Children's Home run by Highlands Care Solutions in Southampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 1 Registered provider: Highlands Care Solutions Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation, and it is the organisation’s only children’s home. The home provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2025 Full Good 04/12/2024 Full Good 06/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience extremely high-quality care and support in a warm, loving and nurturing home. Children feel safe and respected, and they can express themselves freely. Staff have a strong bond with children and understand their individual needs. Staff know and understand children and use therapeutic approaches to help them strengthen their relationships and develop emotional resilience. This has a profound impact on children’s lives. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding practice, Multi-agency working is strong, significantly reducing risks for children. Inspirational leadership provides a stable and educational environment. By ensuring that staff feel valued and by recognising children’s achievements, children are empowered to flourish, and they make consistent progress in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress from their individual starting points. Staff are passionate about providing a stable, loving and caring environment where children feel safe to express themselves and thrive. As a result, children feel safe and supported. They have significant opportunities to learn and grow. One child said, ‘The home is the best it has ever been.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make substantial progress in relation to their emotional wellbeing because of their positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff are enthusiastic about the loving and caring relationships they have with children, and this extends to children’s friends and families. The staff team is consistent, which brings much-needed stability to children’s lives. Children benefit from this, resulting in them building strong relationships and developing strong supportive networks beyond the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive high-quality individualised care and support. They can identify several members of staff who they see as important people in their lives. Staff help children to make considerable progress. As a result, children feel comfortable talking to adults about their feelings, including concerns and experiences they find difficult to discuss.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities and hobbies. Staff encourage children to attend clubs, and they have benefited from pushing their social boundaries, resulting in one child attending police cadets and another being fluent in Japanese. As a result, children’s confidence and self-esteem have significantly improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children access educational settings that provide them with the best possible opportunities to succeed. Adults work closely with education professionals to ensure that children receive a high level of consistent support. One child has successfully sat examinations in English and mathematics and is looking forward to starting college in the next academic year, an achievement they did not believe was possible a year ago. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 4 Children make substantial educational progress, which significantly enhances their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children contribute positively to the home, celebrating equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the year. Staff and children help each other to understand their individual cultures and needs, learning and accepting each other’s diverse cultures. Examples include celebrating LGBTQ+ and Eid, during which several educational opportunities have been used to increase children’s understanding. As a result, children’s acceptance of others and understanding of cultural values improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and staff benefit significantly from therapeutic support and learning. Therapeutic practice is fully embedded into the philosophy and ethos of the home. As a result, staff work together with children to expertly support their mental health needs.

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

Children are supported by staff who understand risk and respond to distress with nurturing and therapeutic approaches. Incidents of exploitation, children going missing from the home and self-harm have significantly decreased or ceased altogether. As a result, children are safer, and there is a significant reduction in serious incidents and risk- taking behaviours.

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

Children feel safe to express themselves and raise concerns. Staff have comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding procedures and communicate effectively with services such as the police and social care. Children therefore have confidence in staff to advocate for their needs. Staff support children in learning how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff are highly effective in responding to children’s challenging behaviour and naturally respond to support all children physically and emotionally. As a result, incidents of physical intervention have significantly reduced. Post-incident support is empathetic, considerate, and helps children understand their emotions.

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

Children learn about safe behaviours in a way that is tailored to their individual needs. Staff help children to recognise risk-taking behaviours. Staff’s approach to safeguarding is balanced and proportionate, reflecting an understanding of the needs of children and young people as they grow up. This includes supporting children to learn about healthy relationships. Staff prepare children effectively for adulthood and independent living by helping them to identify and respond to real-life risks.

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

Professionals are confident in staff’s ability to safeguard children. Clear and consistent boundaries, celebrating successes and effective communication support a collaborative approach to keeping children safe. As a result, children know that the important people in their lives are working together with them to achieve positive outcomes.

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

Health and safety arrangements are highly effective. Staff and children understand emergency safety procedures. Personal emergency evacuation plans and safety plans are carefully thought out and well maintained in collaboration with children, parents and Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 5 professionals. Children understand their individual risks and dangers and can consistently keep themselves safe.

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

Staff receive a comprehensive induction and training, reinforced with individual supervision and team sessions. Safeguarding training is specific and individually tailored to children’s needs. Professionals such as child and adolescent mental health services and the home’s therapeutic consultant attend team meetings regularly to deliver bespoke training. Staff competently and confidently use their knowledge to support children in understanding their individual safeguarding needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are inspirational. The registered manager is confident and has high expectations and an ambitious vision for children. Leaders make brave decisions and advocate strongly for children, especially when they are experiencing challenging times. They are influential in improving the lives of children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a comprehensive understanding of the home’s strengths and has clear plans in place to address areas identified for development. They are supported by an experienced deputy manager, and together they provide confident and collaborative leadership to the staff team. Professional practice is excellent, and this has resulted in sustained improvement to the lives of all children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak positively about the home and demonstrate a reflective and proactive approach, which is evident in their practice. Staff report feeling well supported through regular team discussions, scenario-based learning, and access to appropriate equipment and training to carry out their roles effectively. This has led to an elevated level of competence and confidence in the staff team, contributing to sustained improvements in outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have undertaken extensive learning and development. They demonstrate extremely reflective practice, significantly improved reporting and recording, and comprehensive knowledge. As a result, staff have a significant understanding of children’s behaviour, which has an exceptionally positive impact on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive frequent and effective professional supervision. This provides opportunities for managers to ensure that staff know how to care for children well and in line with agreed plans. Supervision is supplemented with effective team meetings, which includes therapeutic trauma-informed training. As a result, staff report feeling supported by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example, demonstrating innovation and generating creative ideas. For example, the registered manager has developed a 360-degree appraisal system for staff. Staff say this is a positive and empowering process that informs their practice. As a result, staff have grown professionally, and the home is a more stable, supportive and effective learning environment for staff and children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 6 Leaders and managers have comprehensive oversight of the home, providing an additional layer of support and challenge for adults and managers. They have developed tracking tools that enable the production of useful information, which enhances practice and assures regulatory compliance. As a result, practice is purposeful, safeguarding practice is strong and children thrive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is always a clean environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.3)

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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: 2730126 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Highlands Care Solutions

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Jasmine Court, London Road, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks TN15 6BW

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Inspectors

Steve de Souza, Social Care Inspector Louise Webling, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730126 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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