Children's home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 1 SC464762 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 service is run by a local authority and provides short periods of residential care for up to six children with physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were accessing short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2013 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2023

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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: SC464762 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2023 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good 08/02/2022 Full Good 08/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide positive experiences for children. They develop a good understanding of children from the assessment stage onwards. This includes children’s likes and dislikes, which are used to inform daily activities in the service. Children enjoy outdoor activities at the local park and beach, as well as indoor activities, such as crafts and cooking. Children regularly want to attend short breaks due to having memorable experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and staff have positive relationships with children. Staff also encourage children to have positive relationships with each other. To encourage better social experiences, children's stays are organised with people they get along with. One professional told the inspector:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘One of the loveliest things that I enjoy seeing when I visit is how the relationships bloom between young people and the staff as well as between the young people attending. I have had some young people who can be quite isolated, and yet they come to the centre having some wonderful interactions with their peers and being supported to develop their social skills.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and staff help children to make progress in different areas. Leaders are involved in looked-after children and education meetings to understand children’s current needs. The service uses bespoke target trackers for each child, with families and social workers agreeing on the targets. This has allowed children to develop skills and abilities in independence tasks, such as putting items away after use, attending to personal care, and developing better boundaries with technology.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood by staff. Leaders ensure that staff receive training in relation to specific care needs, including epilepsy, autism, food allergies and asthma. During an incident where a child had an unexpected seizure, staff used the skills learned from training to ensure that the child was safely supported. As a result, the child made a full recovery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and staff value children’s views and wishes. Children’s feedback is regularly gathered during their stays, which helps staff know how their time in the service can be more bespoke and enjoyable. Children are encouraged to share feedback about how they would like their bedrooms, what activities they would like to do, and meals they want to enjoy. Staff use the Picture Exchange Communication System, talkers, and Makaton to cater to each child's unique communication style. Staff encourage children to support them in planning their birthday parties, which provides children with a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is warmly decorated and welcoming. Images are displayed of children’s celebrations, including birthdays, Easter and Ramadan. Children’s bedrooms are Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 4 decorated according to their tastes. This has allowed children to feel at home while accessing short breaks.

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

There has been a low number of incidents in the service since the previous inspection. Staff use their strong relationships with children and an individualised reward system to encourage positive behaviours. Children’s incentive charts are based on what they like; some children enjoy games and surprise gifts. Staff work in line with clear risk management plans to de-escalate incidents before resorting to physical intervention and use their relationships with children to promote a more positive experience.

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

Leaders respond appropriately to complaints raised by children. The manager took a child's complaint about a peer seriously and promptly shared it with the relevant professionals. This enabled the manager to formulate a plan that would be in the child’s best interests. This child and their family were kept updated throughout the process. They were happy with the outcome, and the child was happy to return to short breaks.

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

Leaders respond effectively to allegations raised by children. They take allegations seriously and ensure that children remain at the centre of the process. They regularly check in with the child to ensure that they are supported. Relevant professionals, including the local authority and Ofsted, are notified in a timely manner. This has allowed the manager to carry out a prompt and thorough investigation.

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

Leaders have improved their consultation with external professionals when updating their review of the service location. The manager consults with local services, including the police community support officer. This has allowed up-to-date information to be gathered about any concerns in the local area.

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

Staff support children to have safer online experiences. Children are encouraged to develop better routines for using the home's tablet computer and watching online videos. There are effective systems in the service, including age restrictions and inappropriate site blocks, to ensure that children access safe content online.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A long-standing and passionate registered manager leads the staff team. He is committed to children achieving positive outcomes in the service. The manager is supported by a long-standing deputy and staff team who share the same vision for children to thrive. Staff are motivated and enjoy their work. One staff member said, ‘We allow children to be themselves, grow and develop.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from managers in the service. They provide staff with opportunities to express how they feel and discuss children’s progress and their own individual development. Staff feel confident approaching the managers about any concerns they have. This promotes a more settled staff team in the service. Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 5 Leaders ensure that new staff are safely recruited. The manager ensures that all staff undergo relevant checks before working in the service. As a result, he has been assured that staff are safe to work with children at the start of their employment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service uses a range of monitoring systems, which has mostly enabled the manager to have good oversight. Leaders do not always share the quality of care review report in a timely manner. On one occasion, the manager did not provide a copy of his report to Ofsted within 28 days. This prevented Ofsted from having oversight of the service. The manager identifies areas for improvement, which includes ensuring that the quality of care review report is submitted within the relevant time frame moving forward. Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 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

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (3) (4)(a)(b)) 8 April 2025

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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: SC464762 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: PO Box 15, Walsall WS1 1TP

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC464762 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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