Children's Home run by SOLID GLOBAL LIMITED in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 1 Registered provider: Solid Global Limited 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 privately owned limited company. It provides care for up to two children. The home specialises in providing therapeutic care for children with mental health needs. The home is managed by a suitably experienced manager who registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 1259178 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2024 Full Good 25/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/06/2023 Full Inadequate 10/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has successfully moved on from the home. During their time living at the home, they made significant progress in preparing for adulthood. This included being able to manage daily tasks and making decisions. As a result, they moved to live with less support and close to their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers work hard to not limit children’s capabilities and opportunities by using a dynamic approach to risk. When there have been barriers to engagement, leaders and managers have been creative to ensure that children’s experiences are not limited. This included seeking bespoke opportunities to support children’s physical development when they no longer wished to engage in community-based physical activities. This creative approach has led to children being provided with opportunities to engage in enriching activities including horse riding, shopping trips and leisure outings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Pets are encouraged at the home and children are taught how to look after them. This provides opportunities for children to learn about responsibility and supports their overall well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships with staff. These positive relationships help children to feel safe and valued. Staff also work proactively to support and maintain children’s family relationships, recognising the importance of these connections for children’s well-being and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are responsive and respectful to children’s changing individual needs, which has enabled children to freely explore their own identity. This provides an inclusive and safe environment for children, which supports their self-development and emotional well- being.

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

Staff and managers work cohesively with the wider team around children to support children’s complex needs. Regular multidisciplinary meetings and good communication between professionals prioritise children’s safety and well-being. They also support staff’s and managers’ understanding of risk, which has enabled them to provide good levels of support to children and led to a reduction in risks, with incidents of self-harm having reduced.

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

When staff are unable to deter children from dangerous behaviour, they act promptly and take action to safeguard children. External therapeutic support is sought when needed to help children develop healthier coping mechanisms. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 4 When children have gone missing from the home, staff respond promptly and follow the relevant plans to try to locate them. Staff make efforts to contact parents and other relevant individuals to establish the child’s whereabouts. Return home interviews are offered in line with guidance and children are provided with the opportunity to talk about any risks they may have encountered. Staff use these conversations to help children understand the dangers associated with these incidents and to support them in developing strategies to keep themselves safe in the future.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place. This helps assure leaders that there are safe adults working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and professionals speak highly of the manager and the quality of care provided to children. The manager is committed to seeking appropriate support for children and making referrals for specialist services when necessary. This contributes to meeting children’s individual needs. The manager is supported by a responsible individual who spends time at the home and monitors practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

However, there are shortfalls in managers’ oversight of children’s care. There is a lack of curiosity and analysis around significant events, and records relating to these are not always clear and/or comprehensive. On one occasion, the manager reviewed a serious incident that he was involved in. This limits leaders’ capacity to provide objective oversight. Additionally, the manager has not consistently notified the regulator of serious incidents, which limits external oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s review of the quality of care provided, as required by regulation, has not been timely and does not clearly identify areas for development. This hinders the manager’s ability to reflect on children’s care and is a missed opportunity to enhance outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all staff have completed the required qualification within the expected timescales, and the manager has not taken sufficient steps to address delays or identify a timelier solution. Furthermore, the manager does not consistently ensure that staff complete their mandatory training promptly. This has the potential to impact the quality of care provided and hinder staff’s understanding of children’s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although multi-agency meetings take place, the manager has not obtained records or minutes of these meetings. This limits staff’s ability to access full and accurate information, which could affect decision-making and care planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff report feeling well supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision and the manager promotes reflective practice to help staff think critically about their work and the impact on children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 5 The manager has made improvements in how he assesses staff’s suitability during their probationary period. Decisions are now based on clearer evidence of competence, skills and knowledge. This helps ensure that staff are prepared for their new roles and are carrying them out effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff meetings take place regularly and provide a valuable forum for sharing information, reflecting on practice and discussing the needs of children. There are clear and detailed records of discussions, which helps ensure consistency of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

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; 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) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 23 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 22 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 7 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff have completed training that has been assigned to them and that staff complete the appropriate qualification within the 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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 28 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 8 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a))

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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

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

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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)(c)(e)) 23 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, that incidents provide the reader with sufficient detail to enable them to understand the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1259178 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solid Global Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Astor House, 282 Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield B74 2UG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Octovus Muchemenye

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Inspector

Chrisoula Contoyianni, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 10 to 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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