Children's Home run by Dimensions Care Limited in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 1 Registered provider: Dimensions Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022; she is away from work currently. The interim manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025. She is currently enrolled on a relevant level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside of the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

On 17 June 2025, a full inspection identified serious and widespread concerns relating to the care and protection of children. A restriction notice and three compliance notices were served on 17 June 2025 under regulations 12, 13 and 25 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s progress in addressing the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken effective steps to improve fire safety within the home. Fire risks are now better understood and managed by staff, who have recently completed refresher training and are confident in discussing the daily fire safety checks they carry out. Practical changes, such as replacing a gas hob with a Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 2 new induction hob, have further reduced the risk of a fire being started. This contributes to maintaining a safe environment for children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken effective action to address previous safeguarding shortfalls. Staff have accessed targeted training, including in child criminal exploitation, physical intervention and safeguarding. Staff say that this training has strengthened their practice and increased their confidence in managing safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken proactive steps to strengthen placement decision- making by commissioning bespoke training to support managers in assessing the needs of children moving into the home. Although the training has not yet been completed, arrangements are in place and there is clear evidence of a commitment from senior directors to ensuring that decision-making processes are underpinned by a well-informed and child-centred rationale.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, children’s risk assessments and care plans have improved. Leaders and managers have introduced a revised format that enhances staff and children’s understanding. Plans are now individualised, clearly identifying known risks and outlining how these are managed. They also provide detailed guidance on how staff support children to meet their needs effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring systems have improved oversight of the care children receive and the management of significant incidents. The provider has recognised that the current electronic recording system does not fully meet the needs of staff and managers. As a result, a consultant has been commissioned to review the system and identify improvements to ensure that records are accurate, accessible and support effective managerial oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices have been met and are no longer in place. The restriction notice remains in place until the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/06/2025 Full Inadequate 05/03/2025 Full Good 12/03/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that effective action is taken following any safeguarding concerns, that children’s plans are kept up to date and staff are given clear direction to support children. 5 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 5 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

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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.

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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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of all incidents and take action to address any concerns. Additionally, they must ensure staff have the relevant skills and abilities to meet the needs of the children living in the home. 5 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate; 5 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 6 is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children have access to all areas of the home.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children have a positive experience arriving and moving on from the home. They must also ensure that there is an effective process in place to ensure that children are suitably assessed to live in the home. 5 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ensure that staff— 5 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 7 ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b) (i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each child’s voice is captured in their care planning and they are supported to express their views and wishes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 8 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and 5 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 9 that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children have a clear education plan and children’s educational needs are consistently prioritised. Staff and managers must find creative ways of engaging children in education to prepare them for independence.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure the home is a safe place for children to live. 5 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is in good repair and presents a homely and nurturing environment in which children can thrive. 5 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 10

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dimensions Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Harold Sharp Ltd, Unit 5, Brooklands Place, Brooklands Road, Sale M33 3SD

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Shanice Jackson, Keshia Toolsee

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Inspectors

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Louise Naylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2686902 12 and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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