Children's Home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 1 Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services 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 home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who has had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post, who registered with Ofsted in August 2023. The manager is experienced and has an appropriate management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child was spoken to as part of the inspection.

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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 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: 2490939 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/05/2024 Full Good 29/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 3

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Summary of findings

The child living in the home is making progress. They have developed positive relationships with staff, who know them well and provide nurturing care. Support from the therapeutic team ensures that staff have a clear understanding of the child’s lived experiences, enabling care and support to be tailored to the child’s identified needs.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand the child’s individual behaviours and respond appropriately when concerns escalate. This helps to ensure that risks are managed effectively and regularly reviewed.

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Summary of findings

Staff are supported through regular supervision and team meetings, and they receive training that equips them to meet the child’s needs effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning for children moving into and out of the home is careful and considered. When a child moves into the home, the registered manager ensures that all staff are involved in the decision-making process. Staff skills and experience are reviewed to ensure that they can meet the child’s individual needs. As a result, children are supported to settle into the home and develop positive relationships with the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children leave the home, the registered manager ensures that moving-on plans are in place and tailored to their individual needs. For one child, this included a gradual increase in visits to their new home, alongside the registered manager completing a detailed overview of the child’s needs and interests. This helped to ensure that the child was well prepared for the move and reduced their anxieties about transitioning to their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the home has been fully decorated and is well presented. Soft furnishings and photographs of the child’s family help to create a homely environment where the child feels comfortable and relaxed. The child’s bedroom is decorated to reflect their individual interests and personality. This supports the child’s sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide nurturing care to the child. They take time to build positive and trusting relationships. During the inspection, warm, nurturing and humorous interactions were observed between staff and the child. The child stated that the home was ‘decent’. As a result, staff understand the child’s wishes and feelings and are able to respond effectively to their individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 4 The child living in the home is not currently attending formal education. The registered manager is proactive in advocating for the child to receive the right education and support. Tutoring takes place in the home and staff provide additional learning opportunities. The registered manager works alongside the therapeutic team to explore barriers to learning and challenge professionals to ensure that the child’s education remains a priority. As a result, the child continues to access learning opportunities

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to spend time with their family, and staff facilitate family time in the home. This helps the child maintain relationships with those who are important to them. The child’s parent spoke positively about the home and the care provided to their child.

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

The child reports that they feel safe living in the home. They have developed positive relationships with staff and can identify trusted adults with whom they can share any worries or concerns.

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

Since the last inspection, safeguarding incidents in the home have reduced. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities and take appropriate action to promote the child’s safety and wellbeing. This helps to ensure that the child experiences a safe and stable home environment.

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

Behaviour management plans are detailed and tailored to the child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. They provide staff with clear guidance on how to respond to the child’s needs, including the use of de-escalation strategies and therapeutic approaches. The therapeutic team regularly reviews these plans to ensure that they remain up to date, child-centred and effective in meeting the child’s developing needs.

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

Since the last inspection, the use of physical intervention has reduced. The registered manager has worked effectively with the therapeutic team, which provides one-to-one support for the child and guidance for staff. As a result, staff have developed a greater understanding of the child’s individual needs and are able to respond consistently and appropriately.

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

Staff support the child to use the internet and online gaming safely. They have a good understanding of the associated risks and provide the child with appropriate guidance to help them stay safe. Age-appropriate restrictions are in place to ensure that the child can only access suitable games. In addition, staff appropriately monitor the child’s gaming activity, helping them to develop safe online habits.

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

The home provides a safe and well-maintained environment for children. However, the registered manager has not ensured that fire risk assessments are reviewed by a suitably competent person. This reduces independent scrutiny of the home’s fire safety arrangements and limits leaders’ assurance that all identified risks are appropriately Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 5 assessed and managed. Consequently, management oversight of fire safety arrangements is not sufficiently robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and dedicated registered manager. They are child-focused and committed to providing children with nurturing care and positive experiences. The responsible individual is actively involved in the home and has a clear understanding of the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent and stable staff team in place. Staff enjoy working in the home and report feeling supported by the registered manager. Staff receive regular supervision, which provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their practice. Team meetings further promote reflective discussions and ensure that the child’s experiences and care remain central to practice. The therapeutic team plays an active role in meetings, supporting staff to understand and respond to the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular training that is tailored to their role and the needs of the child. The registered manager, alongside the therapeutic team, has developed specific training to strengthen staff’s knowledge and understanding of the child’s experiences and behaviours. As a result, staff are equipped with the skills and confidence required to provide safe, effective and nurturing care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place to oversee the home and review the quality of care provided. These systems are used to identify strengths, address shortfalls and improve practice. The manager has a clear vision for the home and the development of the staff team. The child’s progress is regularly tracked and reviewed, enabling care to be adapted in response to their changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication between the registered manager and professionals is positive. Professionals report that they feel well informed about the child and involved in their care. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘I think the home are doing a wonderful job.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, the home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 7

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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: 2490939 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Marcus House, Parkhall Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3 5XA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Denver Underwood

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2490939 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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