Children's Home run by SANQ Children Services in Dudley

Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 1 Registered provider: SANQ Children Services

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this children’s home. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2024. A new manager started in May 2025 and is applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home, who were present and shared their views about the care they receive.

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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: 2750621 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a nurturing environment for children to thrive. Children have positive relationships with the staff that are built on trust and respect. One child said that the staff were the best thing about the home. There are clear structures to the children’s day which help the children to feel settled and secure. This supports children to make good progress and have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make good progress in their education from their starting points. One child who received little formal education before moving into the home is now working with tutors daily. In addition, staff maintain good links with education providers. One school professional was very positive about the improvements they had seen in a child’s motivation and engagement with their learning since moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. For example, the home has worked flexibly to help restore family relationships for one child. This has included inviting family members to the home for a meal and working with other professionals to enable the child to attend family celebrations. As a result, children feel connected to their loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are actively sought and central to the running of the home. Children have frequent opportunities to provide feedback on their care and to identify any activities they might want to do or raise requests they might have. All the children said that they are happy living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. Despite the short notice, the move was managed well, and the child has settled quickly. The children living in the home were praised for warmly welcoming the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to encourage children to maintain good health. One child prefers to spend time playing computer games. Staff have successfully negotiated routines where the child is supported to participate in alternative activities which promote better physical health. However, strategies used by staff are not always successful in consistently addressing all children’s health issues.

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

Children feel safe living in the home. Staff are consistent in implementing clear routines and boundaries that help children to understand what is expected of them. As a result, there are few incidents in the home.

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

When incidents do occur, staff work sensitively with the children to help them reflect and learn. Children have shown maturity in managing situations that may escalate and are Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 4 praised for doing so. For example, children have removed themselves from incidents when peers have become distressed and learned to apologise when they have upset or hurt others. This helps to reinforce positive interactions and promotes children’s well- being effectively.

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

Staff have a good understanding of what to do if children are at risk of harm. For example, they were able to describe the action they would take if a child made an allegation. When incidents occur, staff take the time to reflect on how they might have managed things differently. This helps to ensure that staff have the knowledge and ability to reduce children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff use rewards and consequences to help children to understand what is expected of them. Rewards outnumber consequences given and have a good impact on children’s understanding. Consequences used are usually proportionate and appropriate. However, in one instance, a lack of clarity and management oversight of the measure used led to a child becoming upset and may have contributed to a further incident.

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

Since the last inspection, leaders have reviewed the use of alarms on children’s bedroom doors, and these are no longer routinely used. When they are used, this is with appropriate authorisation and has been discussed with children to establish a clear rationale for their use. This ensures children are not subjected to unnecessary surveillance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Over recent months, there have been some changes in the management of the home. The previous deputy manager is now the manager and is being supported by the home’s responsible individual. While this has led to some uncertainty for staff, the changes have been managed well and have had little impact on the children. The children and staff are positive about the current management arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for the children to do well and make progress. They are strong advocates for the children. For example, leaders have challenged education professionals to find alternative strategies to keep one child in education. This positive advocacy has supported the child to complete their GCSEs, and the child has aspirations for their future career.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and are given opportunities to learn and develop. They have access to a range of training to support them in their roles. This includes training specifically designed to meet the children’s needs. This ensures that children are supported by staff who have the knowledge, skills and understanding to meet their needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the home and children’s care. They are aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and have put in place plans to manage potential risks in the home. The monitoring systems used have been effective in helping to maintain standards and keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 5 Feedback from external professionals and family members is unanimous in praise of the leadership of the home. In particular, professionals have commented on the stability and trusting relationships that staff have provided, and the progress children have made while living in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Where children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these in line with their age and understanding. This specifically relates to supporting one child to better manage an ongoing health issue and lead a healthier lifestyle. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 34 paragraph 7.10)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and proportionate. This specifically relates to the use of consequences, to ensure that children are clear about what they entail and when they will be lifted. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46 paragraph

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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: 2750621 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SANQ Children Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Regus, Edmund House, 12-22 Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 3AS

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Inspector

Louise Naylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2750621 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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