Children's Home run by Solve Housing Limited in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679735 1 Registered provider: Solve Housing Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. She is registered to manage two homes.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2025

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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: 2679735 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good 19/06/2023 Full Good 06/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2679735 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child lives in the home and shared their experiences with the inspector. The child said they trust the staff and one of the best things about the home is the food. Children benefit from care planning that supports their individual journeys. Since the last inspection, two children have returned to live with their families in line with their plans. New children are welcomed warmly to help them settle. However, one child had to move on quickly following a serious incident that compromised safety. Throughout this challenging time, the welfare of all children remained the priority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make some progress from their starting points and share positive relationships with staff. In addition, positive behaviour is promoted through achievable targets and incentives, helping children build self-belief.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests are well supported. One child enjoys gaming and going for bike rides with the staff. Another child’s love for football was embraced because staff arranged for them to be the team mascot for their favourite football team, which was an exciting and memorable experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised. When children do not have school placements, staff provide educational activities at home alongside support from home tutors. One child, who had not accessed education for four years, made some academic progress through engagement with a home tutor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well supported. Staff ensure that children attend routine and specialist appointments and work closely with external agencies, including substance misuse services and therapists. This coordinated approach promotes good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is clean and generally well maintained, though some areas require repair. Dents in the fridge door, damaged wall plaster and ripped chair fabric detract from the otherwise homely feel. Plans are in place to address these issues, and some action was taken during the visit. However, further work is needed to ensure that children can be proud of their home.

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

Safeguarding practice is robust. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and the specific risks they face. Incidents are well managed, and staff are attuned to changes in children’s behaviours that may indicate escalating risk. Information-sharing with safeguarding partners is timely and effective, with regular multi-agency meetings held to review safety plans and develop new strategies to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679735 4 Children feel listened to. One child reported feeling safer in the home following the departure of a peer whose behaviour had impacted negatively on them. Staff acted quickly, and the child’s social worker was satisfied with the steps taken to increase safety.

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

A particular strength of the home is the direct work undertaken with children to help them make safer choices. Staff have important conversations with the children, and they have opportunities to engage with ‘alternative routes’ programmes, which include topics such as youth violence, knife crime and exploitation. This proactive approach helps children reflect on their decisions, understand consequences and build resilience.

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

When children go missing or fail to return home on time, staff follow agreed joint protocols and work closely with safeguarding partners, including the police, to ensure their safe return. These coordinated responses are helping to keep children safer.

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

Restraint is used infrequently and only as a last resort. When used, staff support children to reflect on the incident, and learning is shared to improve practice. However, the duration of restraint is not consistently recorded, limiting the manager’s ability to fully evaluate its use.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a dedicated manager who leads by example. She is supported by a deputy manager and an experienced responsible individual, who is regularly present in the home. Together, they are a strong leadership team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The culture of the home is focused on achieving positive outcomes for children. Staff hold the manager’s leadership in high regard and share her enthusiasm for supporting children with complex needs. Staff are resilient and there is a strong sense of teamwork and unity among staff, which contributes to a safe and nurturing environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is effective. Leaders have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development, enabling them to maintain a well-rounded view of children’s experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work proactively with external agencies to safeguard children and meet their needs. Leaders are confident in challenging decisions that are not in children’s best interests. A social worker spoke positively about the manager’s commitment to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and focus on reflection and learning, helping staff to continually improve their practice to benefit children. Staff development is prioritised, and staff complete a varied training programme, including bespoke training tailored to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly supervision provides staff with regular opportunities to reflect on their practice and receive ongoing support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679735 5

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

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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Recommendations

 Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive to children. They should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  Records of restraint must be kept and detail the duration of the restraint to help the registered person effectively review the use of the restraint. The review should provide the opportunity for amending staff practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2679735 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solve Housing Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 3000, 123 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 3ND

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Inspector

Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679735 7 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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