Children's Home run by Sherlock Healthcare Services Ltd in Solihull

Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 1 Registered provider: Sherlock Healthcare Services Ltd

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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 private company and was registered with Ofsted in 2022. It provides care for up to seven children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. All three children were present and spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since May 2025. A new manager has been recruited but is yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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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 inadequate

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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: 2630680 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 3

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improvement to be good

The leadership and management of the home lacks consistency and is weak. Shortfalls in leadership and managements impact on children’s overall experiences.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home in a planned way. Two children have recently moved into the home. Children’s experiences and progress are mixed. While some children have made satisfactory progress in certain areas of their lives, they have not consistently received the help and care they need.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff have attempted to implement boundaries and educate children about risks. However, these efforts have often been ineffective, leaving staff unable to manage the risks associated with children’s time in the community and, in turn, in the home. This has implications for the safety and welfare of both staff and children.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean, tidy and well presented. It is evident that children live in the home, with toys and games available in the communal areas. While there are efforts to create a homely environment, these are undermined by certain features, such as children’s photographs not being placed in frames and televisions being housed in locked units. These elements detract from the overall sense of a caring and nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

Children report having positive relationships with staff and the manager. Staff support children to maintain contact with the people who are important to them, including by providing transport when needed. This helps children feel valued and reinforces that they have caring and consistent adults in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education. For some children, school attendance has improved significantly, which is supporting their educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to develop age-appropriate independence skills and lead healthy lifestyles. Children are involved in preparing nutritious meals and are encouraged to keep their bedrooms tidy. They are also supported to spend time in communal areas to help build positive relationships with others. These experiences help children develop confidence in their abilities and foster a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and are aware of children’s vulnerabilities. However, their ability to safeguard effectively is hindered by care plans that lack relevant and accurate information. For some children, plans are Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 4 missing, incomplete, outdated, contain inaccuracies, or lack coherence. This compromises staff’s ability to provide safe and consistent care and reflects weak management oversight.

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improvement to be good

There has been a recent reduction in one child’s missing episodes. When children go missing from the home, staff usually take action to locate and collect them and at times have arranged for a taxi. However, there are significant issues with the reporting and recording of missing-from-home incidents, with records being significantly delayed and, as a result, oversight by the manager also delayed.

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improvement to be good

In addition, one child is frequently missing from the home. Challenges arising from the commissioned return home service have not been appropriately escalated by the provider. As a result, patterns and trends in missing-from-home incidents are not identified, and associated risks cannot be fully understood. This represents a missed opportunity to identify potential shortfalls in staff practice and any follow-up work needed to support the child. Consequently, the child remains vulnerable to harm, and the effectiveness of risk management strategies is reduced.

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improvement to be good

The management team has not always notified Ofsted of significant events, and some notifications have been delayed. Although prompt action was taken to safeguard children following incidents or to investigate allegations against staff, this information was not shared with Ofsted as required. Additionally, records of significant incidents are not consistently maintained on internal systems. This compromises both internal and external oversight of safeguarding practice within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Frequent changes to the leadership and management team have resulted in significant shortfalls and instability within the home. There has been no registered manager at the home since October 2023. Since the last inspection, there have been three different managers, which has disrupted the continuity of care and oversight. Although the current manager demonstrates a vision for improvement, he is newly appointed and faces considerable challenges due to the legacy of poor management. The ongoing changes in leadership have had a destabilising effect on both children and staff, undermining the development of a safe and consistent environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers and leaders do not have effective oversight of the home. The systems in place for management, monitoring and review are ineffective and fail to ensure accountability. Significant incidents routinely lack managerial scrutiny, which limits opportunities to learn from practice, identify staff support needs, or implement measures to reduce and manage risk. This failure in oversight compromises the safety and well-being of children and undermines the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers and leaders have acknowledged weaknesses within the leadership team and have taken some steps to address them, including employing a consultant to Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 5 strengthen leadership across the organisation. However, the consultant was not fully aware of the specific concerns identified by Ofsted, limiting the effectiveness of this intervention. Although some changes have been made since the last inspection, managers have failed to take sufficient action to meet all the requirements. Several shortfalls remain unaddressed and have been repeated. These ongoing failures have the potential to compromise children’s safety and demonstrate a lack of effective leadership and accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An independent visitor completes monthly external monitoring of the home. While there is an attempt to evaluate safeguarding and leadership arrangements, the effectiveness of these visits is significantly hindered by poor internal recording systems. Furthermore, the independent person does not consistently engage with all children or seek their views. As a result, external monitoring lacks the depth and insight needed to drive meaningful improvements in the quality of care and safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are provided with training intended to support their care of children. However, records show that some staff have completed an excessive amount of training in a single day, which undermines the quality and effectiveness of learning. As a result, staff do not consistently develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required to meet children’s needs safely and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are regularly attended and include child-focused discussions alongside other relevant agenda items. However, individual staff supervision is inconsistent and lacks structure. This creates an unpredictable working environment and limits opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, receive guidance and develop professionally. The absence of regular supervision also reduces managerial oversight of staff performance and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite inconsistent and weak management, staff report feeling supported and able to approach managers when needed. They recognise that some improvements have been made and are aware of areas where further development is required to enhance the quality of care. Staff remain motivated and committed to improving outcomes for children. However, this positive attitude is not yet underpinned by effective leadership or consistent practice, limiting its impact on the overall quality of care. Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 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

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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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents are reviewed promptly to identify shortfalls in practice, and that clear, time-bound action plans are implemented to address these. This includes ensuring that the manager maintains a clear and accurate record of the actions taken in response to safeguarding concerns. Additionally, the registered person must ensure that all requirements from previous inspections are reviewed and addressed effectively, with demonstrable improvements made. 22 August 2025

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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. 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 7 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

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with up-to-date, relevant and role-specific guidance to enable them to recognise risks effectively and take appropriate action to keep children safe.

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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 any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all serious and significant incidents are notified to Ofsted within the required timescales, in accordance with regulation. Failure to do so limits external oversight and undermines the safeguarding of children. 22 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 8 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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c ) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 22 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 9 Where this does not occur, the registered person should advocate on the child’s behalf to ensure they receive the support and services to which they are entitled. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision provides a structured and supportive space for staff to reflect on their own well-being, children’s progress, safeguarding concerns, and professional development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff have access to appropriate facilities

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Recommendations

and resources to support their training and development needs. Leaders should recognise the key role they play in promoting a culture of continuous learning within the home. The manager should ensure that training is delivered at a pace that enables staff to absorb and apply their learning effectively. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2630680 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherlock Healthcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite LP38724, 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Hilton Mutariswa

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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2630680 11 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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