Children's Home run by Nova Childcare Services Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 1 Registered provider: Nova Childcare Services Ltd

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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 organisation. It provides care for one child who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 22 and 23 September 2025. Serious and widespread failures were found in relation to safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. A compliance notice was issued under Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to review the action taken by the provider to meet the steps in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented a comprehensive action plan effectively to address the identified shortfalls at the last inspection. This has been reviewed regularly and demonstrates the clear actions being taken by the manager and responsible individual to ensure continued improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved their admission processes for children and created assessment plans to support this. The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect that children will no longer move into the home in an emergency. This will support informed decision-making about the child’s needs and the ability of the staff team to meet these. This will enable the child to have a planned move and to receive personalised care.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have created an escalation policy and processes to ensure that any delays in receiving important documents relating to the child from external Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 2 professionals are promptly addressed. This will be reviewed weekly at management meetings to determine whether further action is required.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team are currently undertaking a 10-week training programme to enhance their knowledge and skills. This includes physical intervention training, safeguarding training, and trauma-informed and therapeutic practice. Planned supervision, team meetings and the appointment of a psychologist are helping staff to reflect on their practice. This investment in upskilling the staff team reflects the learning taken by managers from the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed and updated all documentation relating to the child’s care. These ensure a child-focused approach with clear management oversight being visible. This will enable managers to identify any patterns of concern. Feedback from the child will be obtained through weekly meetings and by using bespoke questionnaires. These will be used to improve the quality of care being provided to the child.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have devised new monitoring systems to review the child’s experiences and progress and staff practice. These include weekly and monthly audits of the child’s care, their support plans and any significant incidents, including complaints, allegations, physical interventions and safeguarding. The outcomes of the audits will be reviewed at the weekly managers’ meeting to identify any shortfalls and how these will be addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/09/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 4

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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 must comply with the given timescales.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure children’s support and risk plans are regularly reviewed, read and understood by staff. Also, all staff must receive the necessary training and support to understand children’s evolving needs and the support they require. 16 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 16 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 5 seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure there is clear planning for children moving into and out of the home, which includes liaison with all relevant professionals and receipt of all necessary documentation.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 16 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure staff have the necessary skills to provide children with personalised care. Also, all necessary repairs in the home must be completed promptly and all areas of the home must be appropriately decorated and furnished.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably trained and understand how to use physical interventions safely. Also, the registered person must ensure that children and staff are spoken to following these interventions. 16 November 2025

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nova Childcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 77 Holyhead Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B21 0LG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Taylor

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Inspector

Siân Heffey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2828269 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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