Children's home run by South West Childcare Services

Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 1 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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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 owned by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the previous inspection, two children have moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2025 Full Good 26/02/2024 Full Outstanding 15/03/2023 Full Outstanding 07/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Over the last five months, the children in this home have made substantial progress in significant areas of their lives. This extremely positive progress gives them every opportunity to reach their potential and enhance their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since moving to the home, both children, who had been out of school for months or years, now attend every day and have made progress academically. For one child, their attendance and engagement have now led to them being enrolled for GCSEs. Staff work closely with schools so that any additional help, such as additional tutoring through pupil premium, is in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s physical and emotional health have improved. Where children have suffered from cumulative neglect, staff prioritise children’s health needs so that they get the help they need, such as dental treatment. When specialist support is needed, this is considered carefully and sensitively so that children feel able to benefit from it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s emotional progress has been pivotal in them starting to confide in and trust the adults who care for them. In turn, this has helped children make the right choices when they feel under pressure or distressed. Effective, bespoke training and guidance enable staff to have a sophisticated understanding of children’s needs, so that they can meet children’s needs in a caring way. Staff’s responses help children through difficult times so that children can learn positively from their own experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from positive daily experiences, whether this is going about usual routines and simple activities, or enjoying adventure trips out. Staff enjoy caring for children and want the best for them, and this is evident in their warm engagement and relationships with children. Children enjoy nutritious home-cooked food and eat together as a family would. As one parent said, the home is a ‘happy’ place to be. An independent reviewing officer said that the child is learning to reconnect with their childhood and that she could not be more pleased with the progress the child has made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to take up and maintain hobbies and interests. For example, one child regularly goes to football training and matches, and another to pony club. This is in addition to a range of activities and fun things that children enjoy. Children’s friendships are encouraged, and they invite their friends for sleepovers. Children’s experiences and daily routines are beautifully captured in memory books that contain photos and narrative to help children remember their time in the home. Every achievement, however small, is highlighted by staff, reflected back to children in a positive way, and captured in recordings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager has drawn on past learning to plan carefully for children moving in and living alongside each other. This careful planning, and close consideration of children’s needs, has resulted in children living compatibly together. Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 4

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

It is testament to the highly sensitive and trauma-informed care of children that incidents of concern are minimal. Children become safer as a result of living in this home. Children who have previously gone missing from their home, or needed physical intervention to keep them safe, have not had these experiences in this home. Risks are analysed extremely well with effectively managed plans in place, which are informed by children’s wishes and feelings. Safeguarding issues are closely monitored, so the manager can identify patterns if necessary. Staff go out of their way to support supervised family time and help make this a positive experience. As a result, relationships with family and friends are improved.

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

When concerns arise, staff have clear contingency plans and safeguarding matters are escalated appropriately to social workers and relevant professionals.

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

Children receive the help they need for their health conditions, and medication is safely administered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The skilled and experienced registered manager has confident expectations of a high standard of care for children. Guidance, instruction and support to staff to enable them to meet this standard is achieved through positive communication and a motivated, dedicated and stable staff team. As a result, children are making remarkable progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers ensure that team meetings are meaningful. They are well attended and regular. Children’s progress, their views, research-informed practice and important aspects of running the home are all thoroughly discussed so that the team gives children the best help they can. Supervision is regular, and records demonstrate effective support and challenge. On rare occasions, children’s written records contain language that does not reflect the caring and empathetic way in which staff respond to children. The manager has addressed this with the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The importance of advocating for children is central to the manager’s communications with professionals in securing the right help and support for children. The manager has challenged professionals effectively to plan for children’s short- and long-term goals, so that children are given every opportunity to benefit from a stable home and have their views heard. Planning for children’s financial futures is also prioritised, so that children have savings for when they reach adulthood, and that they receive all the money they are entitled to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback to the inspector from professionals, foster carers and parents spoken to during the inspection was overwhelmingly positive about how children are supported, the excellent communication and the joyful home that it is. Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 5 The communal areas of the home and garden are immaculately clean, well maintained and welcoming, with children enjoying ‘lived-in’ bedrooms that are full of their personal belongings and cherished items. Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 6

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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. (‘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: 1268518 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1268518 8 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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