Children's home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 1 Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to three children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Children live in the home for up to 16 weeks, during which time an assessment of their needs is carried out to inform future planning decisions.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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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: 2739016 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2024 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, nine children have moved out of the home and 12 have moved in. Moves into and out of the home are well planned. While children are living at the home, a 12-week assessment is carried out, which considers suitability for reunification or fostering as part of the child’s care plan. Planning for permanence helps provide children with stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming, and children benefit from bedrooms that are spacious and personalised. Staff welcome professionals and family members to the home where appropriate. There is a large, comfortable family room that is used to support family time. Good support enables children to spend time with people who are important to them rebuild and maintain significant relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build warm and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff contribute to the children’s assessments and care planning when they move to the home and throughout the assessment process. The assessment includes information from the children, their families and their professional networks. This supports a balanced understanding of children’s needs, experiences and progress. The assessment evaluates the risks and strengths, providing guidance and recommendations. Most children who have left the home have either returned to the care of parents or foster carers. This includes one child who has returned to the care of their parent after a period of 10 years in care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to participate in day-to-day decisions about their lives. They contribute to their assessments and their care and behaviour plans. Children’s views are listened to, documented and used to inform planning and outcomes where appropriate. Children have regular access to an advocate who visits the home, which helps them feel heard and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s access to education. Children moving into the home continue to attend their local schools. When education is a concern, the manager and staff work tirelessly to advocate for children and challenge other professionals to ensure that all children have access to education. There has been significant progress made for children regarding their educational outcomes. One parent was extremely positive about how staff have helped identify a school placement for their child and said, ‘I am so proud of him and thankful for their support.’

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

On some occasions, children have gone missing from the home. Staff proactively search for children and inform the relevant individuals. Effective protocols are utilised to facilitate a multi-agency response that supports children’s swift return. When children return, they are welcomed with warmth and reassurance, which helps them feel a sense of value and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 4 Risks are thoroughly assessed and understood for each child. Staff have open discussions with children about risks and behaviours, which helps children have a deeper understanding of these. When risks increase, the manager requests a multi-agency response. This supports effective interventions that focus on long-term safety, stability and well-being for children.

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

Children have individual behaviour support plans that are of good quality, and they consider their associated risks and support needs. Plans are informed by the child, their family and external professionals. This supports a consistent response from staff to children. As a result, children’s behaviour has improved and missing-from-care episodes have decreased. Since moving to the home, one child has been involved in far fewer incidents in the community, and their social worker said that they are calmer and more reflective.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviours by using effective rewards. As a result, the use of restraint is rare. Staff are clear in what each child needs from their carers and remain adaptable in their approach. They have access to regular consultation from child and adolescent mental health services where appropriate. This helps staff to reflect on the causes of children’s behaviours, supporting their knowledge and understanding of these.

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

Children benefit from a diverse and experienced staff team. The staff are calm and nurturing, and they are skilled in their responses to meet each child’s needs. Leaders and managers have identified specific resources and a model of care to support staff in developing a deeper understanding of children’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This helps children feel safe, supported and understood by their carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a highly skilled and experienced registered manager. Staff value her leadership and support. The manager is calm, organised and child focused. She is highly committed to the service the home provides and values the aim of permanence for all children. The manager and staff are well supported by senior leaders. They have excellent knowledge about the service and are committed to staff growth and development to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. One staff member said that the team of staff listen to each other and care about the children, saying all children have felt loved during their time in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team morale is good, and this helps to create a positive environment for children. Good communication is a strength of the home. Information-sharing is excellent, and there is an expectation that staff remain up to date with what is happening in the children’s lives. This supports continuity of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and say that these are purposeful and child focused. Regular team meetings include detailed discussions about children’s needs. These provide time for reflection, challenge, support and shared learning. This supports staff in sharing their knowledge and identifying areas for development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 5 The manager has developed positive and effective relationships with the children’s professional network. Feedback from professionals is positive. A child’s social worker said that the manager’s communication is excellent, and they promptly share any updates or changes in circumstances. Working together ensures a consistent approach tailored to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a range of systems to oversee the quality of care for children. She understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. Record-keeping is of good quality, including reflection and evaluation, and records are written sensitively and to the children. If children access their records, this method of recording will provide them with comfort and understanding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 6

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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: 2739016 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, PO Box 15, Walsall WS1 1TP

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Inspector

Mandy Wake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739016 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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