Children's Home run by Knightwood Oaks Residential Care Ltd in Hampshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 1 Registered provider: Knightwood Oaks Residential Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 2 children aged 8 to 18 with social and emotional difficulties. There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/04/2025 Full Outstanding 08/05/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 3

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Summary of findings

Children make exceptional progress and have positive experiences. Staff know them well and ensure that they have access to the support that they need, when they need it. This helps children to make progress and achieve independence.

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Summary of findings

Children say they feel safe and are happy living in the home. Leaders and managers are strong advocates for children. Staff safeguard children well and collaborate closely with other professionals to ensure that the children are provided with the support they need to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know the children exceptionally well and consistently provide high-quality, individualised care. Their passion for their roles and their unwavering commitment to improving children’s lives are evident in every aspect of practice. Staff are ambitious for each child and use their deep understanding of children’s needs to deliver highly effective support. As a result, children make exceptional progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home has a warm, nurturing atmosphere in which children feel safe, valued and relaxed. Staff demonstrate genuine kindness, empathy and respect towards the children and each other. This creates a highly supportive team culture and a family-style environment in which children thrive. Interactions between staff and children are consistently warm, attuned and purposeful, ensuring that children remain at the centre of all practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home provides spacious, well-maintained accommodation that promotes children’s wellbeing. The decor is calming and homely, contributing to a sense of stability and belonging. Children’s bedrooms are large, personalised and exceptionally well kept. Although the garden is small, staff make creative use of the space to ensure children enjoy meaningful outdoor play and shared activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are offered advocacy, and although not all choose to take up the offer, staff are strong and effective advocates on their behalf . They ensure children’s voices are heard and challenge decisions when they believe children’s best interests are not being prioritised. This results in children receiving support that genuinely reflects their needs and aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have regular, meaningful opportunities to express their views, wishes and feelings. Staff use creative and sensitive approaches to capture children’s voices in everyday moments, as well as in formal planning. Children’s contributions directly Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 4 influence care planning, activities and daily routines. They feel confident raising concerns, knowing staff will respond promptly and take their worries seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children consistently report feeling happy, safe and settled at the home. They describe the home as ‘their family’ and trust staff completely to keep them safe and meet their needs. The strong, affectionate relationships between staff and children create a secure base that enables children to flourish. The stability, love and high-quality care provided enable children to grow in confidence, develop positive relationships and achieve exceptionally strong outcomes.

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

Staff build warm, trusting and open relationships with children. This empowers children to express their worries confidently and ensures they feel heard. Concerns are reported promptly to external agencies and follow-up actions are completed without delay. This demonstrates a strong safeguarding culture and a commitment to transparency.

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

De-escalation and distraction are embedded in practice and used highly effectively, ensuring that physical intervention is only ever a last resort. When incidents do occur, robust review systems provide meaningful learning that continually strengthens practice. As a result, the frequency of incidents has reduced significantly during this inspection period. This reflects the staff team’s exceptional ability to understand each child, anticipate potential triggers and adapt their approach to meet individual needs.

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

Accidents and injuries are rare. When they do occur, staff respond swiftly, offering first aid and seeking medical advice when required. Records are detailed, accurate and consistently maintained.

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

Children’s access to the internet is managed exceptionally well. Staff ensure that online activity is appropriate to each child’s age and level of understanding. When risks are identified, proportionate restrictions are implemented and electronic devices are checked when concerns arise. This proactive approach helps to keep children safe online.

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

Medication is managed with precision and care. Clear documentation, rigorous oversight and a highly trained staff team ensure that medication is administered safely and consistently. No medication errors have occurred since the last inspection. Managers provide regular scrutiny, reinforcing a culture of accountability and excellence.

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

The use of natural consequences is thoughtful and restorative. Children are supported to reflect on their actions and repair relationships if appropriate. Staff demonstrate deep respect and understanding for each child’s experiences and needs. Consistent boundaries and transparent practice help children feel safe, secure and able to understand the impact of their behaviour.

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

Through reflective practice and strong relationship-building, children feel safe in the home; there has been only one episode of a child going missing. Staff responded swiftly Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 5 and worked collaboratively with the child’s parent and police to ensure a safe and positive outcome.

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

No complaints have been made during this inspection period. Children know how to raise concerns and the children’s guide clearly explains the complaints process. Parents and professionals describe the home as open, transparent and responsive, and they feel confident that any concerns would be addressed promptly and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from a comprehensive range of high-quality training opportunities, many of which are undertaken before they begin direct work with children. This ensures that staff are equipped with the knowledge, insight and confidence needed to understand children’s individual needs and are able to provide highly effective support. As a result, children become confident in the staff and make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff consistently report feeling extremely well supported by the management team and speak positively about working in the home. Regular, reflective and purposeful supervision, alongside well-structured team meetings, ensure that staff feel valued, guided and confident in their roles. This strong culture of support enables staff to provide children with consistent, nurturing care. Staff morale is notably high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work with calmness, consistency and genuine warmth. Their approach helps children feel safe, understood and able to trust the adults caring for them. Clear boundaries, reflective practice and a strong focus on relationship-building underpin the team’s work. Children are supported to develop independence at a pace that is meaningful and achievable for them. This creates a stable and emotionally secure environment in which children thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from a consistent and well-resourced staff team. Managers work tirelessly to ensure that children are cared for by familiar, skilled staff who know them well. The thoughtful use of bank and agency staff, who are already known to the children, further strengthens continuity of care and maintains stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A robust and well-planned induction programme ensures that new staff are fully prepared for their roles. Mandatory training is completed promptly, and staff take time to read children’s plans and key documents. Shadowing opportunities allow new staff to build relationships with children at a comfortable pace, supported by trusted team members. Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that only the most suitable staff work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are purposeful and reflective. Staff are encouraged to share experiences, contribute ideas and explore practice together. This collaborative approach ensures that all staff feel ownership of the home’s development and success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from external professionals and parents is unanimously positive. Relationships between the home, external agencies and families are transparent, respectful and highly Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 6 effective. Managers are proactive in raising concerns and advocating for children when needed. They provide timely updates and ensure that professionals remain well informed about any changes or emerging needs. Parents and professionals consistently praise the staff’s commitment, their understanding of children’s individual needs and the positive impact this has on children’s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are inspirational. Their unwavering commitment, warmth and genuine care for the children drive the home’s exceptional practice. The manager is visible, approachable and relentlessly focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for every child. Staff speak with admiration about the manager’s support and leadership, and the nurturing environment she has created. The manager knows the children extremely well and uses a range of effective monitoring systems to identify the home’s strengths and areas for development. She recognises the importance of strong partnership working with health, education, social care and therapeutic professionals to ensure children’s all-round needs are met. The consistently high standard of care provided results in outstanding outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection.

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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: 2744118 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Knightwood Oaks Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31-33 Commercial Road, Poole BH14 0HU

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Inspector

Vicki Horton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2744118 8 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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