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

Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 1 Registered provider: Hazelmont Social Care LTD

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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 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home. All 3 children were seen by the inspector. Two children spent time talking to the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026. She is currently undertaking her level 5 qualification.

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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: 2654423 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good 14/01/2025 Full Inadequate 07/11/2023 Full Good 14/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 3

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Summary of findings

Children’s experiences of living in the home are inconsistent, the quality of care is not yet fully effective, and improvements are not sufficiently embedded to ensure that all children benefit from positive and sustained outcomes.

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Summary of findings

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and the risks they face. Children are kept safe; however, there are shortfalls in practice that limit the consistency and effectiveness of the care provided.

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Summary of findings

The manager, while new in post, demonstrates a commitment to the home and the children in her care. However, there are shortfalls in monitoring and oversight that limit the effectiveness of the management of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home are inconsistent, and measurable progress is not yet evident for all children. Shortfalls in practice mean that improvements in outcomes are not securely embedded, and some children are not yet benefiting from consistently good care.

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improvement to be good

Two children have recently moved into the home. One child experienced a well-planned move, including a visit to the home and an opportunity to engage in activities with their peer and staff before moving in. This supported the child to begin building relationships and develop a sense of familiarity with the environment.

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improvement to be good

In contrast, one child moved into the home at short notice to ensure their safety. One child already living in the home said that they had not been made aware of the new admission, which caused them uncertainty. This highlights the importance of appropriately preparing and informing children of changes in the home to support their understanding, emotional wellbeing and sense of stability.

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improvement to be good

Leaders did not notify professionals involved in the care of children already living in the home about the admission of the new child or their known vulnerabilities for 2 days. While additional staffing was implemented to help manage risk, this failure to share critical information in a timely manner significantly limited professional oversight. This shortfall had the potential to impact on the safety and wellbeing of children, as it prevented a fully coordinated and informed approach to care planning and risk management.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they enjoy living in the home and are building positive relationships with staff. However, one child said that recent staff changes had led to periods of Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 4 instability for them. This highlights the impact that staffing changes can have on children’s sense of security and the importance of maintaining consistent relationships.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved on successfully after developing increased independence skills. Staff provided both practical and emotional support to help the child prepare for and settle into their new home, promoting a positive and well-supported move on.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a well-maintained and homely environment. They benefit from spacious communal and outdoor areas that provide opportunities to relax and engage in a range of activities. Bedrooms are well furnished and personalised, helping children to feel comfortable and have a sense of ownership of their space. Minor maintenance issues, such as a broken radiator and rubbish in the garden area, were identified. However, these were promptly addressed by the manager during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are investigated in line with statutory guidance and shared appropriately with safeguarding partners. Children are protected throughout the process. However, on 2 occasions, children were not informed of the outcome. These shortfalls do not support children to feel listened to, reassured or confident that their concerns are taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from the home are minimal. There has been one incident since the last inspection. While clear protocols are in place for staff to follow, staff failed to search areas known to the child. Although the manager identified this shortfall and ensured that reflective learning took place with staff, this incident highlights the importance of consistently following procedures to ensure children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff implement clear and consistent boundaries for children. They demonstrate a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and the risks they face. This supports staff to respond appropriately to children’s needs and helps to promote their safety and wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

Staff work hard to build trusting relationships with children. While 2 children are relatively new to the home, children said that they feel safe and able to talk to adults. This demonstrates that children are developing a sense of security and confidence in seeking support, which contributes positively to their emotional wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

There are appropriate systems to support children to take medication. The manager had acted to address a medication error in September 2025. Staff received refresher training in the administration of medication, and no further incidents have occurred. Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 5

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

The manager has been in post for 5 months and demonstrates a clear commitment to the home and the children in her care. However, there are shortfalls in monitoring and oversight. For example, one child’s protocol had not been updated to reflect recent incidents. For another child, their risk assessment did not evidence the current level of risk. While there has been no immediate impact on children, these weaknesses indicate gaps in managerial oversight and reduce the effectiveness of care planning and risk management.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of children. There are inconsistencies in staff training. While some staff have completed mandatory courses, one member of staff is significantly beyond the required timescales. In addition, although harmful behaviour is an identified risk for children, not all staff have received relevant training in this area. These shortfalls limit staff’s ability to respond effectively to children’s needs and risks, and they undermine the overall quality of care provided.

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

The home has experienced challenges with staffing that have impacted on stability for children. However, a stable staff team is now in place, providing children with an improved consistency of care. Staff report that the team has strengthened over time and works well together. This increased stability supports more consistent relationships and improved continuity of care for children.

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

Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the new manager and feel valued and listened to. Changes have been implemented to improve practice and, although there was initially some resistance, staff have increasingly embraced these developments and now speak positively about them. This demonstrates the manager’s growing confidence and effectiveness in leading change and securing staff commitment to improving the quality and consistency of care provided to children.

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

Staff now receive regular supervision that is purposeful and used effectively to address any areas of poor practice, while also recognising good practice. This ensures that staff are well supported and enabled to continuously improve the quality of care they provide to children. In addition, team meetings provide opportunities for reflection. For example, the manager has supported staff to develop a deeper understanding of one child’s behaviour, including the underlying factors influencing it, which has led to more informed and consistent responses in practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that children are updated on the outcome when they make allegations against adults working in the home. This will enable children to feel valued and know that their concerns are taken seriously. 30 June 2026

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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. (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all professionals involved in the care of children living in the home are notified in a timely manner of any new admissions to the home to ensure an informed approach to care planning and risk management. 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 7 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

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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

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

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff are trained to meet the specific vulnerabilities of children and that staff ensure that their training is up to date.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that there is effective and regular monitoring and review of practice in the home to evaluate the quality of care provided. This will enable the manager to identify shortfalls promptly and take appropriate action to drive continuous improvement. 30 June 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This specifically relates to staff ensuring that children’s risk assessments are updated to reflect incidents and the categorisation of specific risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 8

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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: 2654423 9

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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

Julia Tompson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2654423 10 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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