Children's Home run by Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 1 Registered provider: Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a small private organisation and provides care for up to 3 children who may have social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025.

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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 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: 2624155 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 3

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Summary of findings

The quality of children's relationships with staff is mixed. This has negatively impacted the quality and consistency of care that children receive.

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Summary of findings

Poor planning and ineffective decision-making have increased children's vulnerability and compromised their safety. Staff responses are not consistently trauma informed.

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Summary of findings

Monitoring and oversight are poor. Leaders and managers have failed to address areas of weakness in the home and staff practice. Learning from incidents is not taking place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, no children have moved into the home, and one child has moved out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have developed positive relationships with some staff who care for them. However, there is a notable difference in the quality of children's relationships with daytime staff and waking-night staff. This inconsistency has negatively affected the quality and continuity of care that children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have made limited progress in education. Although this has been affected by the closure of an education provision, the absence of a clear and well-planned strategy has contributed to instability for children. There is some evidence that staff support and encourage children to engage in education. However, these efforts are frequently ineffective. As a result, children are not achieving their educational potential, which may adversely affect their future opportunities and longer-term outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children's emotional health is supported through access to therapeutic services. Staff benefit from consultation sessions that promote a greater understanding of children's needs and behaviours. However, children have increasingly disengaged from therapeutic support, and efforts to re-engage them have not been successful. As a result, children have fewer opportunities to explore and address their emotional needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with their families. Staff facilitate travel arrangements over long distances to help children maintain meaningful relationships and attend important family events. As a result, children are supported to develop a sense of belonging and a positive understanding of their identity.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to adequately consider children's needs when making decisions about their care. Poor planning and ineffective decision-making have increased Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 4 children's vulnerability and compromised their safety. Consequently, children have experienced instability and poorer outcomes.

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

When children go missing from home, staff responses are not consistently well coordinated. Although there have been examples of proactive safeguarding practice, including staff developing relationships with the parents of children's friends, staff do not always take prompt action in line with children's plans. This increases children's vulnerability when they are missing from home. In addition, an over-reliance on police involvement has increased the risk of children becoming criminalised.

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

Staff responses are not consistently trauma informed. Some staff do not fully understand the impact of children's previous experiences on their behaviours and emotional wellbeing. As a result, children do not consistently receive the support they need to manage their feelings and behaviours safely.

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

Leaders and managers have identified that some children require increased staffing arrangements to meet their needs and keep them safe. However, these arrangements are not consistently provided. Although the increased staffing levels have not been formally agreed by placing authorities, the failure to provide the level of supervision identified as necessary undermines the home's ability to safeguard children effectively and protect them from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders' and managers' oversight is ineffective and has failed to identify and address significant shortfalls in practice that increase children's vulnerability to harm. Records of incidents are inconsistent and lack important detail, limiting opportunities for effective evaluation, reflection and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not escalated concerns promptly, either internally or with placing authorities, regarding the impact of children's involvement in incidents of increasing seriousness. As a result, children have been exposed to repeated incidents that have increased their vulnerability and placed them at greater risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to meet the needs of children in their care. This has resulted in inconsistent practice and a variable understanding of children's needs, including how to provide trauma-informed care. Consequently, children do not benefit from the consistent and predictable care they need to feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feedback is varied. Some staff report that managers are approachable and supportive and that they provide opportunities for professional development. However, some staff have raised concerns about the impact of long shifts on their wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from professionals and family members is mixed. Some identify strengths in individual staff members' commitment to children. However, concerns remain regarding Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 5 inconsistent communication, variable responses to incidents and staff understanding of children's needs. These weaknesses undermine the quality and consistency of care that children receive. Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 7 strive to gain each child's respect and trust; and

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Requirement Due date

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 9 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. 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 8 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'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; 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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6);

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c). (Regulation 26 (4)(i) (5)(a) (6)(a) (7)(a)) 9 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 9

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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: 2624155 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd Barn 7, Dunston Business Village, Stafford Road, Penkridge ST18 9AB

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Helen Verschoyle

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Inspector

Becky Rutter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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