Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 1 Registered provider: Surrey County 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 local authority home provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in October 2025. The registered manager, who also manages another setting, has been in post since that date. This was the first inspection of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since registration: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 2

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Summary of findings

The quality of care is variable, with strengths alongside notable shortfalls. The child benefits from positive relationships with some staff, good support for family contact and effective partnership working. However, inconsistent staffing and limited understanding of the child’s needs have a negative impact on the consistency and quality of care.

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Summary of findings

Health support is not fully informed due to information gaps. Safeguarding responses are generally appropriate, but risk management, follow-up work and management oversight lack consistency.

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Summary of findings

Management absence has affected oversight, supervision, training and staff guidance. Leaders are committed and responsive, but sustained improvement is needed to ensure consistently effective care and stronger safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

The child’s experience of living in the home is mixed. They benefit from some positive, trusting relationships with staff who know them well, but they do not consistently feel understood and supported. Shared staffing arrangements with another local authority home and the regular use of temporary staff have affected the consistency of care. Managers are making changes to the way staffing is organised, but it is too early to see the impact of this.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have a sound understanding of the child’s needs. While some staff adapt communication effectively, support plans provide limited guidance to help staff understand the child’s individual needs and how these inform the care they require. This impacts on the ability and confidence of staff to provide attuned care. At times, the consequences used to address unwanted behaviours are not restorative and undermine efforts to promote the child’s interests and strengths.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to have access to healthcare, including routine checks, medication reviews and therapeutic input, which the child is beginning to engage with. However, there are significant gaps regarding the child’s health history, and the home does not hold an up-to-date statutory health assessment, which is significantly overdue. Managers have not advocated effectively for this. Consequently, support for the child’s health is not grounded in full information.

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improvement to be good

Staff value education and learning. The child is not receiving formal education. However, they do want to attend school. Staff are working closely with education colleagues and the child to implement alternatives, progress plans and pursue the child’s goals. They advocated effectively for the child’s education, health and care plan to be reviewed. Support in this area has helped the child to begin to engage with and enjoy learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 3 Staff promote the child’s important relationships. One of the benefits of moving to the home was the child being closer to their family. Staff understand the child’s plan for family time and are actively involved in supporting this. They communicate well with the child’s parent to ensure plans go smoothly and that they are updated on the child’s progress. This supports the child’s sense of identity and connection.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to share their views and express wishes and feelings about things such as activities and meals. They encourage the child to take part in discussions about their plans. While staff spend individual time offering guidance, the quality is inconsistent and does not always address key support needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean, safe and comfortably furnished. The child is supported to personalise their bedroom and staff help them to keep it clean and tidy. However, a delay in repairing the child’s broken bed shows a shortfall in responding to a basic need.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s individual vulnerabilities and their safeguarding duties. They usually respond appropriately if there is a concern for the child’s safety. The child’s risk assessments provide information about relevant risks and guidance for staff, but they are not consistently updated and contain inaccuracies, creating potential for confusion.

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improvement to be good

Staff take appropriate action if a child goes missing from the home or leaves unexpectedly. They strive to stay with them, locate them and support them to return, working closely with police when necessary. Independent return home interviews are always requested, but staff do not always carry out follow-up work with children to help them reflect and learn, which undermines efforts to reduce future risks.

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improvement to be good

There are significant concerns about the vulnerability of the child to exploitation. Staff and managers work well with other agencies to share concerns, review safety plans, and consider specialist support. Educative work with the child to help them understand risks and make safer decisions is inconsistent.

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improvement to be good

The child is subject to a legal order that allows for the restriction of their liberty. Managers work effectively with partners to review restrictions and ensure that they are proportionate, but they do not always communicate changes or reasons promptly to staff and the child, leading to unclear boundaries. Managers began to take steps to address this during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Management oversight of safeguarding concerns is inconsistent. It is not always timely and sometimes does not identify and address areas where staff need further guidance or support. Identified actions are sometimes not implemented promptly. This weakens managers’ scrutiny of staff practice and preventative safeguarding measures. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 4 Allegations are managed appropriately. Staff report concerns promptly, and there is timely consultation with the local authority designated officer if needed. However, the child is not usually updated on the outcome of allegations. They said that they never know what has happened, which may lead to them experiencing increased anxiety.

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

The quality and consistency of management oversight and support for staff have been affected by absence within the management team. Despite additional support from senior managers and the diligent efforts of senior staff in the home to cover, this has had a negative impact across the service.

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

Leaders and managers demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm and are open to feedback and learning. They understand and acknowledge the inspection findings and have already begun to take action to address shortfalls.

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

Staff morale and views on support are mixed. While individual managers are seen as responsive, there is a lack of consistent day-to-day management presence. Some staff reported insufficient guidance from managers about managing the child’s behaviour, particularly for newer members of the team, which impacts on staff confidence when facing challenging situations.

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

The structure for staff support includes individual supervision and team meetings. While these forums are helpful and supportive, they do not happen as regularly as set out in the organisation’s policies. There is no system to ensure bank staff have regular supervision. This undermines efforts to ensure that the new and evolving staff team is supported as well as possible and is particularly important as there is regular use of bank staff.

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

Staff are required to complete a suitable range of training for their roles, including training that is relevant to the particular needs of children who live at this home. However, managers could not provide evidence that all staff had completed this training, meaning that practice may not be fully informed.

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

Two children’s moves into the home were well planned and managed. Assessments considered the needs of both children concerned, alongside the skills of the staff team. Effective planning with the placing authority led to the children having a positive experience of arriving at the home.

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

Partnership working is a strength. Managers and staff understand the importance of working relationships with children’s professional networks. They communicate effectively with external professionals to share information and coordinate care. Partner agencies provided positive feedback about communication, care and safeguarding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 5

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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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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ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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

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ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure: 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 6 that there is effective, consistent management oversight and support across the service;

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Requirement Due date

that staffing arrangements provide consistency of care for children;

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Requirement Due date

that children’s risk assessments are kept up to date and give accurate guidance to staff;

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Requirement Due date

that there is effective oversight of safeguarding incidents and follow-up actions, including educative work with children and support or training needs for staff;

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Requirement Due date

that staff, including bank staff, receive regular supervision and that regular team meetings take place in line with company policy; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff are up to date with all required training.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 7 ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure:

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that the child’s individual needs are thoroughly understood by staff and reflected in support plans that help staff provide personalised, attuned care;

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that children receive good-quality, one-to one support about issues relevant to them at a pace they need, including educative work in relation to known vulnerabilities; and

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that there is prompt attention to repairs.

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The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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

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help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are informed of the outcomes of allegations and helped to share their feelings about these to inform the support they receive. 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 8 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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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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meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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

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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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strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure:

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Requirement Due date

that staff and children are helped to understand any restrictions to children’s liberty and the reasons for these; and

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Requirement Due date

that consequences are restorative, helpful and support the overall aims of the child’s plan. 12 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 12 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s health needs are fully understood and informed by an up-to- date, looked-after child health assessment and that any delay with the latter is addressed promptly.

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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: 2849273 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surrey County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Surrey County Council, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate RH2 8EF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Heighes

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Inspectors

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Ken Bedwell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2849273 11 regulates 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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