Children's Home run by Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 1 Registered provider: Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a small private organisation and provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the previous inspection, one child has moved out and one has moved in. At the time of the inspection, two children lived at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 3

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently support children in developing and maintaining positive routines. Planners are not sufficiently detailed to provide clarity about a child’s daily routine and are not updated when there are changes to the planned activity. As a result, when children have had little to occupy them, their behaviours have escalated which has led to incidents in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate the ability to build nurturing and positive relationships with children. Leaders ensure that staff receive relevant information about children from the point of admission, enabling them to work more effectively in meeting individual needs. A professional praised the staff for maintaining a caring and empathetic approach during challenging situations. The children spoken to during the inspection said that they enjoy spending time with staff, reflecting the strength of these relationships.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and staff meet children’s health needs effectively. All the children are registered with the appropriate health services, and when additional support is required, leaders take action to facilitate access. The manager has recently advocated for a child to receive input from external mental health services, resulting in improved emotional well- being.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively support children to participate in meaningful and regular activities. The organisation has recently appointed a dedicated activity coordinator, who promotes physical activity among children. One child has begun swimming and, over time, has increased the distance they are able to swim. This has had a positive effect on their physical health, including observable weight loss.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and staff provide effective support to young people moving on to live independently. One child received a tailored independence package, which developed their understanding of money management, personal goals, identity and legal rights. This young person has now successfully moved into their own home and continues to benefit from ongoing staff support. The young person reported feeling well prepared and valued as a result of this assistance.

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improvement to be good

Improvements have been made to the home environment. Leaders and staff have refurbished the lounge and children’s bedrooms. Areas identified for redecoration are currently being addressed by the maintenance team.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently respond appropriately to complex behaviours. On one occasion, a staff member failed to act in accordance with a child’s presenting needs, resulting in an Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 4 escalation that led to the use of physical intervention. While there was management oversight of this incident in the written record, there was no clear evidence that this incident was followed up by the manager or responsible individual. Consequently, it is not evident how leaders assured themselves that the staff member remained safe and suitable to work in the home.

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improvement to be good

Records of missing-from-home incidents and consequences lack detail and clarity, making it difficult to ascertain the actions taken by staff during such incidents. Consequently, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of any actions taken, and whether children could be better safeguarded.

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improvement to be good

Consequences implemented are fair and proportionate. Leaders and staff ensure that any measures taken are relevant to the behaviour presented. Feedback from children is sought and used to assess the effectiveness of these responses. This provides children with improved opportunities to reflect and learn from their actions.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond well to unauthorised absences and incidents where children go missing from the home. They remain vigilant and take immediate action to follow children who leave the home. Follow-up discussions are consistently held to support children’s understanding of risks and to promote safety in the community. As a result of these practices, the number of reported missing-from-home incidents remains low.

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improvement to be good

Leaders have established effective systems to support children who present with self- harming behaviours. Risk management plans are clear and contain relevant guidance for staff to follow. These proactive strategies have contributed to a low number of self-harm incidents in the home.

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

There are gaps in mandatory training across the staff and leadership teams. Several staff members, including leaders, have not completed refresher training in fire safety, despite fire-related behaviours being a known risk for one child currently living in the home. The operations manager has responded by arranging for staff to complete this training imminently.

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

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025. Staff speak positively about the support she provides. One team member commented to the inspector, ‘Since [name of manager] has become manager, the home has become more organised.’ This reflects the positive impact the manager is having on the day-to-day running of the home.

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

Staffing has improved since the last inspection. Recent recruitment efforts have strengthened consistency across the team. As a result, staff are more able to establish and maintain positive relationships with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 5 Leaders actively promote staff development. Each team member receives a personalised development plan, setting out individual goals and areas for progression. One staff member has recently been supported to take on the role of deputy manager, demonstrating the commitment to internal progression and professional advancement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 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 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 29 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 7 provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children to form good routines.

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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

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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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they review staff practice during incidents to ensure that they have responded appropriately. The registered person must also ensure that staff remain suitably trained for their roles. 29 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 8 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including 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: 2624155 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barn 7, Dunston Business Village, Stafford Road, Penkridge ST18 9AB

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2624155 10 regulates 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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