Children's home run by Halliwell Homes Limited in Staffordshire Moorlands

Halliwell Homes Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to accommodate seven children, irrespective of gender, between the ages of seven and 14 years old. The home offers a two-year programme, supported by therapy, for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken at this home on 7 February 2018 following notifications to Ofsted of a possible breach of the children’s homes regulations 2015. The outcome of the visit was to issue two compliance notices to the provider. The compliance notices concerned a breach of regulation 10, the health and well-being standard, and regulation 12, the protection of children standard. The purpose of this visit in March was to assess compliance with the notices issued, and to check that the registered person has met the specified actions within the prescribed timescales.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has recently left the home and there is currently an acting manager in post while recruitment is undertaken. During this monitoring visit, the acting manager was supported by the house manager, the designated safeguarding lead for the company and the head of residential care.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager was unaware that compliance notices had been served on the home and confirmed that he had not had sight of the compliance notices. As a result, he had not undertaken any specific actions to ensure compliance. The acting manager had seen the monitoring visit report and informed the inspectors that all staff had been spoken to about the issues raised, and that this will be further addressed and discussed with staff in the next staff meeting that was due to take place on 23 March 2018. However, the acting manager was unable to produce any evidence to confirm if staff had been spoken to as a group or individually, or that this was planned as an agenda item for the staff meeting. The head of residential care and the safeguarding lead for the company informed Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 2 inspectors that they had seen the compliance notices. By their own admission, they

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This monitoring visit

had not taken any specific actions to address the notices. The head of residential care informed inspectors that they have not addressed the compliance notice, as to do so ‘would be saying that we agree, when as a company we do not… we feel, and we all agree on this, it isn’t compliance’.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the monitoring visit, the allocated inspector had alerted the responsible individual to the independent visitor’s report for February. This was with specific reference to an allegation made against a member of staff on 13 January 2018. The independent visitor reported, ‘allegation investigated, safeguarding lead and all informed. Investigation complete.’ The allocated inspector requested, via email, that the provider notify Ofsted of the event in line with regulation. The purpose of this was to allow the regulator to review the incident and to ensure that the provider has taken appropriate action to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

On the day of the monitoring visit Ofsted had still not received a notification in relation to the allegation. During the visit the house manager, when asked about this incident, said ‘this was a massive oversight’. She confirmed that there was a delay in reporting the incident to the designated officer for the local authority. The acting manager of the home told inspectors that he was not aware that an allegation had been made by a child, despite an allegation monitoring and management form being completed by senior staff at the time of the incident. This again calls into question the quality of internal communication between staff in the home. The safeguarding lead for the organisation was also not aware of the allegation until the allocated Ofsted inspector for the home emailed the provider after receiving and reading the independent visitor’s report. By then, this was two months after the event. The

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This monitoring visit

safeguarding lead explained that when the management team became aware of the allegation, it was not immediately referred to Ofsted as it was not considered to have met the threshold of a serious incident as outlined by regulation. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of the regulation by the provider. It also resulted in a delay for the regulator in being able to monitor the incident and any actions taken by the provider. It is clear that the managers and leaders of the home are only aware of this oversight as a result of the inspector’s email. This is despite a request from an Ofsted inspector for the provider to make a notification. This request was only complied with following a further prompt from an inspector at the monitoring visit, some eight days after the first request.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s manager informed the inspectors during the monitoring visit that the referral form for the designated officer was being completed and that a notification would be made to Ofsted, which has since been received. However, there have been significant delays in notifying the relevant people of this incident and in ensuring that an investigation in line with safeguarding procedures was carried out. As a result, it is not clear what actions have been taken by the provider to ensure that the young people are safeguarded, and to prevent further occurrences. It is of further concern that despite the staff recording that an allegation had been made at the time of the incident and the independent visitor reporting on the incident in their report, the acting manager stated that he was unaware of the allegation. The acting Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 3 manager explained that he had not read the independent visitor’s report. This

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This monitoring visit

highlights further concern about the robustness of management oversight systems in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received a notification on 22 February 2018, stating that a young person alleged that a member of staff had punched him. This incident was reported to the designated officer and the safeguarding lead for the provider. The designated officer has yet to conclude his findings and has asked for more information. Further statements were subsequently taken on 13 March 2018. The notification also states that the young person had been spoken to by a member of the management team who ‘explained the severity of making false allegations and that he must always tell the truth’. Furthermore, statements from the young person allege that he was ‘caught’ in the ‘face and nose’ during the incident with the member of staff. There is no record of medical treatment being offered or of first aid being administered to the young person after this incident.

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This monitoring visit

The above findings show that staff failed to protect the health and welfare of the young person following an allegation of assault. Furthermore, they did not ensure that safeguarding procedures were followed when allegations were made by young people. This evidences further shortfalls in the same areas that were raised at the previous inspection. As a result of the failure of the provider to address the steps in the compliance notices, and further shortfalls identified at this visit, compliance notices have again been served for a breach of regulations 10 and 12 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 4

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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, 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

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard 03/12/2017 8: The education standard 03/12/2017 11: The positive relationships standard 03/12/2017 12: The protection of children standard 03/12/2017 40: Notification of a serious event 03/12/2017 16: Statement of purpose 03/12/2017 2: The positive relationship standard 09/03/2018 19: Behaviour management and discipline 09/03/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 5

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*The health and well-being standard

10. —(2) The health and well-being standard is that— the registered person must ensure (c) that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice treatment and other services as the child may require. 13/04/2018

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*The protection of children standard

12. —(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (ii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) 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. 13/04/2018

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Notifications 40 4 c

40.- (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Notifications 40 4 c

(c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. 13/04/2018

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Notifications 40 4 c

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 6 Unique reference number: 1229534

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Tape Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1BB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Karen Mitchell-Mellor

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Louise Redfern, social care compliance inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1229534 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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