Children's Home run by AMMA Childcare Services in Solihull

Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 1 Registered provider: AMMA Childcare Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and registered to provide care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, 2 children were living in the home. One child has lived in this home for over 2 years, and one child moved into the home during the past 3 months. They both spoke with inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The suitably qualified manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 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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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: 2668686 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/10/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 3

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Summary of findings

Children’s overall experiences and progress require improvement. Educational progress is mixed, with poor oversight and ineffective support limiting outcomes. Safeguarding practice is inconsistent; risk management strategies are not always followed or updated, and oversight of incidents is sometimes ineffective. Leaders and managers do not consistently identify or act on shortfalls, resulting in missed opportunities to improve practice. Positively, children feel listened to, enjoy activities and benefit from consistent staffing.

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improvement to be good

The home is generally welcoming. Photos of the children taking part in activities are on display. However, some areas of the home are not well maintained. The back gate in the garden cannot be easily secured or opened. This presents a fire evacuation hazard as it is a fire exit. There is a window with a large crack, which could present a hazard as it has not been secured. Leaders and managers acknowledged this shortfall and took action to address this by ordering a new gate and window during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children make mixed progress in their education. The home does not have up to date personal education plans for all children to shape the educational support they receive or how their progress will be measured. Children are supported to identify post-16 education provision. One child attends school regularly and is due to undertake exams. However, communication with the child’s school is poor and the child has not been well supported to engage in home learning. This does not ensure that the child achieves to their full potential.

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improvement to be good

One child in the home is not attending school and receives 2 hours of tutoring per week. Although staff have made some attempts through key work sessions to encourage the child to engage with their tutor, the strategies for staff to help improve the child’s daily routines is unclear. Staff do not advocate for the child effectively when their statutory educational needs are not being met. This means that the child is not making sufficient progress in their education.

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improvement to be good

Children develop positive relationships with the staff. One child shared that they could speak to staff about their worries. Children’s feedback is sought and is usually listened to. When children wanted to decorate their bedrooms themselves, they were supported to do this. Children are supported to celebrate special events and attend activities that they enjoy. However, on one occasion, both children raised concerns about their care, and these were not responded to. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 4 Staff support children with their emotional wellbeing. They usually take action to meet children’s physical health needs. Although staff try to engage children to discuss the risks relating to vaping, when children are known to have used vapes, there are no strategies in place for staff to manage this risk. This means that it is unclear if children continue to vape, which could have a negative impact on their

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their friends and family. However, staff do not always follow guidance to keep children safe during time with their family. Due to this, one child was exposed to potential risks while seeing a family member. When this happened, managers and leaders did not identify these shortfalls or take action to prevent this from happening again. This does not ensure that children are always kept safe when they see their family.

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improvement to be good

Children’s social workers provide positive feedback about the home. One child’s move into the home was well planned, and they have been supported to settle in. Staff support children to develop their independence skills to prepare them for adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Guidance for staff is not always updated to reflect children’s vulnerabilities, and some strategies can be contradictory. Managers and leaders have oversight of significant incidents. However, action is not always taken to address areas of concern. One child’s plan for unsupervised time in the community was not followed by staff. During this time, the child engaged in an activity that placed them at risk of harm. The failure to follow guidance was not addressed by managers. The child was spoken with about the risks, and there have not been any known repeat incidents of the child engaging in this activity.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks that the internet may pose for children. They have recognised the risks posed to one child by their social media use and discussed this with the child. However, this information was not shared with their social worker. The manager did not review strategies to keep the child safe online. This means that staff do not have clear guidance about how to keep the child safe on their phone. This has led to a repeat of the concerns, which placed the child and others at risk of harm. As a result, one child’s risks around their phone and internet use have increased. The manager took some action to address this during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children are rewarded for positive behaviour. Consequences are not always restorative or recorded appropriately. Oversight by the manager is inconsistent, and records are not always child centred. This means that consequences can be punitive.

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improvement to be good

There is a mixed response to concerns about staff practice. One concern was taken seriously and fully investigated. However, one concern about staff practice was not addressed. The manager did not inform senior leaders in line with company policy. This does not reduce the risk of this concern being repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 5 When children go missing, staff take action to keep children safe. Children are always offered independent return home interviews. When children express views that may help reduce the risk of them going missing, the manager has acted on those views and advocated for the child. As a result, children’s risks of going missing are reducing.

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improvement to be good

Restraint has not been used. This has been supported by a new behaviour management system being used in the home. Staff shared that this has helped to develop their skills in de-escalating situations.

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good

Managers ensure that there are plans and risk assessments in place for children. However, some plans are not always updated in line with children’s known or emerging needs. This means that children do not always get the support that they need from staff to address their vulnerabilities. Oversight from leaders and managers is inconsistent. This means that action is not always taken to learn from significant incidents.

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good

Staff and managers receive regular supervision, but it does not always address shortfalls in staff practice. This reduces the effectiveness of supervision. Team meetings happen regularly and are usually child focused. Significant incidents are not always discussed. This means that there have been missed opportunities to address staff practice and learn from incidents in the home.

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good

Staff say that they like working in the home and feel well supported. They know the children well. The home is properly staffed to meet the needs of children, and there is no use of agency staff. This provides children with consistency.

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good

Managers and leaders have taken action to ensure that staff have training to meet children’s individual needs. This means that staff have the skills to deliver care in line with the home’s therapeutic model of care. The manager has provided appropriate challenge when this is not evident in children’s records. This means that children’s records are usually child centred.

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good

Managers and leaders have taken action to ensure that staff gain their qualifications within statutory timescales. The manager is tracking staff progress with them. Most staff are qualified. This supports staff to have the skills to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 7 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that appropriate measures are in place for staff to reduce and mitigate risk to children. The registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and have the skills to protect children and prevent them and staff from being harmed. In addition, the home environment must be maintained to avoid hazards to children.

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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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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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ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have up-to-date plans to provide children with continuity of care and keep them safe from harm. Leaders and managers must ensure that management oversight is robust and effective.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 9 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that consequences are restorative and proportionate. The child’s views must be sought and recorded. The registered person must also ensure that there is management oversight of consequences.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 10 promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should advocate and plan for children when they do not have suitable education provision. Managers and staff should support children to overcome any barriers that prevent them from making progress in education.

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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: 2668686 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: AMMA Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 507b Jq Modern, 120 Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6NF

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Inspectors

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Virginia Vickers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2668686 12 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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