Children's Home run by TS Children Services Ltd in Dudley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 1 Registered provider: TS Children Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in November 2023 and is privately owned. It provides care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left shortly after registration in December 2023. A new manager started in January 2024, and he has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the last full inspection, a notice restricting accommodation and an emergency suspension notice of the home were issued. These notices were deemed to have been met during a monitoring visit on 1 May 2024. However, following the monitoring visit, Ofsted imposed a variation of conditions to limit the number of children the home can admit to one child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child agreed to take part in the inspection and said that they enjoy living in the home, get on well with staff and would not change anything.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home, and one child has moved in. Leaders and managers worked closely with social care professionals to ensure that this was a positive experience for the child. The child was visited by staff and enjoyed visits to the home before moving in. This approach ensured that the child was well supported during a challenging time and helped to relieve any potential anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well met. They are registered with local health services and have attended routine appointments. In addition, staff are making efforts to ensure that they fully understand the child’s health needs and are encouraging a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet and promoting regular exercise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise the child’s education. The child moved into the home at the end of the academic year. Therefore, a new education placement is not currently in place. However, since the new school year commenced, staff have ensured that the child has access to education through home learning. In addition, the manager is working closely with education professionals to ensure that a place is secured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to see people who are important to them. Staff build positive relationships with family members and work closely with them. The child regularly enjoys spending time with family members at local football matches and when they visit the home. This helps the child feel a sense of value and supports them to maintain their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are beginning to build trusting relationships with the child, despite the fact they have only been living in the home for a short time. Staff speak to the child with warmth and humour and show interest in their hobbies and interests, encouraging a variety of activities. Staff take photos of activities and place them around the home to ensure that the child has a sense of belonging.

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

Incidents have been rare since the child moved into the home. Staff provide the child with consistent routines and boundaries. This helps the child to feel safe. Staff are empathetic to the child’s feelings and help them to explore their emotions. As a result, the child feels listened to. When incidents occur, staff respond well. Therefore, incidents do not escalate to a level of risk that is unsafe. As a result, staff have not had to physically restrain the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 4 There have been some incidents of the child being missing from home. Staff understand protocols relating to this well, and they report the child missing and search for them until they are safely back at home. Staff use various strategies, such as working alongside agencies and family members, to help locate the child. On the child’s return, staff welcome them back in a sensitive way, offer reassurance and show curiosity to

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

understand what happened during their time away. Return home interviews are also carried out.

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

Staff help to keep the child safe online. They use one-to-one sessions to help the child understand online risks. Additionally, appropriate safeguarding measures are in place through filtering systems and monitoring of devices to ensure a positive and safe experience.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not always well written. For example, the manager failed to implement strategies and clear guidance around the child accessing free time and potential risks in the local area. Furthermore, an appropriate risk assessment was not carried out around the child administering their own medication. Despite these shortfalls, staff demonstrate good understanding of how to keep the child safe and carry out educational work with them around key areas and subjects.

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

Some improvements have been made regarding the safe recruitment of staff. Shortfalls identified at the monitoring visit in May 2024 have now been rectified. However, despite the improvements, some shortfalls still exist. For example, the verification checks for one staff member leaving employment with children were not fully carried out, despite the considerable efforts of leaders and managers to obtain this information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the management team has worked hard to make improvements to the quality of care. A constant management presence in the home and the development of monitoring systems have led to more effective oversight. This approach means that managers can quickly address any issues to sustain the improvements made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing consistency has improved. The team remains new. However, staff are being well led by the manager and deputy manager, who are determined to ensure that staff continue to develop. Staff speak positively about working in the home and the relationships they have with the child. Staff feel incredibly well supported by managers and say that they are always approachable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When there have been concerns about staff practice, managers have taken appropriate action. They ensure that thorough investigations are carried out, to inform their decision- making. This approach promotes the safety and well-being of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. These are reflective and assess their well- being and performance and have a clear focus on supporting the child. Managers provide Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 5 staff with constructive feedback about their practice to support their ongoing development and understanding of the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been improvements in relation to staff training. Leaders and managers are ensuring that staff have access to various learning modules to add to their knowledge and skills. However, despite these improvements, not all staff have received training that is specific to the child’s needs. Additionally, one member of staff is outstanding a high number of training modules. Although staff have good knowledge and understanding of the child, this could potentially compromise their ability to provide the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite facing challenges from the child’s placing authority, the manager has forged positive relationships with external professionals and the child’s family. There has been a high turnover of social workers for the child since they moved into the home. However, the manager has managed this well and ensured effective communication where possible. In addition, the manager advocates for the child and escalates concerns with the local authority and education professionals when necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure good employment practice and that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. They should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates to the recording of safeguarding strategies in children’s risk assessments, which should clearly explain the action staff should take to manage risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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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: 2726003 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: TS Children Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4DJ

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Inspectors

Carl Wilton, Social Care Inspector Charlotte Love, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726003 8 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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