Children's Home run by Clear Water Care Homes Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 1 Registered provider: Clear Water Care Homes 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 privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in June 2021. She is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children's home

Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Three children were present during the inspection and spoke with 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 good

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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: 9 September 2025

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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: 2614738 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/09/2025 Full Good 14/05/2024 Full Good 23/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress in various aspects of their lives. They have positive relationships with staff and feel safe. Staff have a thorough understanding of children's needs and risks and have the necessary skills and experience to support them. Staff feel supported by the management team and are positive about their working environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. Children's moves into and out of the home are managed effectively, even when they are unplanned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff. They are cared for by skilled staff who understand their lived experiences and needs. One child said, 'It is 9 out of 10; staff are nice, they help me cook, clean my room and help with homework. They talk to me about things and help me prepare for meetings.' This enables them to accept encouragement and guidance that helps them to make progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop independence skills. They are encouraged to carry out daily tasks, such as cleaning their bedroom and cooking simple meals. Children's achievements and progress are supported through the use of rewards and incentives. This supports them to learn and make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are progressing well at school. One teacher said, 'The staff have gone above and beyond; they work collaboratively and attend all meetings.' The manager and staff work effectively with external professionals to help children achieve the best possible educational outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with lots of activities and are able to pursue their own interests. Children enjoy going swimming, to the arcades, the park and being a part of the local and school football team. The children were also joined by most of the staff team in a game of rounders in the local community. This helps children to develop relationships with their peers and staff outside of the home and enhance their experiences and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health needs are well met. There is effective partnership work in place with agencies such as mental health services for ongoing support to meet children's specific needs. One therapist said, '[Child's name] is a lot more trusting now; they have really developed. You can see the love staff have and therapeutic parenting from them is evident, they are amazing with [child's name].' Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 4 The home is generally well presented and provides a homely environment for the children. Bedrooms are highly personalised and living areas provide different spaces, such as a gaming room, sensory room and a music room. There are areas that otherwise detract from a lovely home. There is some damage in the home, including damage to furniture. It is important that any damage is resolved in a timely manner, ensuring that the home is a safe and pleasant environment for children.

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

Children feel safe living in the home. Managers and staff know the children well and have a good awareness of their individual needs and associated risks. The manager and staff team work effectively with external professionals, including social workers and teachers, to ensure that children's needs are consistently met. External professionals consistently report that the children are well cared for and safe.

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

Staff use physical intervention to manage behaviours and keep children safe. These are used as a last resort and staff apply de-escalation strategies before restraint is considered. Children are given the opportunity to express how they were feeling. These discussions help children to understand staff's actions and reflect on what could be done differently in future. The responsible individual stated that untrained staff are able to support physical intervention. This places children and staff at risk. This has not occurred, which has reduced the impact on children.

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

When children have gone missing from the home, staff have followed relevant plans. Staff look for children and inform the relevant professionals, such as the police. When children return, they are spoken to about staying safe and helped to understand the risks and potential dangers associated with going missing. The manager provides oversight and evaluation of these incidents, helping to understand the reasons for missing episodes and identify strategies to prevent recurrence. This helps to keep children safe.

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

When children misuse substances, staff respond with nurturing care and make timely referrals to specialist agencies for additional support. This creates a safe and non- judgemental environment, showing children that their behaviours are met with understanding rather than shame or judgment. This approach helps children to feel understood and supported, demonstrating a strong commitment to their immediate and long-term wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home's manager is an effective leader of the home. She demonstrates a good understanding of the home, the children and the staff. The manager is passionate about supporting the children to achieve positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they enjoy working at the home and are well supported. One member of staff said, 'I love it here, there is a good staff team who support each other and a good management team. I enjoy coming to work. I think of the children even when not Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 5 at the home.' Another member of staff said, 'The house is a home filled with laughter and fun and we have a great staff team who work well together and support each other.' As a result, children are cared for by staff who are highly motivated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported through regular team meetings and supervision. These focus on understanding children's behaviours and improving their experiences. Supervision also set out clear plans and support to overcome shortfalls in staff practice when identified. This helps to ensure that children are getting the care they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the strengths of the service and where further improvements are needed. Monitoring systems are used well. The manager ensures that the statement of purpose is updated accordingly and provided to Ofsted. Ofsted is also notified of serious incidents in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual has taken steps to improve his oversight and monitoring of the home, such as by introducing weekly meetings with the managers and creating a monthly audit tool. This tool is not being fully utilised. There is limited assurance that weaknesses in practice are consistently identified and addressed in a timely manner to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor attends the home monthly and produces reports. These reports are received within timescales. However, they do not consistently seek the views of children, parents or professionals. This leads to the reports lacking sufficient information for effective monitoring. Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 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 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

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

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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to leaders of the home ensuring that robust quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, used regularly and recorded, and that staff complete the physical intervention training specified within the home's statement of purpose. 21 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. 21 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 7 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent visitor regularly speaks to children, professionals and family members during their visits.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard. In particular, any broken or unsafe items should be disposed of, and any items that are worn should be replaced. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 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: 2614738 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Clear Water Care Homes Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 6 Elsenwood Crescent, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2BA

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Inspector

Emma Hutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2614738 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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