Children's Home, Residential special school run by Overley Hall Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 1 SC020558 Registered provider: Overley Hall Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 22 children with severe learning disabilities, sensory impairments and autism. At the time of the inspection, 15 children were living at the home. The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025 and is experienced and suitably qualified.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is situated on the same site as a special school. A separate residential home for young adults, registered with the Care Quality Commission, is on the school grounds. The inspector only inspected the children’s social care provision at this site.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to complaints received by Ofsted. The complaints included concerns about medication arrangements for children and staffing. During the visit, inspectors spent time with all of the children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Arrangements for children’s medication are safe. There are new systems in place such as digital handovers with the children’s school. School use the same systems to avoid errors and inconsistency. There are safe arrangements for the storage, administration and recording of medication.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Managers and staff are curious and vigilant about medication. On one occasion they found missing medication for one child on the school bus. The registered manager reported this to the child’s school who completed an investigation. Yet, they were Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 2 not aware of the outcome and have not escalated this. The manager is unaware of what measures are in place to prevent reoccurrence.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff know children well and understand their needs. They celebrate children’s progress. Some children are learning new skills such as eating with cutlery. Some have improved speech and ways of communicating. Staff are enabling children to make choices through an array of communication methods.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children are receiving consistent care. However, half the staff team are not qualified or experienced to work with children. The registered manager ensures that there is a suitable balance where possible. There is regular use of agency workers who are familiar to children. The home does not plan to admit any more children until they expand and develop the staff team.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager follows rigorous safer recruitment processes. This includes agency staff and ensures that children receive care by adults who are safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Overall, the home environment is child focused, and children’s needs are well considered. There is an emphasis on providing children with a homely environment. However, in some children’s bedrooms, the heating was not suitable. The provider took action to rectify an error in the home’s heating system during the visit.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children’s privacy is not always respected. During night-time, for their safety, staff observe one child on a video monitor. In the morning, when the child is awake the monitor is turned off. But this does not always happen, which infringes on the child’s right to privacy. Another child’s bedroom window covering requires improvement.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are not detailed and thorough. One child who makes ligatures is able to access a light cord in their bathroom. This has not been risk assessed and could put the child’s safety at risk.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There has been one incident when a child went missing. This was because staff did not provide them with appropriate supervision. The child remained in the home’s external grounds and staff located them quickly. However, the home’s missing from home policy does not align with the child’s level of need and risk. This has potential to confuse staff regarding what action they should take when a child goes missing. This could compromise children’s safety.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good 30/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2023 Full Good 01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 4

p.3

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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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 (Regulation 5 (a))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the legal status of children is thoroughly explored, considered and understood when making decisions about the children who live at the home, in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 26 March 2026

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 26 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 5 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.4

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is adequately risk assessed. There should be consideration of children’s needs, and appropriate safeguards implemented. They should also take into account the level of vulnerability for each child when identifying action staff should take if a child goes missing.

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive safeguarding children training, as well as any additional training, to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of all the children in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 26 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 6 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff follow risk assessments in place for the monitoring and surveillance of children. They should also continuously seek to improve and promote children’s privacy wherever possible and safe to do so. 26 March 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff caring for the children achieve a relevant qualification within a specified time frame. 26 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.6

R ecommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they escalate with other professionals the outcome of any investigation after concerns about children’s safety and welfare have arisen. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)

p.7

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Overley Hall Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Overley Hall School, Overley, Telford, Shropshire TF6 5HE

p.8

Inspectors

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020558 9 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.

p.8

Inspectors

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 . 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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9