Children's Home run by Diamond Care Group Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 1 Registered provider: Diamond Care Group Limited 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 provides care for up to 3 children who have a learning disability or may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of inspection, 2 children were living in the home, and both spoke to the inspector. Since the last inspection, one child moved into the home and one child has moved out.

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Information about this children's home

The inspection started on 18 May 2026. Inspectors returned on 21 May 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 3

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Summary of findings

Inspectors identified serious and widespread safeguarding concerns that compromise children's safety and wellbeing. Leadership oversight is weak and safeguarding practices inconsistent. Staff and managers do not consistently recognise, assess or respond effectively to children's known risks and vulnerabilities, including missing-from-home episodes, unsafe behaviours, online activity and concerns related to exploitation. Risk assessments and safeguarding plans are not sufficiently robust, individualised or consistently reviewed. Information-sharing with partner agencies is weak, and agreed safeguarding procedures are not always followed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children's overall experiences and progress are varied, and their safety is compromised by ineffective safeguarding practice and weak leadership. Children do not consistently receive care that is well planned or responsive to their known risks and vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child moved into the home in an emergency situation. This decision was made without sufficient consideration or understanding of the child's known risks, vulnerabilities and needs. As a result, the child left the home in an unplanned way following a significant incident. This incident would have compounded further the child's distress and sense of stability during a period of heightened vulnerability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers do not ensure that education is consistently supported or prioritised. Children who struggle to access school are not provided with alternative learning opportunities or tailored educational plans. When children find it difficult to access learning, they are not supported to learn and appropriate strategies are not put in place. As a result, children are not supported to make educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are encouraged to maintain meaningful connections with those who matter most to them. These efforts help children preserve important relationships and stay connected to their personal histories. However, when children wish to spend more time with family members, these arrangements are not always agreed with the child's social worker. This limits the assurance that family time is appropriate and in the child's best interests.

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

Staff do not keep children safe. They do not consistently recognise or respond to risk by intervening to ensure children's safety. Risks are not considered, and opportunities to take protective action are missed, leaving children vulnerable. This compromises children's safety and leaves them at risk of harm. Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 4 Information-sharing is poor. Safeguarding information is not shared promptly with relevant professionals and partner agencies. Staff do not consistently follow agreed procedures or demonstrate sufficient understanding of risk. As a result, there are delays in recognising and responding to risk, increasing the likelihood of children being harmed.

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

Staff do not use their professional curiosity to understand risk, and safeguarding strategies are not sufficiently robust. This limits staff's ability to fully understand the risks that children face online and in the community. Staff miss important indicators of harm, and this prevents timely and informed intervention. As a result, children are left more vulnerable.

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

Staff fail to follow agreed safeguarding strategies. Staff do not always take effective action when children's whereabouts are unknown. On more than one occasion, this has resulted in delays in sharing information to ensure that the child returns home quickly and safely. Delays in reporting concerns undermine the effectiveness of safeguarding and place children at risk of ongoing or escalating harm.

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

Staff do not have the skills to recognise when children's emotional wellbeing is deteriorating. As a result, they do not always respond to children with appropriate nurturing support. The absence of emotionally informed care escalated one child's distress. On one occasion, this lack of skill and confidence led to a situation where staff did not recognise they had used a restraint. This resulted in a lack of oversight and reflection when a restrictive intervention was used.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management is poor. Leaders do not provide the direction, oversight or professional challenge required to ensure that children are kept safe. Managers have not always ensured that information relating to risk is shared effectively with other professionals. This undermines the effectiveness of safeguarding and weakens protective action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff lack knowledge and understanding of the intended model of care and how this supports children who have experienced abuse, neglect or trauma. This lack of understanding significantly limits the staff's ability to understand children's needs, vulnerabilities and emotional responses. The impact on children is considerable, as they do not receive the trauma-informed support they need to feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Most of the staff remain within their probation period and are currently unqualified. Although they complete a range of relevant training, this learning is not translated into practice. As a result, staff do not demonstrate the skills needed to respond to children's complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The introduction of a new electronic recording and monitoring system has not strengthened oversight arrangements because the manager lacks confidence in using it. This has led to disorganised and inconsistent systems, which affects the quality of Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 5 management oversight. As a result, opportunities to identify the shortfalls raised at this inspection have been missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not consistently escalate concerns or advocate for children. Communication between managers, staff and schools is variable. While communication is sometimes good, managers lack confidence in appropriate challenge when children's needs are not being met. As a result, concerns are not consistently escalated, leaving children without timely support from external agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are held weekly and are well attended by staff. However, there is limited reflective discussion regarding children's experiences, emotional wellbeing and safeguarding needs. This limits opportunity for reflective learning and development of child-led trauma-informed practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When concerns or complaints are raised, leaders respond promptly and respectfully. Managers take appropriate action to address issues raised and demonstrate a willingness to maintain positive and constructive relationships within the local community. This approach helps to promote good neighbourly relations and supports the home's integration within the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are cared for by a relatively stable staff team. Since the last inspection, the leadership team has been strengthened with a new deputy manager. Lines of operational responsibility within the leadership team are being developed. However, this is not yet leading to improved outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of this inspection, Ofsted has issued a compliance notice requiring leaders and managers to take urgent action to protect children and operate the home effectively. Ofsted will continue to monitor this home. Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 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

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 effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risks associated with being missing from home, exploitation, online 27 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 7 activity and other risks to children are consistently assessed, monitored and reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff understand risk management strategies and consistently use professional curiosity to explore incidents and review information that may indicate that children are at risk of harm.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is effectively managed and there are robust systems in place to monitor and review the care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders must maintain effective oversight of safeguarding practice and recording systems to ensure that children receive safe, nurturing individualised care that protects their welfare, safety and progress. 2 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 8 In addition, leaders must ensure that staff understand know to support children's emotional needs to help them manage behaviours that challenge them.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children move into the home following sufficient assessment, information-sharing, planning and consideration of whether staff and managers can safely meet the child's needs alongside the other children living at the home. 25 June 2026

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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— 25 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 9 that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment.

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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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Requirement Due date

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)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leaders maintain effective oversight of children's progress and Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 10 experiences in learning and, where necessary, explore strategies and support for increasing participation and engagement for the children.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective communication with children's authorities when changes are made to children's plans. 25 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2818160 11

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Diamond Care Group Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 20 Holmbridge Grove, Shelfield, WALSALL, WS4 1RA

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Inspectors

Gill Rudkin, Social Care Inspector Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2818160 12 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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