Children's Home run by Delam Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 1 SC064027 Registered provider: Delam Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a private organisation. The home provides care for up to six children with diagnosed learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2024. She is working towards a level 5 diploma in leadership and management in residential care.

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Information about this children’s home

Five children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 4 March 2025. The inspector returned on 11 March 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence’ policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 02/09/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 3

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improvement to be good

The overall experiences and progress of children are compromised by shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home.

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improvement to be good

The home needs some repair work, including replacing some radiator covers and touching up paintwork. However, children’s bedrooms are personalised, and they have plenty of storage space for their personal possessions. There is a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy spending time engaging in different activities, including riding bikes, arts, and crafts, playing the guitar, walking, watching television and listening to music. Children have access to a range of different resources, including swinging chairs, a sensory room and garden.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are explored and encouraged in different ways, including children’s meetings and ‘listen to me’ sessions. Children’s meetings are inclusive and use various communication methods to ensure all children are able to participate.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their friends and family. Staff maintain good communication with children’s families. This provides children with a support network where they feel safe to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. One family member said, ‘Staff supported [name of child] to attend my wedding.’ Another parent said, ‘[Name of child]’s communication to siblings and us has improved.’

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improvement to be good

The staff are caring and passionate about their role and the care they provide to children. Some staff have been working at the home for a considerable length of time. Therefore, the children have built trusting relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding processes are not always followed correctly. On one occasion, a safeguarding incident was not adequately investigated and followed up. This compromised safeguarding practice. The staff did share this information with senior leaders in the manager’s absence, however, leaders and managers failed to ensure that this was effectively investigated and concluded. This is a significant shortfall that could compromise the safety and welfare of the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff access informative training to ensure that they are suitably trained to meet the individual needs of children. Training includes autism awareness, epilepsy awareness, understanding attachment, harmful sexual behaviour, and self-harm. This also helps to ensure consistency in staff practice. Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 4 Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children safe, after all de- escalation and distraction methods have been explored. Debriefs are completed with staff and children. Reflections with children are carried out using child-friendly and colourful resources to encourage engagement.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are followed, which means that staff are recruited safely. Recruitment checks ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has recently returned to the home following maternity leave. During the manager’s absence, management oversight was provided by an operations manager and a manager from another home. There has been a period of ineffective management oversight of staff practice, and the quality of care provided to children. This significantly compromised children’s welfare and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no demonstrated learning from safeguarding incidents. On one occasion, there was limited reflection with staff and no robust evaluation of a safeguarding incident, to improve the safety and welfare of children and the practice of staff. The management oversight of incident records is not consistent and lacks effective evaluation, resulting in very limited learning from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent person carries out regular visits to the home, however, reports could be strengthened with more rigorous monitoring. This is a missed opportunity to help leaders and managers to identify and address areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are gaps in leaders and managers’ overall monitoring and review systems. This does not support the manager to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. However, the manager has recently implemented a system to support and improve the monitoring of incidents and ensure consistency of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are supported through regular supervision, team meetings and reflective learning sessions. One staff member said, ‘The staff are all supported by the manager and the teamwork is tremendous. Supervisions take place once a month, which is extremely beneficial for the staff team to make sure our voices are heard.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive annual appraisals. However, appraisals do not consider children’s views or the views of professionals working with the member of staff. This is a missed opportunity for staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted has not been notified of all serious incidents as required. This compromises the regulator’s oversight of the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 5

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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

The protection of children standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any concerns in relation to children in their care are investigated in line with their safeguarding procedures. 18 April 2025

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 18 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(b) (2)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement an effective monitoring system to ensure improved oversight and evaluation of significant events in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 18 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives, and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the quality of care being provided. 18 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. Any damage should be quickly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 8 member over the year and of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC064027 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 5th Floor, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC064027 10 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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