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 is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified, with a relevant level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff have worked hard to continue providing good care for children. While there have been some changes to the staff team, children have trusted staff they can rely on. This means that children seek comfort and accept support that helps them to make progress. One parent said their child is ‘kept safe and well cared for’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s individual needs very well. One child is working towards independence. They have worked to develop the practical aspects of caring for themselves, such as budgeting and cooking healthy meals. Their anxiety about being in public spaces has been gradually and sensitively addressed. As a result, the child has been able to go out independently to carry out everyday tasks such as shopping. They have also been able to participate in a range of activities, including ice skating, bowling and going on a holiday for the first time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to learn and engage with education. One child attends school regularly and is making some progress. Staff work closely with the school to support and manage the child’s behaviours. One child has refused to attend school and they are awaiting a specialist mental health assessment. Staff have continued to work with education professionals and a tutor was secured to provide education in the home. The child struggled to manage this but managers and staff have remained resilient and proactive. The child has agreed to engage with online education and bespoke qualifications tailored around their interests. This is being arranged for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been an improvement in the way staff meet children’s health needs. This has come about since an incident involving a child’s deteriorating physical health. On that occasion, staff were not curious enough to encourage the child to remain at home when they were not well. The child was later taken to hospital. A thorough investigation by managers has led to learning and additional training being provided to staff. Staff take the children to all medical appointments, including emergency appointments. They escalate their concerns to relevant professionals and keep relevant people informed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views positively shape the care they receive. Managers have also introduced more informal ways of engaging children, as requested by them. This has led to an improvement in children sharing their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and well presented. Communal areas offer children warm and comfortable spaces to relax in and engage in activities they enjoy, such as gaming. Damage caused by one child to their bedroom wall has not been repaired in a timely manner. This does not help children to feel valued. The manager addressed this during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 4

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

Managers act swiftly when there are concerns about staff practice. Relevant investigations are undertaken in partnership with external professionals. Children are kept updated about the outcome of these investigations.

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

There are clear routines and boundaries for children and praise and positive rewards are used. One child does not like this as it prevents them from using their electronic devices and gaming whenever they want. This previously learned behaviour has been appropriately challenged by staff. They have worked with the child on an agreement that sets clear expectations around this. The child has been adhering to this and, as a result, has had more time to take part in physical activities such as swimming.

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

Risk and behaviour support plans provide staff with updated information and guidance. This helps them to manage children’s behaviours effectively and keep them safe. Staff have only physically intervened to keep children safe as a last resort. The manager has retained oversight of these incidents and shared learning points with staff. Children have been engaged in direct work so they can share their emotions. This also helps them to learn about alternative ways to express themselves.

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow their individual plans. They search for children and work with other professionals to ensure their safe return home. One child has struggled with their emotional well-being. This has led to them harming themselves at times. Managers and staff understand these risks but have balanced this with the child’s development needs and plan for independence. The child has been supported to have time on their own in the community to build their confidence. The child has responded positively to this trust from staff and has managed their free time responsibly. This balanced approach to managing risk has led to fewer incidents of self-harm. There has also been a reduction in missing-from- home episodes for this child.

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

Managers have established valuable relationships with professionals in the community. This has enabled them to arrange for a member of the community police team to visit the home to offer additional guidance and support for one child. This has been arranged because the child has been involved in an increasing number of incidents of damage in the home. The child has also displayed inappropriate behaviour in the community and towards staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager lead by example and set high challenges for staff, but also provide high support. This has been recognised and appreciated by staff. As a result, there is a positive working environment in the home and staff feel valued and supported. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 5 Staff are provided with regular individual supervision meetings with the manager. They also have clinical group supervision with the in-house consultant psychologist. These meetings help staff to explore and openly discuss the complex roles that they have. They are also helped to better understand the impact of trauma on children’s behaviours. This means children continue to receive care that is attuned to their evolving needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During a period of instability when several staff left the home, managers stepped in. They have covered shifts to ensure that children receive safe care from familiar staff. However, a high number of temporary workers have also been used alongside core staff. Managers recognise the impact of this on children’s sense of stability. There has been ongoing and successful recruitment of new staff. As a result, the use of temporary staff has now significantly reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a thorough induction and training package. As well as mandatory training courses for staff, there are also additional courses based on the children’s identified needs. The managers closely monitor training attendance. This has led to all staff being up to date with their required training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good oversight and use of monitoring systems by senior managers. This is bolstered by feedback from the independent visitor that helps managers and staff to put learning into practice. External professionals and family members are complimentary about the home and the staff’s care of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home are well maintained. In particular, damage in children’s bedrooms should be promptly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the use of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (regulation 31(1)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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 7

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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: Danielle Gauntlett

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Inspector

Nurul Kabir, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2667768 8 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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