Children's Home run by Care Perspectives Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 1 Registered provider: Care Perspectives 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 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

Four children were in living in the home at the time of inspection and 2 children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in December 2017. The manager registered with Ofsted on 19 October 2023 and is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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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

11/03/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/03/2025 Full Good 16/05/2023 Full Good 06/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 3

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Summary of findings

Weaknesses were found in leadership and management oversight, which impact the effectiveness of monitoring and regulatory compliance. Despite these shortfalls, children are making good progress and benefit from positive enjoyable experiences. Overall, the home provides a caring and safe environment for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's moves into and out of the home are well managed. Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Children are supported through these transitions in a range of ways, which include visits to their new homes, asking about their views and preferences so they contribute to their care planning. Additionally, staff work proactively with children to help them manage their needs confidently. This helps reduce children’s anxiety and ensure they are better prepared to move into and out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Staff help them to learn and develop through targeted work, conversations and purposeful experiences. Staff have a clear understanding of each child's needs and use knowledge and consistent support that enables children to develop and achieve. As a result, children grow in confidence, develop independence skills, and begin to learn to make safer, more positive choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive relationships are actively encouraged. Children are supported to spend meaningful time with people who are important to them. Staff also make efforts to build relationships with these significant people. This strengthens partnerships while supporting children’s identity needs and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak about children with genuine warmth. They build trusting relationships with them. They describe the rewarding aspects of their role, particularly in seeing children become settled, confident and successful across different areas of their lives. This supports children to feel cared for and that they matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is prioritised. Staff support children to engage positively with their learning. They advocate for children to ensure that they receive the education that is tailored to meet their needs. This supports positive outcomes for children's futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and wellbeing are promoted through activities that keep them active and reflect their individual interests. Staff and managers advocate on behalf of children to ensure that their health needs are met. This includes advocating for timely assessments that are critical to supporting children's developmental needs so that children are offered the targeted support they are entitled to. Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 4 The property's size and layout give the home a more institutional feel. This detracts from the homely environment intended for children. While there are visible efforts to soften this through décor and finishing touches these only partially achieve the desired effect. The home would benefit from redecoration particularly in high traffic areas, where stains, dust, unclean carpets, damp walls and poorly fitted light fixtures detract from the overall presentation. Additionally, the anti-ligature design throughout the home is unnecessary

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

given the current risk level. This further impacts upon the home’s ability to feel warm and homely.

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

When there are safeguarding concerns, staff act promptly to ensure that children are safe and protected from harm. Staff are resilient and show children consistent care and empathy in times of challenge and crisis. As a result, children feel supported and understood, even when they are experiencing difficulties.

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

When children make allegations, these are investigated and appropriate action is taken. However, on one occasion there was a delayed response to a child's allegation and subsequent investigation. This had the potential to place children at further risk of harm or compromise investigation outcomes.

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

Physical restraint is only used when necessary and proportionate to prevent risk of harm. Staff use skills and techniques to avoid restrictive practices. Managers provide staff with opportunities to reflect on what may have been done differently. Trends indicate there has been a decrease in interventions. Staff seek advice and guidance on how best to support children in moments of crisis from the clinical team. There are some shortfalls in the recording and management oversight of restriction, which limits the manager’s ability to analyse staff practice and proportionality of restraint.

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

Missing incidents are managed well. Staff and managers work hard to understand the reasons a child may go missing from the home and work with wider professionals to support children's safe return. This approach keeps children safe and reduces reoccurrence.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been some disruption to the management arrangements. Although some actions have been taken to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection, including the introduction of additional support to strengthen the management of the home, these changes are yet to be embedded.

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

Management monitoring aimed at improving children’s experience and maintaining the regulator’s oversight is not robust. As a result of ineffective oversight, there are delays to safeguarding investigations and in submitting safeguarding notifications to the regulator. Oversight of incidents is inconsistent, with some reviews being delayed or not recorded. In addition, the independent visitor reports and updated statement of purpose have not Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 5 been submitted to the regulator in the required timescales as a result of management shortfalls.

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

Despite the home being overstaffed, there is a high reliance on agency staff. This undermines stability for children, who do not benefit from consistent and secure relationships with familiar staff.

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

Staff are positive about the support received from managers and leaders. There is recognition of good staff practice, one member of staff became a finalist for a national carer's award after being nominated by the provider.

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

Supervision is frequent and staff receive training and development opportunities to strengthen their practice. This boosts staff morale further and demonstrates a commitment to valuing high standards of practice and care provided to children.

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

External feedback about the quality of care provided to children and professional relationships is positive. Professionals say there is good information-sharing and consistent communication. These relationships contribute towards children receiving good, coordinated care. 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, 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure there is not an over reliance on agency staff. 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

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 28 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents are reviewed promptly to ensure there is timely action. This includes ensuring that the home maintains a clear and accurate records of the actions taken in response to safeguarding concerns. 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must utilise monitoring of the home to ensure that there is effective oversight of the home to improve the quality of care provided. This includes ensuring that Ofsted receives regulation 44 reports and updated statement of purpose within the required timescales. 28 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must have a system in place so that all serious events are notified in line with the guidance. 28 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression and remove unnecessary fixtures and fittings. The home should be clean and updated so as not to appear tired and worn. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure children are listened to and enabled to report any allegations at the earliest opportunity. Staff should report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home and reported to Ofsted within the required timescales. Any allegation of harm or abuse must be addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)

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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 9

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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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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1263977 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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