the manager’s role. She is an empathetic and dedicated social care practitioner who knows the child exceptionally well. One of her key strengths is her collaborative approach and strong advocacy. She communicates promptly with the professional network and challenges appropriately, with one education professional describing her as ‘proactive’ in trying to find out updates and push for action. The child’s social worker praised her commitment, saying she goes ‘above and beyond’ in the care provided at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by the manager and their peers, with one team member describing how they feel ‘valued’, ‘respected’ and ‘understood’ by the whole team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2827749 4 Daily practice in the home is well managed and ensures that the child’s immediate needs are met. Staff and the manager receive regular supervision, and the manager benefits from effective support from the proposed responsible individual. Team meetings are held regularly, creating space for staff to share their views and engage in child-focused discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager remains resolutely child focused, striving to understand the child’s lived experiences and creatively seeking solutions that align with the home’s therapeutic approach. The manager has good oversight of the child’s progress, carrying out monthly audits and using quality assurance trackers. The manager values the advice of the independent visitor and acts promptly on any recommendations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While staffing challenges have occasionally arisen, requiring the manager to cover shifts, this has not impacted negatively on the child. However, maintaining consistent staffing levels is a priority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team and staff continue to work in line with the home’s current statement of purpose. Inspection report for children’s home: 2827749 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff are adequately trained in the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques appropriate to the needs of the children the home is set up to care for as defined in its statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  The registered person should have a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure and should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. This should be included in an updated statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraphs 10.8 and 10.10)  The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Contingency plans should be prepared in the event of a shortfall in staffing levels. If it is likely that there might only be one member of staff on duty at any time, the manager should make a formal assessment of the implications for children’s care, including any likely risks. This assessment should be recorded and available for inspection by Ofsted and placing authorities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraphs 10.15 and 10.18)

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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: 2827749 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solicitude Homes Limited

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Inspector

Amanda Burrows, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2827749 7 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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