Children's Home run by Care Perspectives Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 1 Registered provider: Care Perspectives Ltd Full inspection 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 and provides care for up to 8 children with mental health difficulties and/or associated complex needs or with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home was registered in December 2017. The registered manager is suitably experienced and holds the relevant qualification. They registered with Ofsted on 19 October 2023.

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Information about this children's home

Five children were in living in the home at the time of inspection, two children shared their views with the inspector.

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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 for children's home: 1263977 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2025 Full Good 16/05/2023 Full Good 06/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, 5 children were living in the home. Since the previous inspection, 4 new children have moved in and 2 have moved on. The needs of one child were not fully considered before they joined the home. Known risks were not explored, and leaders did not consider how all children could live together safely. As a result, significant incidents occurred in the home, impacting several children and placing them in risky situations. In contrast, when other children moved in, these were more positive moves and children settled well.

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improvement to be good

More recently, children have had some poor experiences as staff have not been able to support children to have positive relationships with one another. There have been occasions where a child felt frightened by another child and children have been influenced adversely by other children. During other periods since the previous inspection, this has not been the case, and children have had positive times together.

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improvement to be good

When children move on from the home, they are supported with their next steps and typically experience well ‑ planned moves. One child received preparatory support to help them develop the skills needed for independent living. Another child stepped down successfully to foster care following a carefully paced move that took account of their wishes and feelings. Children are provided with handmade memory books that celebrate and document their achievements and experiences in the home.

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improvement to be good

All children are in education and making progress from their starting points. Some children have overcome substantial barriers to learning and are now engaging well and forming meaningful friendships. There is a strong emphasis on supporting children to access education that meets their individual needs and future goals. One child is learning to drive to support their future vocational opportunities when they move on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children's health needs and promote healthy lifestyles. Children are encouraged to eat nutritious meals and engage in physical activity. Since the last inspection, an artificial grass football pitch and a table tennis table – requested by children – have been installed. All children are also able to attend weekly sessions with the in ‑ house therapist to support their emotional health.

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improvement to be good

Children's significant relationships are valued and nurtured. Some children have moved a considerable distance from their families, and the manager works hard to develop and maintain these important connections. One family member told the inspector: 'They have got to know and understand our child. They really are amazing. Our child is really happy, and they are incredible with us as well.' Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 4

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improvement to be good

Not all children have consistently felt safe in the home. Recent serious incidents have impacted adversely on children. Managers and staff have not been skilled to meet each individual child’s needs and manage risk. For some children this has meant them becoming involved and influenced by others, and for others they have experienced bullying and disruption. For example, staff’s actions did not prevent children entering another child’s bedroom and experiencing conflict.

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improvement to be good

Known risks are not always managed well and mitigated. Particularly in one circumstance, staff were not given sufficient instruction and guidance to inform their care of children. This meant that risks were not managed, resulting in poor experiences. Information that was available at the point a child moved in had not been considered to inform the quality of care. It was only recently that managers recognised this and took action to address the shortfall. In other examples, staff are clear on how to safely care and manage risk for children.

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improvement to be good

Ways in which staff support children with their emotions and behaviour is not consistent with the statement of purpose. For one child were restraint is not deemed appropriate there is a lack of alternative strategies to support the child and keep others safe. On occasions, staff use restraint techniques that are not an approved method and staff are not trained in them. Managers have identified this, and a shortfall in the quality of records and addressed this with the team. Incident are shared promptly with relevant professionals.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand how to respond to missing ‑ from ‑ home incidents. They follow children's individual protocols and take appropriate action. Incidents are promptly recorded and subject to managerial oversight. The manager has developed strong relationships with families and other professionals, which helps to locate children quickly. Staff take proactive steps to reduce risks when they know that children's peers in other settings have gone missing.

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improvement to be good

However, there was a shortfall when a child was able to leave the home without staff's knowledge. Although the child remained at the front of the home, staff were only alerted to their absence by a member of the public.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with staff and can confidently identify trusted adults they would turn to if they were worried or upset. They understand how to make a Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 5 complaint and feel assured that they will be listened to and taken seriously. One the rare occasions that children raise concern about staff practice, leaders ensure that investigations are detailed and completed promptly, with all key agencies informed. Children are kept updated throughout the process and informed of the outcome.

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

An experienced and dedicated manager leads the home. Leaders and managers have high expectations for children, and this is evident across the staff team. Staff reported that they enjoy working in the home and feel well supported. Despite this, shortfalls in the quality of care have impacted on children’s experiences.

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

Monitoring systems are not yet consistently effective to evaluate the quality of care. Managers made some poor decisions and care planning with regards a child moving into the home. Staff were not equipped to meet the needs of all children living in the home and manage risk. Subsequently, while some children have made positive progress this has not been consistent.

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

Leaders and managers have not promptly escalated concerns to the placing authorities with effect, to reduce the impact of shortfalls on children. Staff have not been skilled to meet the needs of all children. In addition, shortfalls in in ‑ house plans resulted in some documents containing out ‑ of ‑ date information, despite monthly reviews.

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

Staff receive monthly supervision that is reflective and child ‑ centred. Records are shared with those being supervised and clearly outline discussions and agreed actions to improve practice. Monthly team meetings focus on children's therapeutic needs, and additional meetings are held when required to provide peer support and reinforce learning.

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

All staff have completed mandatory training. They receive additional input from the clinical team and specific training on the home's therapeutic model. Child ‑ specific training is also made available. Staff reported that they feel confident supporting children with neurodiverse needs. Despite this level of training and support, mangers have not made good decisions about the skill of staff to meet all the children’s needs.

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

Children live in a home that is well maintained and thoughtfully presented. They are regularly consulted about the environment, and their ideas are acted upon to support continuous improvement. Maintenance issues are identified promptly and quickly resolved, ensuring that children live in a high ‑ quality, homely environment that they feel proud of.

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

Despite these issues, the manager is continuing to take steps to support the children involved and is working with the placing authority to address concerns and find a solution that meets the needs and promotes the wellbeing of all children in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 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, 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 within 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments consider all known and emerging risks that may compromise the safety of children and staff. They must ensure that measures in place to reduce risk are adequate and that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and have the skills to protect children and prevent them from being harmed. 6 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 6 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 7 receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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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: 1263977 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Care Perspectives Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Mansfield Group, 47 Morris Road, Leicester LE2 6BR

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Inspectors

Joanne Hawkins, Social Care Inspector Emma Hutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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