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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 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 is owned by a private company, and it opened in August 2022. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children. The children have faced neglect and abuse, and as a result, they may display complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is working towards his level 5 diploma.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first inspection since opening in August 2022. Since opening, three children have moved into the home, and one child has left the home. At the time of the inspection, two children lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

From their starting points, children have made good progress in their education. Staff support children to re-engage in their education. For example, one child who did not attend education for two years before moving into the home now attends regularly and has aspirations to go to college. One professional stated, ‘I have seen a different child, who wants to engage in education; she seems to have settled.’ Another child is on track to achieve very good grades in their GCSEs. As a result, children are being given opportunities to flourish and have positive life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time has improved for children. Staff support children to see their families and work towards increasing the time they get to spend with them. In addition, staff encourage children to develop their independence skills, such as using public transport independently to travel to see their family. Children are encouraged to keep in touch with those who are important to them, providing them with a sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. Children are in good health and are supported to attend regular health appointments. The manager and staff meet regularly with the internal clinical psychologist. This has provided staff with a greater understanding of children’s needs and how to better support their emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff invest in their relationships with children. Staff have a strong understanding of children’s starting points and what support they need. Children experience positive and natural relationships with staff. They feel understood and accepted by the staff around them. This has helped one child to stop using cannabis. Due to the support provided by the team, children feel cared for and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions are managed well, even when they are short notice. One child moved in the day before their birthday. Despite the move-in being fast, the staff made the effort to get presents, decorations and a cake for the child to enable them to feel valued and accepted. In addition, the manager has created a welcome leaflet for children who are having planned transitions. The purpose behind this is to enable the children to feel at home as soon as possible when they arrive. Additionally, the children can plan how they would like their room to be decorated before they come to the home. One professional stated, ‘The team allowed as best transition as possible. They was all welcoming from day one.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are not always clear. One child’s safety plan did not provide staff with clear guidance. A missing-from-care protocol used across the company does Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 4 not show staff’s actions clearly. This is in relation to how often staff should call and search for a child if they are missing from home. There is therefore a risk of staff members not doing all they can to keep children safe.

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

Children’s risks are well understood by the staff team. The staff have a good understanding of children’s triggers and reasons behind their behaviours. They help children to find more positive ways of managing their emotions. The staff respond well to any incidents that occur in the home. As a result, incidents, including self- harm incidents, have reduced.

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

Children trust the staff around them. One child explained that they can identify a staff member to speak to. Complaints are responded to promptly, with the child at the heart of the process. One child made a complaint in relation to a neighbourhood concern. The manager was able to respond to and conclude the complaint within 48 hours. The child was kept updated throughout and was happy with the outcome provided. As a result, this child felt confident in the manager dealing with this, and the child’s voice was heard.

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

There have been no allegations of harm since the home opened. Staff encourage children to be open about any concerns that they have. Children have shared that they feel safe and secure with the staff team around them.

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

The team has good links with the local police community support officer (PCSO). The local PCSO visits regularly and has built up connections with the staff team and children. This helps children to feel safer in their home and community.

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

Staff provide children with good education about keeping themselves safe. The staff team carries out key-work sessions with children on safe relationships, the dangers of going missing from care and the safe use of the internet. Children engage well with these sessions, and as a result, there are minimal incidents that occur.

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

Missing-from-care incidents are not always responded to in line with children’s risk assessments. On one occasion, during a missing-from-care episode, staff should have started the missing procedure 30 minutes after being unable to locate the child. The staff did not start the missing procedure until hours later. In addition, there was no search carried out in the evening to locate the child once the missing- from-care protocol had begun. As a result, this child was not safeguarded effectively in line with their current plan.

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

Consequences are not always recorded or reviewed in line with the regulation. On one occasion, and for the same consequence, the registered manager had recorded the consequence and commented on the effectiveness of this 13 days after the incident. In addition, there was no recording of the duration of time that the consequence was in place for. As a result, there was ineffective oversight of the consequence to determine whether it was fair and effective. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is new to the position, and he is working towards his level 5 diploma to become suitably qualified. The registered manager is enthusiastic and motivated. His aim is to manage a dynamic team of staff that supports children to achieve the best outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recruitment of staff is carried out safely. The registered manager has oversight before staff are completely signed off. As a result, the registered manager is more assured that new staff are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and the manager work well with the children’s wider network. This includes children’s local authorities, education staff and the local police. One professional stated, ‘Communication is good with the team; they keep me updated.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and auditing systems are effective in the home. The registered manager has various systems that support him and the team in ensuring that the home is providing a consistent high quality of care. Staff have bespoke development plans to enable there to be monitoring of their progress. This has supported staff in upskilling and developing to senior levels within the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive child-focused training opportunities. The manager and team work closely with the internal psychologist. Monthly meetings are held that enable staff to share their knowledge and learn other effective ways in which they can support the children. The team has a clear understanding of the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) model of care and how they implement this into practice. As a result, children are being supported by a team of staff that is equipped to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive effective supervision sessions from managers and leaders. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their individual practice. When practice issues have arisen, they have been addressed appropriately by the manager. The support from the manager enables the staff to reflect on previous practice and improve. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments are followed during missing-from- care incidents. Risk assessments should be up to date and relevant in line with the children’s current plans. 21 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff. This must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the children’s plans are clear and effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  The registered person should ensure that they prepare and implement a behaviour management policy. This policy should describe the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in the home. These measures should be set in the context of building positive relationships with children. In particular, the registered person should ensure that all consequences are recorded and reviewed within 24 hours of the consequence being implemented. The form should include the duration of

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 7 time that the consequences will be in place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.33)

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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: 2667768 8

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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 WV13 2HA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Barrett

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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