Children's Home run by Solent Child Care Limited in Dorset

Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 1 Registered provider: Solent Child Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager no longer works in the home but has not yet submitted a request to cancel their registration with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 12/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 3

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improvement to be good

Three children have lived in the home since the last full inspection in January 2025. Staff struggled to meet the complex needs of one child and they moved out in January 2026. Another child moved into the home in October 2025. Their initial experiences were not as positive as expected because their peer was in crisis and directed some of their frustrations towards them. Staff made efforts to minimise the impact. A third child moved into the home in February 2026. Staff are helping them to feel settled and to create a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

The dynamics in the home have changed since January 2026. Children who are currently living in the home are developing positive relationships with staff and each other. They enjoy playing together and seek out staff; interactions are jovial and kind. There is a consistent staff team in place, which allows for continuity of care and predictability. Children are responding well to this, talking with staff about their needs, views and feelings. Parents and professionals shared balanced feedback, highlighting positive aspects of care and areas for development.

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improvement to be good

One child is making good progress from their starting point. They are engaging in the routines put in place by staff, showing more willingness to attend school and enjoying family time. Staff have meaningful conversations with this child, helping them to advocate for themselves. When the child struggles to attend school, staff encourage them to participate in educational activities at home. However, this was instigated by their family during a home visit. Staff have a good understanding of this child’s health needs, and they are supporting them with their diet.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers try to ensure that children have positive experiences moving into and out of the home. They invite children’s social workers to a meeting to jointly explore children’s needs, vulnerabilities, risks, strengths and targets, helping them to determine compatibility. However, this collaborative approach is not always effective. During a placement consideration for one child, managers were over-optimistic about another child’s progress. The reality of the children’s experiences did not align with expectations and at times and this resulted in the home becoming a hostile environment.

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improvement to be good

One child moved into the home in February 2025 when there was a well-established and experienced staff team in place. Staff had to regularly use physical interventions that were necessary and proportionate in order to keep the child safe. However, staff struggled with the changes in the home and exhibited a lack of confidence and resilience. They did not have the skills to meet the child’s complex emotional needs and Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 4 behaviour. Staff submitted their resignations in quick succession. The registered manager left in August 2025.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers quickly increased their presence in the home and became core members of the staff team while new staff were recruited. This aligned with a reduction in physical interventions for a two-month period. In October 2025, leaders and managers moved another child into the home, while they were gradually recruiting new staff. This decision had a detrimental impact on the first child who struggled to adapt to the changes in the home resulting in an increase in physical interventions (again), and new high-risk behaviours that presented a risk to the child and others present in the home.

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improvement to be good

The new staff team were mostly inexperienced, but they tried to use risk mitigation strategies and tried to adopt a therapeutic stance. However, this was not always impactful, adversely affecting children’s experiences in the home. While leaders, managers and staff focused on ensuring that one child was kept physically safe from the other and had positive experiences, they were emotionally unsettled by their peer’s behaviour, felt unsafe and tended to isolate in their bedroom.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have continued to work alongside new staff, modelling positive practice, caring responses and empathy to build their confidence and resilience.

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

Senior leaders have experienced unprecedented staffing challenges since the last inspection. Fifteen staff members left the home, including two registered managers. One manager left of their own accord and the other left following conduct concerns. Senior leaders recognised that the home’s ethos and values were not always embedded in practice. They responded by increasing their presence in the home, educating staff through team meetings and ensuring staff accessed training. Despite these efforts, one child continued to experience crisis and another child felt unsafe.

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

Senior leaders and staff responded appropriately when a child made a disclosure about the registered manager. They consulted with the local authority designated officer and notified Ofsted. However, they did not carry out an internal investigation at that time. A further complaint was received about the registered manager’s approach to adults. This was investigated and the registered manager is no longer working in the home. However, senior leaders did not consider the transferable risk to children.

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

When necessary, staff have shown willingness to raise concerns about their colleagues’ practice and participate in investigations. This highlights the confidence that staff now have in senior leaders. New staff informed the inspector that senior leaders are approachable, support their development and make them feel like a valued member of the team.

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

The responsible individual has an understanding of the home’s weaknesses and areas for development. She identified the majority of shortfalls before the inspection and put plans Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 5 in place to address them. These plans are starting to become visible in practice resulting in much needed changes and improvements. Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 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, 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 17 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii)) 17 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are supporting children to engage in educational activities when they are unable to attend school.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when concerns are raised about the registered manager, the responsible individual must ensure that the registered manager is able to meet the needs of the children who live in the home, as well as those who might move into the home in the future. 17 April 2026

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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: 2740453 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Solent Child Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Solent Child Care, 9 St Georges Yard, GU9 7LW

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Inspector:

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2740453 9 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:

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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