Children's Home run by Hazelmont Social Care LTD in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 1 Hazelmont Social Care Ltd

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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 3 children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. They both spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since March 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was found to have serious and widespread concerns following an assurance inspection on 21 January 2026. Ofsted issued 2 compliance notices under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to meet the actions set out in the compliance notice for regulation 12. Leaders and managers have failed to meet all the actions set out in the compliance notice for regulation 13 and this has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, 6 requirements were made. At this inspection, the inspector found that 4 of these requirements have been met. One recommendation was not considered and will be reviewed as part of the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home now has an acting manager, who has applied to become the registered manager. She does not intend to remain as manager on a permanent basis. The organisation continues to recruit for a permanent manager. There is an application in progress for the responsible individual. This had led to some improved consistency in leadership and management arrangements. However, it is not yet clear when the management arrangements will change again. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 2 Leaders have taken action to ensure that managers and staff have developed their skills to recognise when children are at risk of harm. Leaders and managers have reviewed previous safeguarding incidents to identify learning. This has provided managers and staff with the opportunity to consider what they could have done differently. This supports them to improve practice in the future.

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This monitoring visit

Clear guidance is now in place for staff to follow in the event of a significant incident. There are improvements in safeguarding guidance and records. This ensures that staff take appropriate action and effectively record information. As a result, when one child went missing, staff took action to keep the child safe. External agencies were informed promptly. This means that the child quickly returned to the home. The child spoke with staff, and they showed professional curiosity to gain the child’s views. However, this incident was not notified to the regulator. This limits some external scrutiny of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager now ensures that children receive support from specialist support agencies in line with their needs. When recent information indicated that a child was misusing substances, this was not shared soon enough with the staff team. The child was not spoken with about the risks of using substances. This does not equip staff and children with the knowledge they need to reduce the risk of harm. Most children’s plans now contain clear and up-to-date information about children’s needs and vulnerabilities. However, one child’s plans do not contain up-to-date information about the risks of exploitation for them. Furthermore, identified actions from a safety meeting, to reduce the risks of exploitation for this child, were incomplete. This limits staff understanding of risks for this child, including information about peers who may increase the risk of children going missing.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to reduce the risk of fire in the home. The actions identified in the home’s fire risk assessment are complete. Staff are now trained in fire safety and know the home’s fire evacuation procedure. One child is no longer smoking in their bedroom. This has been helped by regular room checks and support to the child to understand the risks of fire. When staff found tobacco in the child’s bedroom, they took action to address this. This means that the home is now a safe environment for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made improvements to the home environment. There is a cleaning rota in place so that staff are clear about their responsibilities. Some areas of the home have been redecorated, and broken items have been removed. This creates a more welcoming environment for children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented monitoring tools to improve oversight of the home. Detailed action plans and regular audits ensure that leaders and managers have effective oversight of the quality of care children receive. This means that they now take action to address shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 3 Staff and managers now have the required training to meet children’s individual needs and to help them understand children’s vulnerabilities. This includes training in ADHD, substance abuse, missing and exploitation. This ensures that staff are better informed to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff feel well supported by the manager. Their understanding of safeguarding is reviewed in team meetings and in regular supervision sessions. This supports professional reflection and development.

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This monitoring visit

Children in the home provide positive comments about the care that they receive. They like the staff and say that they feel safe. Staff supported one child to move to semi-independent living. The manager and staff have continued to remain in touch with the child in line with her wishes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2025 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Good 08/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 5

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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(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that they effectively and promptly communicate with staff when there are concerns about children. This prevents staff having the required knowledge to manage risks for children. 26 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2667768 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hazelmont Social Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Midlands House, Gipsy Lane, Willenhall, West Midlands WV13 2HA

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Inspector

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667768 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 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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