Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children's home: 2743853 1 Registered provider: Resicare Alliance Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation operates this home. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection there was one child living at the home. They spent time with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in March 2026. There is no permanent manager appointed to the 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.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2743853 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2025 Full Good 10/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2743853 3

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Summary of findings

Shortfalls in leadership and management and instability in staffing, have reduced the quality of care for children. As a result, children’s experiences of living at this home vary. While managers have considered the suitability of children living together, there are times when the peer dynamics have been problematic. This has led to a high number of behavioural incidents and overall unsettlement for children. Leaders and managers understand the improvements that need to be made and have begun to take action to address these. As a result, the child living at the home is now having a better experience and making progress overall.

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improvement to be good

A local authority has moved two children on from the home, one after just a short period of three months. Managers have reflected on this and identify that more effective communication and partnership working could have improved the children's experiences of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Other children have had a more positive experience and made progress. Staff have helped one child to develop their independence skills; they were able to successfully move into semi-independent living.

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improvement to be good

Staff communication with the child’s school is inconsistent and at times poor. There has been times when school staff have not been informed of important issues for the child. This means that they have not been well prepared to support them. There has been a lack of partnership working to understand and address the barriers to attendance, in a timely way.

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improvement to be good

Children's records include transcripts of the internal ‘team around the child’ meetings. However, these include inaccuracies including the child's name, and informal comments about staff. This forms part of children's records and has not been identified by leaders and managers.

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improvement to be good

The home environment provides a suitable space for the child to live. The child has been supported with their request to move to a larger bedroom, and they have made choices about furniture and décor. Staff promote the child’s keen interest and talent in gardening. As a result, the garden is well equipped with raised beds where the child successfully grows a variety of plants and vegetables.

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improvement to be good

Staff embed structures that help the child to have healthy routines for hygiene, sleep and meals. The child's cultural needs are understood and promoted; this includes access Inspection report children's home: 2743853 4 to a prayer mat and religious texts. Staff are respectful of the child's prayer time and ensure their privacy for this.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to enjoy a variety of activities. Recent highlights have included a trip to the beach, theme parks and go karting, and home-based activities have included baking and board games. A current chess tournament has brought about much fun in the home. As a result, the child is engaging with staff and strengthening relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff do provide guidance to the child that promotes positive behaviour. However, there have been some serious behavioural incidents at the home. This has been exacerbated by poor management of peer dynamics by staff, when more than one child has lived at the home. At times, staff lack confidence, so have an overreliance on managers to instil boundaries and in responding to behaviours. Staff are undergoing additional training and development to increase their confidence and competence.

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improvement to be good

There is an inconsistent approach to managers oversight of incidents. There is a focus on the paperwork, rather than the quality of staff reflection. Furthermore, some records are stored in a disorganised way, so overseeing managers do not readily have access to the full information. This reduces the effectiveness of their oversight and learning.

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improvement to be good

There has been a pattern of allegations at the home. Staff understand the importance of timely reporting, and leaders and managers take each allegation seriously. Information is shared accordingly and processes are followed through to reach a conclusion. There is good partnership working and joint decision making in managing allegations. Furthermore, managers ensure that children receive feedback.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Their plans are comprehensive and updated frequently to reflect current needs and risks. Plans are reviewed and shaped in conjunction with the home’s clinical team. This team also provides therapeutic input to the child, through weekly support sessions. Staff talk to the child about important topics to help them learn about keeping themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

This has been a period of significant instability in leadership and management. There have been two changes of responsible individual, and two registered managers have left the organisation. There is not currently a permanent manager appointed to the home. Senior leaders are actively recruiting to this position.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been changes within the staff team and significant use of staff from other homes and from an external agency. This has affected consistency of children's care and reduced the quality of relationships staff build with children. Staff say that unfamiliar staff at times have contributed to incidents. However, there is now a permanent staff team at the home and use of external staffing has recently ceased. Inspection report children's home: 2743853 5 There is an insufficient number of staff qualified at the home. There is currently only two staff members that are qualified. Two staff have exceeded the regulatory time scale for completion. While several staff are enrolled and making progress, this does reduce the overall expertise of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been drift in the child’s care planning. Furthermore, the child has received inconsistent messages about this, leaving them uncertain about their future. This is not in line with the home’s model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is being overseen by two registered managers from the organisations other homes. This is an effective arrangement that is resulting in stabilisation and upskilling of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

As a result of the organisation’s staff survey, the home’s induction plan has been enhanced. There is a comprehensive training offer for staff, and staff now have plans in place to support their on-going development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

While there have been shortfalls in the frequency and quality of supervision, covering managers have now provided comprehensive supervision to all staff. Furthermore, all supervisors are scheduled to attend enhanced supervision training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior leaders have maintained an active presence at the home. The home is being closely monitored by the organisation’s quality assurance and business development teams. Senior leaders are aware of the shortfalls and are taking action to address these, some actions are already underway. However, as this is in its infancy, the impact and sustainability are not yet assessed. Inspection report children's home: 2743853 6

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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, 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 11(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to all staff having the skills to build and sustain trusted relationships with children and meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to managers ensuring that children are suitable to live together and that any conflicts are managed effectively. 28 August 2026

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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— 28 August 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2743853 7 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is a permanent manager appointed to the home. Furthermore, ensuring that the home is operated in accordance with the home’s model of care and that children understand their care plans.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to managers ensuring that there is a consistent workforce to provide sustained good quality care to children.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to managers having effective oversight of children's experiences, to develop the quality of care and make continuous improvements.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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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)(d)) 28 August 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2743853 8 This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they sustain effective communication and partnership working with professionals involved in children's lives.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that there are a sufficient number of suitably qualified staff working at the home. Furthermore, that staff undertaking qualifications make timely progress towards completion in the required timescales. 28 August 2026

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Recommendations

 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) Inspection report children's home: 2743853 9

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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 children's home: 2743853 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Resicare Alliance Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Inspector

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2743853 11 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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