Children's Home run by Southampton City Council in Southampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Southampton City Council

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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 operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties as well as mental health disorders. The home aims to offer a period of assessment, within a 12-week period, with a view of providing respite and stabilisation to enable children and young people to return to their family home or to an appropriate provision to meet their needs.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2025. This is the home’s first inspection. The registered manager left the home shortly after the home was registered. A new manager has been appointed.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from a safe, nurturing and well-equipped home where they make progress and build trusting relationships. Staff support children to understand their own emotions, develop coping strategies and to stay connected to people who are important to them. Safeguarding practice is strong and risks are well managed. However, there are some inconsistencies in recording and relational practice. Leadership instability has affected consistency. However, the current manager and deputies provide committed, supportive oversight and drive improvements. While children generally experience positive care, the arrangements for children moving into the home in an emergency along with gaps in staff training, do not always ensure that child receive consistently high-quality support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a safe, comfortable and well-equipped home that is designed with their physical safety needs in mind. The environment promotes calm, stability and emotional security. Some areas have a clinical appearance due to the nature of the service. However, children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, which helps them feel grounded and in control of their space. Communal areas are warm, welcoming and homely, encouraging connection and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress during their stay in the home. Staff use the time with children purposefully. They are effective in helping children build trust and connection, enabling them to identify and work on their individual goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand their feelings and behaviours and staff work closely with health professionals to help children develop strategies to manage these. Staff recognise and celebrate even the smallest achievements. Their ability to notice and value incremental progress contributes to children’s growing confidence and emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home talks positively about the home and staff. They say staff care about them and keep them safe. This has helped the child settle and manage the challenges of living away from their family for the first time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported in maintaining relationships with people who are important to them. Staff actively promote and support these relationships in line with children’s care plans and demonstrate flexibility where appropriate. Families are welcomed into the home, and one parent reported that they consistently feel comfortable and welcome. Where risks are identified, these are carefully and appropriately managed to promote the child’s safety while maintaining important connections. Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to participate in community activities, guided by their individual likes and interests, such as walks and trips to theme and adventure parks. Children’s experiences and achievements are celebrated by staff during day-to- day interactions. This helps children to broaden their horizons and build confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have lived in the home since it was registered. The moves into the home for two children were positive. They were well planned and supported through effective multi-agency collaboration. However, for another child who moved into the home in an emergency, and for a short period, did not experience the same level of consistency or stability. The unplanned move limited the opportunity for thorough preparation and coordination, and as a result, the child’s experience was less positive throughout their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of care provided to the child living in the home is not consistent. While some staff engage well and demonstrate an understanding of the child’s individual needs and triggers, others do not provide the child with purposeful opportunities for interaction or relational support. This inconsistency means that children do not always experience the nurturing, trauma-informed care that the home’s model sets out to deliver. As a result, children’s experiences vary, and opportunities to build trust, emotional safety and positive relationships are missed.

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the home. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. Managers ensure that children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities are understood from the point of their arrival and that clear risk assessments and safety plans are in place. As a result, children are effectively safeguarded.

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

Staff work effectively with external professionals, including health services and social workers, to ensure that children benefit from coordinated and consistent care.

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

The child living in the home said they feel safe and know how to raise concerns. They are comfortable speaking with staff, and they are confident that staff will support them.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children go missing from home. They take proactive steps to locate children and work with them to return to the home and reduce risks. As a result, incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced.

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

Children’s support plans and risk assessment are completed with the help of health professionals, are clear and informative and guide staff on how to support the child. They reflect the children’s highly individualised and complex care needs. These plans help the staff to understand how best to support each child with their behaviours and identify appropriate measures to safeguard both children and staff. However, there are some inconsistencies in recording practices and the language used by a minority of staff. Managers have identified this and are taking steps to improve practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

Staff provide children with structured educational input in relation to issues such as keeping themselves safe, online safety and drug and alcohol use, as the areas are individualised depending on the children’s needs. Health colleagues regularly share resources with the team to help inform how they support children. Staff have effectively managed children’s high levels of risk. They remain focused on each child’s progress and continue to provide consistent support and guidance. This means children receive proactive guidance to help them understand risks and make safe decisions.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place to ensure that staff are suitably vetted. However, these are not always well recorded, and details are missing regarding the verification of references and employment gaps for one applicant were not recorded.

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good

The home has experienced a prolonged period of instability in leadership. There has been no registered manager since November 2025, and two temporary managers have overseen the home during this time. Although a new manager has been appointed, they have not yet taken up their post. In addition, there have been changes in the role of the responsible individual. This lack of consistent leadership has affected the stability of management arrangements and created uncertainty for the staff team.

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good

Despite this, the current manager has shown resilience and commitment throughout their time in the home. They have provided effective support to the team and maintained a clear focus on ensuring that children experience a stable and nurturing environment. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has taken steps to address identified shortfalls. They are committed to improving outcomes for children and strengthening staff practice. While these developments are positive, they are not yet fully embedded, and it is too early to evaluate their impact.

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good

Staff report feeling well supported by the current manager and deputy managers. They describe the deputies as consistent and reliable sources of guidance and support during this unsettled period.

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good

The manager has a strong understanding of the children’s needs and of therapeutic approaches. They share this knowledge with staff and promote a low-stress, high-nurturing environment that helps both children and staff feel safe and secure. As a result, children make good progress. One member of staff described the manager as, ‘Open, knowledgeable and supportive.’

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good

Staff have regular opportunities during team meetings and staff supervision sessions to discuss the practices and strategies for helping children. Staff say they find this supportive for their wellbeing as it allows them to share any worries or frustrations. Additionally, these discussions enhance cohesion in their teamwork, improving the Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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good

support they provide to the children and each other. As a result, staff feel valued and well connected, which ultimately benefits the children through a knowledgeable and cohesive staff team.

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good

The overall training offer for staff is meaningful, and staff carry out the identified core training. However, there are gaps in induction and other training. For instance, training relating to the specific needs of children is lacking. In addition, not all staff have received training in key areas, including the home’s preferred de-escalation and physical intervention techniques. These are missed opportunities to ensure that staff deliver practice in line with the home’s ethos. Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensuring that the home is led and managed in line with the statement of purpose and that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet children’s specific needs and that all staff are trained in the provider’s preferred de-escalation and physical intervention techniques. 01 June 2026

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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— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 01 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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—

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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 socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff consistently build and maintain positive relationships with children to provide children with purposeful engagement and meaningful interaction that promotes trust, emotional safety and a sense of being understood.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that thorough safer recruitment checks are conducted in line with regulations, and clear records are kept. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each employee receives an appropriate induction and is suitably supported during this period. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that procedures are in place for welcoming and introducing each child to the home, and that they are sensitive to the child’s needs at the time of arrival. A warm welcome and introduction to the home is an entitlement for all children, whether they are admitted in a planned way or in an emergency. They should ensure each child has a thorough plan that outlines what staff will do to support them in and out of the home, before, during, and after. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.7, 11.9)

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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: 2860543 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Civic Centre Rd, Southampton SO14 7LY

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Inspector

Sharron Dormand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2860543 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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