Children's Home run by Hazelmont Social Care LTD in Walsall

Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 1 Registered provider: Hazelmont Social Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home. All three children have education places. The registered manager advocates for children who need alternative specialist provisions. The registered manager supports schools to understand children’s barriers to learning. The children are making good progress with education and their educational needs are being met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have meaningful relationships with children. Staff were observed to be nurturing, patient and kind with children. Children have trusted adults who they can talk to. Children have been able to talk openly with staff about sensitive issues, and they value and enjoy their time with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from regular therapy sessions with the in-house psychologist. This helps children to understand and process their past trauma and develop strategies to be able to better regulate their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in clubs and a range of activities. One child attends a scout group and a youth club. Another child is part of a drama club. Children are also encouraged to raise money and participate in charity walks. Children are trying new and enriching experiences and their confidence and self-esteem are improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to spend time with their family and friends. This ensures that children can maintain and improve the quality of their relationships with those people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and well decorated. The children’s artwork is displayed around the home, which contributes to their sense of belonging and ownership. The children have worked with staff to design a new games room. Further work is planned, including an update for the bathroom and sensory room. At the time of the inspection, the garden needed a tidy up as tiles and pieces of wood were being stored there.

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

Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. The risk assessments give staff good guidance on how to manage and reduce risks to children. This means that staff understand their role and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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

The training provided to staff and the support from the registered manager ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to safeguard children. When safeguarding incidents occur, the staff act with confidence to reduce the potential risk to children. This contributes to children feeling safe. Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 4 When children go missing from the home, staff manage these incidents well. Children are offered return home interviews when they come back so that staff can understand why they left. Staff consider actions they can take to reduce the risk of such incidents occurring again.

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

Staff only use physical interventions as a last resort as they can manage children’s behaviours using distraction and de-escalation techniques. There has been a significant decrease in the use of physical interventions and they are not required on a regular basis. When a physical intervention is used, the registered manager helps staff to reflect on their practice and consider any learning.

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

The registered manager manages allegations efficiently and effectively. This includes working closely with the local authority designated officer and child’s social worker to agree on actions that need to be taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and qualified. The manager is an excellent role model for staff and has high expectations of staff to provide children with good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel well supported by the registered manager and leadership team. As a result, staff feel motivated and valued. Staff progression and development are promoted through supervision sessions and team meetings. The registered manager has plans to further embed a therapeutic approach to staff’s practice. The managers are developing individual roles to provide children with a wider variety of therapeutic interventions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have completed good-quality training to equip them with the skills to meet children’s needs. This training is complemented by regular consultations with a psychotherapist. This provides staff and managers with the opportunity to discuss the children’s support needs and implement strategies to help children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have excellent relationships with professionals. One social worker said that the home is ‘amazing’. The in-house psychologist and psychotherapist recognise the staff’s and the manager’s skills in working therapeutically with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person visits the home monthly to review the quality of care provided to children. The independent person provides the manager with helpful information to support him to improve the home. However, these visits are not always informed by feedback from relevant professionals and families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are generally of good quality. However, the registered manager has not ensured that two of the children’s placement plans have been completed. Consequently, social workers have not signed the placement plans and staff may not have all the information they need about the children or understand the specific targets they may be working towards. Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 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, 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

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have completed placement plans and social workers agree and sign the plans. 28 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that the garden is kept tidy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should actively support the independent person to seek regular independent feedback from families and professionals and use the feedback to develop the service. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)

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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 children’s home: 2654423 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hazelmont Social Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Midlands House, Gipsy Lane, Willenhall, West Midlands, England WV13 2HA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Barrett

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2654423 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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