Children's Home run by Stepping Stones Care (Midlands 1) Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 1 Registered provider: Stepping Stones Care (Midlands 1) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The 2 children living at the home were seen by the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 10 and 11 December 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 26/04/2023 Full Inadequate 26/05/2022 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from staff who understand their needs and provide calm, nurturing and consistent care. Consequently, they make good progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful thought is given to the way that children move into and out of the home. One child has moved from the home since the last inspection. The move was planned and supported by staff, and as a result, the child felt positive and valued. The child remains in regular contact, reflecting the strong, trusting relationships built with both the registered manager and the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress with their learning. The staff work well with educational professionals, and this contributes to the progress children make. For example, one child has received the support he needed to improve his predicted grades. When children experience barriers to accessing education, managers advocate for them in the way a good parent would. As a result, one child whose education was being provided via a tutor coming to the home has recently taken up a school place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy taking part in a variety of activities both within the home and the community. They are supported to try new experiences that enable them to be active and have fun. During the inspection, one child was observed with staff playing football in the garden. The child said his experience of living in the home is ‘1 million out of 10’, reflecting his sense of happiness and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in comfortable and nurturing surroundings. The home has recently been extended into the adjoining property, providing children with a spacious, well-maintained and child-friendly environment. An innovative ‘regulation zone’ has recently been added to the physical environment to give children space to develop their self ‑ regulation skills. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and photos of the children are displayed in communal areas. This helps children feel valued and contributes to them feeling proud of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals speak positively about the quality of care provided to children. During the inspection, one professional described a child as ‘happy and comfortable with staff’, adding that ‘It felt like the child was loved and well cared for.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A therapeutic model of care underpins the support provided to children and helps to ensure that staff respond to children in a consistent and informed way and that children are encouraged to express their views about their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 4 Children’s plans are subject to ongoing review. This ensures that staff have access to accurate and current information about children’s care. This contributes to a consistent approach to safeguarding, which helps children to feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff have a good understanding of each child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities, which enables them to provide appropriate, individualised support to children. Children have a consistent daily routine, which provides structure and predictability and they benefit from the stability that this gives them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are appropriately trained in the use of physical intervention. On occasions when interventions have been necessary to keep children safe, these have been used only as a last resort. Staff respond with a nurturing approach and a focus on repairing relationships quickly. The registered manager ensures oversight of these incidents and ensures that reflective practice informs learning.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are helped to keep safe online. Staff have a good understanding of online risks and educate children on how they can keep themselves safe. There are safe systems in place to reduce and identify risks. As a result, children have safer online experiences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Allegations about staff are professionally managed. Investigations are appropriately undertaken and information is shared with external agencies to ensure timely action. This promotes children’s safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and clinical team have worked to upskill staff to understand their roles and responsibilities in caring for and safeguarding children in line with the providers model of care. Overall, this has had a positive impact for children, with staff managing incidents well. However, on one occasion, a lapse in supervision placed a child at risk of harm and resulted in police involvement. This incident could have been avoided. A thorough response by the registered manager supported staff to engage in reflective learning to reduce risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the children well and is proud of their achievements. She is highly aspirational for children and is motivated to secure the best for them. She is a strong advocate and is committed to ensuring that children consistently receive the care, support and opportunities they deserve. The registered manager is actively involved in children’s lives and promotes the home’s model of care, ensuring that children’s needs are understood and that their wishes and feelings remain central to decision ‑ making. As a result, children experience care that is responsive, nurturing, and firmly focused on supporting their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a clear vison for the home and is highly respected by the team, who say that she creates a positive culture. Staff feel well supported and heard, and say that this contributes to a genuinely homely environment where children are Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 5 happy. When an incident occurred that negatively impacted staff, managers responded promptly to help ensure that risk was mitigated for everyone in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to a range of relevant training and benefit from regular practice supervision. Team meetings and training focus on enhancing the skills of staff to maintain care tailored to meet children’s individual needs. In addition, the use of research-based practice by staff is actively promoted by the registered manager. For example, a child was supported to explore topics such as the impact of self ‑ criticism on the brain, and as a result developed greater insight into how to manage their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals involved with the children are highly complimentary about the commitment shown by the team in meeting children’s needs. The registered manager works exceptionally well with other professionals and prioritises a collaborative approach. One professional highlighted that the positive relationships have enabled excellent partnership working and make the home their child’s safe space.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations raised as a result of this inspection.

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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 for children’s home: 2629230 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stepping Stones Care (Midlands 1) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Camomile House, 6 Embassy Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 1TP

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kirsty Johnson-Green

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Inspector

Sharon Douglas, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2629230 7 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. 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

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Inspector

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 .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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

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