Children's Home run by Solace Care ClayHall Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 1 Registered provider: Solace Care ClayHall Ltd

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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 privately owned home provides care for up to 5 children aged between 8 and 17 years who may experience social, emotional and learning difficulties. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. Another child had also been living at the home, but this was for one month only and they had left before the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/05/2024 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 3

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Summary of findings

The child in the home receives tailored, responsive care and support from committed staff who know them well. Purposeful direct work and activities provide opportunities for the child to develop their confidence, skills and independence. The child has developed trusting relationships with most staff, who help them to feel safe and make some progress. Their experiences are positive overall, and staff respond effectively to risks, promoting their welfare and protection. However, some weaknesses in leadership and management reduce the home's effectiveness, as system oversight and decision-making are not consistently robust.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child in the home has made progress since the last full inspection. Incidents have reduced and the child engages more positively with professionals. Staff use restorative and reflective approaches effectively, helping the child to explore their experiences and develop greater insight into their behaviours. The child, who is a bike enthusiast, is settled and said that 'everything's going well; staff are helpful with my bike'. The child knows how to raise concerns and describes a positive relationship with most staff. They benefit from having choices regarding activities and daily plans, which promote their participation and independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is successfully participating in planned reunification arrangements with their parent. These transitions have been carefully coordinated and overseen by managers and staff. The parent reports positive changes in their child and recognises the commitment and care provided by the staff team, outlining that the manager has 'worked wonders'. This demonstrates staff's ability to support meaningful family relationships and positive outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not consistently engaged in formal or statutory education. Although access to face-to-face tuition has been provided, attendance and participation are inconsistent. Despite this, staff demonstrate a commitment to promoting learning and supporting educational progress through creative learning activities, including reading, mathematics and life skills development, which are tailored to the child's individual interests. This personalised approach helps to sustain the child's engagement and encourages participation in learning activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Direct work with the child is a strength of the home. Individual key-work sessions are purposeful, child centred and tailored to the child's identified needs. These sessions provide opportunities for the child to reflect on recent events, consider the consequences of their actions and express their views. The child's voice is captured effectively, and records demonstrate thoughtful and meaningful engagement from staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 4 The child accesses activities that reflect their interests. Staff use these interests well to reinforce the value of education and personal responsibility. However, the variety of activities is limited, meaning that the child may not have the opportunity to try other experiences to support their personal development and help widen their aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placement matching is not consistently rigorous. Leaders and managers do not ensure that comprehensive suitability assessments are completed before children move into the home. This means that the staff team's capacity, skills and experience to meet each child's individual needs, including factors such as ethnicity, culture, age and presenting risks, are not fully considered. This resulted in instability and placement breakdown for one child.

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

The child feels secure in the home. They said, 'I feel safe, I always have 2 staff with me during the day. Nothing will ever happen to me.' Safeguarding incidents are managed effectively overall, with appropriate and timely responses. Records are detailed and demonstrate that concerns are acted upon promptly and that children's welfare remains the central focus of decision-making. Records of physical interventions include evidence of appropriate follow up actions, including discussions with children and staff.

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

Incident reporting processes are well established and embedded in practice. Staff consistently complete records following incidents. While the quality of recording is generally good, the organisation of records is less strong. Records are maintained across multiple documents and some information is relatively brief; this limits the use of information to strengthen analysis and to support more effective monitoring of practice and trends.

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

Allegations are managed well and are in line with the organisation's safeguarding and allegations policies. Managers and staff take the appropriate action and promptly inform the relevant bodies. Investigation reports are detailed and provide a comprehensive overview of allegation management.

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

Risk assessments are in place and appropriately consider both day-to-day and activity- based risks. These documents are reviewed and updated following significant incidents, ensuring that known risks remain current.

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

Risk management arrangements are effective overall. Control measures are identified and provide direction for staff. However, some strategies are not specific regarding expectations, frequency and responsibility, and staff are not consistently clear about how to respond to some behavioural incidents. In some instances, staff have called the police for assistance with behaviour management. These actions were disproportionate and without a clear rationale.

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

Medication management arrangements are strong. Records show appropriate risk assessments, accurate administration logs and effective oversight. Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 5

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

There are shortfalls regarding the effectiveness and oversight of leaders and managers. Leaders and managers do not consistently challenge or escalate concerns. This relates to internal issues, such as with the case management system, as well as with external partner agencies when children's health or educational needs are not being met effectively, or insufficient information is provided before a child is placed. For example, one child has not attended a dental appointment since moving into the home, and there has not been effective escalation to the GP regarding the need for a paediatric referral.

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

Systems used to monitor staff training and workforce development are not sufficiently robust. Managers are not ensuring that completion, expiry and renewal dates can be effectively and accurately tracked and monitored to ensure that staff are suitably trained to work in the home and meet the needs of children. A small number of staff have not completed the required qualifications in the expected timescales.

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

Staffing arrangements do not consistently meet the needs of individual children. At times, permanent staffing levels have not provided the continuity and predictability required by some children to make positive progress.

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

Despite the shortfalls, team meetings are effective and provide a space for reflective practice and discussion, which support staff learning and help to identify patterns and themes. Overall, staff receive regular supervision and support. One member of staff spoke positively about their work and team morale. They said, 'The management team is very supportive and encourages staff development, which helps us do our best.' However, the manager does not receive regular, structured supervision of their practice, accompanied by appropriate records. Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 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, 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 care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the care provided meets each child's needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child's age, ethnicity and cultural background. 30 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 7 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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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

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;

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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)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that monitoring systems are accurate and kept up to date, and that language used is clear and descriptive. 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 8 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

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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

that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

that staff 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

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff 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

that staff strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

that staff 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;

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Requirement Due date

that staff de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to de-escalate confrontations appropriately, and that any reliance on external agencies, such as the police, is proportionate and accompanied by a clear rationale. 30 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if they consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 9 role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that relevant plans are obtained from placing authorities before placement.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. In particular, records should be detailed and collated in a system that enables clear oversight and the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions is recorded in a timely manner and kept, to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: 2645038 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Solace Care ClayHall Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2A, 420 Eastern Avenue, Ilford, Essex IG2 6NQ

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Inspectors

Kay Barnett, Social Care Inspector Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2645038 11 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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