Children's home run by Support and Sustain Care Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 1 Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is also a director in the company. She took on the day-to-day management role in February 2025 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. They were both present and spoken with during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

There has been a significant increase in incidents since the last inspection. This has led to fractured relationships between the children and, on occasions, has resulted in children harming each other. As a result, children said that they do not feel happy or safe living in the home. Managers and staff have not taken effective action to repair relationships, protect children or keep them safe.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Care planning and assessment processes are poor. Managers do not consistently assess the potential impact of children moving into the home on children already living in the home. As a result, decisions are made without full consideration of the compatibility of children’s needs, risks and behaviours. Managers have served notice on one child’s time in the home as they are unable to meet the child’s needs and children have been exposed to harm. Poor planning compromises children’s safety and prevents them from experiencing stability and continuity of care.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff training is ineffective and does not equip staff to meet children’s individual needs or keep them safe. There has been a high number of incidents that staff have struggled to manage. In response, staff have resorted to separating children within the home, with children now living in different areas and internal doors being locked. This reactive and restrictive practice does not demonstrate that staff can safeguard children effectively. Moreover, it undermines children’s sense of safety and belonging in their home environment.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Managers do not work with partner agencies effectively to improve the quality of care received by children. For example, the manager has failed to escalate concerns about one child’s increasing risks and vulnerabilities. There has been a lack of joined up working to try and provide stability for the child. This has compromised children’s safety and well-being.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff respond quickly when children go missing or are away from the home without authority. They search for children and work with the local police until children are found. When children return, staff warmly welcome them. However, when risk has increased, the manager was not aware of and did not follow the local authority’s missing-from-care escalation process. This does not give assurances that the manager is always aware of her safeguarding responsibilities to work with partner agencies to reduce children’s risks.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The home’s physical environment requires improvement. While managers have a plan in place to repair damage caused following incidents, some areas of the home look tired and unkempt. For example, one of the children’s showers was dirty and their bedroom was very untidy, broken blinds and had minimal furniture. This does not provide children with a welcoming and comfortable environment to live in. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 3 The manager takes prompt action when children raise concerns or complaints. She ensures that information is shared with appropriate professionals to ensure that children are protected from harm. However, while the manager does ensure that children are informed of outcomes, both verbally and in writing, the language used in written responses to children is not always therapeutically informed or consistent.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Repeated breaches of regulation undermine confidence in the leadership and management of the home. Despite previous concerns being raised, managers have not taken effective action to secure the necessary improvements to the quality of care. As a result, Ofsted does not have assurance that leaders have the capacity to drive and sustain change. At this inspection, one additional requirement and one recommendation were raised. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/07/2024 Full Inadequate 13/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are equipped with the skills to assess children’s risks effectively and take action to reduce risks to children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This also refers to the registered person’s understanding and the actions to take when she has identified concerns for the safety and welfare of children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 3 October 2025

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 3 October 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 6 promotes their welfare.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

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; and

p.6

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)(d)(e)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the staff have the appropriate knowledge, experience and skills to effectively meet children’s needs. This also relates to the registered person ensuring that if there are concerns about children’s safety she raises this immediately with the local authority.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Part of this requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; and 3 October 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 7 the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(e)(i) (ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when considering admitting new children, managers must ensure that they have fully assessed all the child’s needs and considered the impact that the child will have on the existing children living in the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they are familiar with and follow local authority escalation procedures when children are missing from the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Part of this requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

p.7

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they work in partnership with the placing authority to meet children’s needs and share any concerns in relation to the expectations placed on them. The registered person should be proactive in sourcing services to meet the child’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 3 October 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 8 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is suitably cleaned, maintained and furnished to meet children’s needs. Specifically, children’s bedrooms are comfortably furnished. 3 October 2025

p.8

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 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 is helpful to the child and language used is non-blaming. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 Morrison Avenue, Wolverhampton WV10 9TZ

p.9

Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10