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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 1 Registered provider: Hazelmont Social Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2023. Two interim managers were appointed but they subsequently left their post before the registration process was complete. A new manager has been appointed from within the organisation and took up post on 1 May 2024. They have made their application to register with Ofsted. The manager also manages another registered setting.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2562675 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child who lived at the home at the time of the last inspection continues to do so. The child remains settled and is making good progress in many areas of their life. Staff understand the child’s individual needs and the child is well supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children experienced planned moves into the home. Both children subsequently moved on. One of these children no longer wanted to be looked after and wished to return to the care of their family. Their move out of the home was unplanned due to some issues beyond the control of staff. The other child moved out due to concerns that their individual needs could not be met safely in the home. The staff did what they could to promote a positive end to the child’s stay and a move to a provision better suited to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child currently living in the home to develop their independence skills in line with their care plan. The child’s self-esteem and skills around self-care have increased. They have also learned to cook, clean, budget and manage the time they spend in the community safely. This good support prepares the child for their future when they leave the home to live more independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of the child are captured by staff, who use a variety of methods, including weekly meetings and informal conversations, to ascertain them. This means the child can plan activities they like, such as going shopping, cooking and visiting friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and generally well maintained. The garden space has been improved in line with children’s feedback. There is also a new summer house to provide the child with additional space to relax in. Artwork created by the child is displayed and enhances some of the communal areas in the home. As a result, the child feels happy and comfortable in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s identity is well understood and promoted by staff. The child regularly spends time with people who are important to them, including their family members. Staff also support the child to explore their cultural heritage. This includes music, food and specialist hair products. This helps the child to feel valued and to celebrate difference and diversity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have tried to ensure that the child receives education that meets their needs. When necessary, managers have challenged education professionals and secured an advocate for the child. A tutor delivers education to the child in the home. However, the child does not always engage with this as they struggle at times to get up in the morning. Despite some struggles, the child has recently been able to sit some exams. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 4 Staff have not sought support in a timely manner from health professionals regarding the child’s poor sleep patterns. Strategies they are implementing are having limited success and the child does not have good routines to fully support their well-being and engagement in their learning. The child is registered with local health services and they attend routine appointments.

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

The child is safe and said that they feel safe in the home. There is an effective approach to managing risk. Support plans provide staff with guidance that they follow to reduce risks and actions to take during incidents. These plans are regularly reviewed following any significant incidents and when new concerns emerge.

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

The child benefits from regular support from staff and a consistent and therapeutic parenting approach to their care. This has helped the child to understand more about their behaviours and learn how to stay safe. As a result of this good work, there have been no missing-from-care episodes since the last inspection .

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

The staff have physically restrained a child on one occasion. This was done as a last resort and to prevent the child from being harmed. This was well recorded and discussions with the child and staff were completed in a timely manner. This enables the managers to support the ongoing development of staff and their practice.

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

The child understands how to make complaints and share their feelings. One allegation has been made against a staff member since the last inspection. This was by a child who previously lived in the home and has been addressed promptly by the managers. They have worked with professionals while the concern was investigated. The local authority designated officer complimented the communication and partnership working by the managers.

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

There are some temporary staff who work in the home. These are consistent staff and they work alongside permanent staff so the child receives care from familiar adults. All staff who work in the home are subject to necessary recruitment checks. This helps to ensure that children receive care from safe adults.

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

Managers have not ensured that the fire risk assessment has been reviewed in the time frame stipulated in this document. It is several months out of date. The managers acknowledge this and have secured an urgent review to be undertaken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The lack of a registered manager has led to inconsistent oversight in the home. The development of staff has also been affected, leading to low staff morale at times. This has been recognised by leaders and managers and action taken to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 5 Despite the child being safeguarded effectively, the independent visitor does not always clearly state this in their monthly review reports. In addition, professional feedback has not been consistently sought by the visitor to inform their findings and reports. Managers have challenged the visitor and have plans to improve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual has been proactive in their support of the home and has been assisted by the deputy manager. They have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. This has helped to mitigate some of the impact on the child during periods of instability in the home. Staff speak positively about the responsible individual and their regular presence in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager has a clear vision about how to promote good standards of care and practice within the home. They have some knowledge of the home and are familiar with the child and some of the staff members. This has helped to create a growing sense of stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New management tools have been created by leaders and managers. These have been designed to improve management oversight of the quality of care provided. This work started recently and so the impact of this on staff practice and the child’s care is yet to be realised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Regular supervision is provided to staff by managers. Staff also benefit from clinical group supervision led by the in-house therapist. This encourages staff to share their feelings and to learn more about the child and their behaviours and how to respond to these. This guidance helps staff to feel supported and valued and equips them with the knowledge and skills they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular training. One staff member has also delivered training within the team and the organisation. This has covered areas of creative and therapeutic practice. This has led to staff engaging the child in discussions about their emotional well-being and self-confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Partnership working is a strength of the home. Professionals, including social workers, said the staff communicate well with them. They have also been positive about the care and support offered by staff to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 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, The 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 1(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home’s fire risk assessment being reviewed. 15 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that managers have consistent oversight of the home, including staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

This was raised in the last inspection and is restated. 6 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 7 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b)) 6 August 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. Specifically, ensure that children receive appropriate support to help them to develop good daily routines. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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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: 2562675 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: Danielle Gauntlett

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Inspectors

Nurul Kabir, Social Care Inspector Caoimhe Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2562675 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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Inspectors

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