Children's Home run by Synergy Care Homes Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 1 Registered provider: Synergy Care Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2026 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. They were present during the inspection and spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a suitably qualified registered manager.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 2

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Summary of findings

One child has moved into the home and is settling in well. Staff have developed positive relationships with the child and have a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities. Risks relating to exploitation are well understood and, since the child moved into the home, there have been no known incidents associated with these risks. Staff provide consistent support that helps the child to feel safe and make positive progress. Leaders have established systems to monitor the quality of care and are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Although some aspects of recording and oversight require further strengthening, the registered manager has identified these areas and is taking appropriate action to improve practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s move into the home was well planned. Staff travelled to meet the child before they moved in and provided information that helped them feel safe and welcome. The child has settled in well and speaks positively about the care they receive and the relationships they have with staff. These positive relationships help the child to develop a sense of security and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to maintain important relationships with family members who live some distance from the home. Staff promote family time when it is safe and in line with the child’s plans. Visits take place both at the home and in the community. The registered manager is proactive in finding creative ways to overcome barriers to family time. This helps the child maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s identity by promoting their religious and cultural needs. The child is encouraged to take an active role in day-to-day decisions, including those relating to meals and activities, as well as more significant decisions about their education and health. This helps the child to feel valued, understood and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to manage their day-to-day health needs. This includes attending routine health appointments, taking medication as prescribed and accessing specialist advice when needed. The child is encouraged to make healthy food choices and is involved in planning and preparing meals. As a result, the child has developed healthier eating habits and benefits from a more nutritious diet, which contributes to their overall wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child does not yet have a consistent daily routine, which can limit opportunities to develop structure and make the most of their day. However, the registered manager is working with relevant professionals to secure suitable education and encourages the child to take part in activities such as budgeting, preparing meals and decorating their Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 3 bedroom. This support helps the child to develop practical independence skills and increases their confidence in managing everyday tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some areas of the home require maintenance and appear worn. However, the child has been supported to personalise their bedroom and make it their own. This helps the child to feel comfortable in their surroundings and promotes a sense of belonging.

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

Staff and leaders help the child to understand risks and make safer, informed decisions. When children have known risks relating to exploitation and involvement in criminal activity, staff provide consistent support and supervision. As a result, there have been no incidents of the child going missing from home, misusing substances or becoming involved in criminal activity since moving into the home. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the strategies used to help keep the child safe.

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

Most of the time, staff maintain appropriate boundaries to help keep the child safe. Staff know the child’s whereabouts, understand who they are communicating with and place appropriate controls on the use of gaming devices. However, these boundaries are not always applied consistently. On occasion, the child has been allowed to remain online throughout the night and access games that are not age appropriate. This inconsistency can affect the child’s sense of safety, daily routines and overall wellbeing.

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

Staff understand the child’s known risks and are alert to changes in their behaviour. However, risk management plans, including those relating to health needs, do not consistently provide staff with clear guidance about how to respond when risks increase or incidents occur. As a result, staff responses are not always coordinated or consistent. This has the potential to increase the child’s vulnerability and reduce the effectiveness of the measures intended to keep them safe.

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

The child’s health needs are met, and staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to support them when they are unwell. However, on one occasion, staff did not respond as promptly as they could have during a medical emergency. Following this incident, staff received specialist training to strengthen their knowledge and skills. As a result, staff are better equipped and more confident in responding to medical emergencies and meeting the child’s health needs safely.

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

The registered manager ensures that staff receive training to meet the child’s needs, including specialist training relevant to the child’s identified needs and vulnerabilities, as well as training in online safety. This helps staff develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe care. However, not all staff consistently demonstrate this knowledge in practice. Not all staff members were able to clearly explain the actions they would take if the child went missing from home, despite this being a known risk. In contrast, other staff members demonstrated a clear understanding of the procedures to follow. This Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 4 inconsistency means that responses to safeguarding incidents may not always be timely or effective, which could increase the child’s vulnerability.

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

The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. Monitoring systems, including audits and independent visitor reports, are used to review the quality of care provided to the child and to identify areas for improvement. However, management oversight of incidents is not consistently effective. As a result, opportunities to evaluate incidents and identify learning are sometimes missed. In addition, records of incidents are not always sufficiently detailed or accurate. The registered manager recognises these shortfalls and has identified oversight and record-keeping as priorities for development.

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

Staff receive regular supervision. However, supervision records were not readily accessible and were unavailable for review during the inspection. As a result, leaders cannot demonstrate that supervision is consistently recorded and maintained. This reduces management oversight and limits the ability to monitor staff performance, development and welfare effectively. Records of supervision should be maintained for all staff, including the registered manager.

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

The registered manager works effectively with professionals to seek advice and support for the child. For example, the registered manager consulted a specialist health professional when the child refused to take their medication. The registered manager appropriately challenges professionals when necessary and advocates for the child’s rights and needs. Professionals speak positively about the communication they receive from staff, which helps to promote a coordinated approach to meeting the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 5

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the child’s risk management plans include all known risks and provide staff with clear guidance on the strategies required to reduce and manage those risks. Leaders and managers must also ensure that incidents are recorded accurately and promptly and that staff are aware of, and adhere to, the measures in place to keep the child safe. 14 October 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

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)(b) (2)(h)) 14 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the child is supported through consistent routines and boundaries that promote their safety and wellbeing. Leaders and managers must ensure effective monitoring and oversight of significant incidents so that shortfalls are identified and learning is used to improve practice. Leaders and managers must also ensure that health plan protocols are in place and are implemented in line with the home’s policy.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely environment that is well maintained and complies with relevant health and safety legislation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the registered manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Regulation 33 (4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: 2833951 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Synergy Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sterling Unit 8 Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TX

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Inspectors

Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2833951 8 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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