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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 1 Registered provider: Resi-Action Staffordshire 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 organisation and provides care for up to 2 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 3

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Summary of findings

The child living in the home has made good progress from their starting point as a result of the consistent and nurturing staff support. They have formed positive relationships with the adults who work in the home and they are encouraged to reach their educational and health goals. Children share that they feel safe in the home, and this is a result of consistent and positive relationships. Shortfalls have been identified in some parts of the home environment, care planning for a new child, follow up with staff when one allegation was made, the recording of some behaviour incidents and the systems for recruitment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have formed positive and trusting relationships with a consistent staff member who understands them well. For the child currently living in the home, this has enabled them to experience stability. One child told the inspector that they ‘like the home, like the staff, and enjoy living there’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a variety of opportunities. Staff plan activities around children’s interests and choices. Children have attended holidays, theme parks, cinemas and meals outside of the home. These experiences promote enjoyment and a sense of belonging for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children effectively to maintain good health. They ensure that children attend all regular health appointments. Where children struggle to attend appointments, leaders and staff will consult with health professionals to rearrange and encourage attendance. Staff regularly engage children in discussions around substance misuse and sexual health. They receive suitable training to support children as needs arise. For example, one child was recently supported to understand their feelings around the loss of their pet. Staff delivered this in a sensitive and child-focused manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have meaningful time with those who are important to them. The child living in the home has been supported to spend time with relatives who live a distance away. They have built up to having overnight stays with their family. As a result, they feel connected to those who matter to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and 2 children have moved out. One child was supported to develop their independence skills prior to moving out of the home. This included support around budgeting, booking health appointments and arranging their college course. This helped ensure that the child had been equipped for the move. However, one child’s move into the home was not planned as effectively as it could have been. Leaders had assessed that they could meet the needs of a child with specific needs. Following a significant incident outside of the home a few days after the Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 4 child moved in, leaders had concluded that they were unable to meet the child’s needs. Consequently, this led to another move for the child and caused further instability for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home requires redecoration and maintenance in areas. Leaders and staff put up pictures around the home of children’s positive experiences. Also, children are encouraged to style their bedroom doors. However, one child’s bedroom furniture requires replacing due to it appearing worn. Some walls around the home require a repaint due to scuff marks being present. Additionally, window restrictors have been placed on the downstairs windows without proportionate reason. This has caused the environment to feel unhomely in areas.

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

Physical interventions are rarely used in the home. Staff use their relationships with children to encourage positive behaviours. When incidents occur, staff use trained techniques starting with the lowest intervention for the least amount of time. Children and staff are provided with opportunities to reflect after the incident. This provides leaders with assurance that staff practice was safe, accurate and appropriate.

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

Staff respond effectively when children are missing from home. They complete searches and liaise with appropriate professionals. These actions are in line with children’s plans and support children to be located at the earliest opportunity.

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

Leaders support staff to understand their safeguarding responsibilities. The registered manager regularly provides staff with bespoke quizzes based on children’s safety and wellbeing. Staff’s knowledge is reviewed during group consultation and through supervision. This provides the registered manager with assurances that the staff have suitable knowledge on how to safeguard children.

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

Leaders and staff provide a safe space for children to share concerns. When allegations against staff are made, leaders typically respond well. Professionals are consulted and kept up to date with the progress of any investigation. However, on one occasion, the registered manager did not have individual conversations with the staff members involved in an allegation. It was not clear how the registered manager was fully assured that practice and knowledge of the staff members remained suitable.

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

Some reports recorded by staff are not clearly or factually recorded. One record did not contain the correct dates of the incident throughout the report. This did not provide assurances that the report was robustly reviewed by leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management arrangements have remained consistent since the last inspection. The registered manager remains passionate about the care and support that the children receive. She is supported by an effective deputy manager. Together, they promote a Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 5 child-focused approach across the home. This contributes to the good quality of care provided by the management and staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by leaders in the home. The registered manager provides staff with regular opportunities to share their views and feelings. They develop staff knowledge through consistent supervision and reflective practice. This helps leaders to ensure that staff remain suitable and supported to carry out their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders provide staff with training to meet the needs of children living at the home. The registered manager has used team meetings to provide additional training sessions such as exploitation and bereavement. This supports staff in providing the support and care needed to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders demonstrate strong multi-agency working. When concerns arise regarding children’s safety outside of the home, the registered manager promptly updates professionals. This ensures that everyone has the most up-to-date information to support the child. One professional told the inspector, ‘The manager was approachable, responsive, and demonstrated strong oversight of the young person’s care. Multi-agency working was a particular strength, ensuring that information was shared effectively and that the young person’s needs remained central to decision-making.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a stable staff team and staff hold the required qualifications. However, systems for safer recruitment require attention in some areas. Information regarding staff reference verifications was missing from some staff members’ files. During the inspection, leaders had not been clear on the location of some staff recruitment information. This did not provide assurances that safer recruitment systems are fully embedded in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the environment is well maintained and homely. 17 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 7 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure effective care planning and strong working

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Recommendations

relationships between the staff of the home and the placing authority are essential to the success of placements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)  The registered person should ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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: 2778030 8

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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

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2778030 9 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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