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

Inspection report children’s home: SC470224 1 SC470224 Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to 10 children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers education on site at a registered school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not registered with Ofsted. Their application is in progress.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home required improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been evidence of improving outcomes for young people. Most young people who have left the home have moved on to foster placements or other alternative care provision. However, one young person’s placement was ended prematurely within the 12-week assessment period, due to her presenting risks and emerging vulnerabilities. This admission brought about a period of disruption and instability for the home. The manager accepts that this young person was not appropriately matched once full information was received from the placing authority and an assessment was completed. A recommendation is made in respect of this issue. Inspection report children’s home: SC470224 2 Young people make progress in relation to their individual starting points across aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from planned, individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. A social work team

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager reported, ‘We are very pleased with the service they have given us. They’re just so dedicated. We can’t praise them enough.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people attend school on a regular basis and benefit from encouragement from staff to attend school daily. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the providers of young people’s education to promote their educational progress, achievements and learning. Young people benefit from a diverse range of activities, such as football, gymnastics, athletics, music lessons, bowling, cinema and roller skating. Young people are encouraged to try different types of activities to promote their talents, interests and hobbies.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The safety of young people is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice. Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people become increasingly safe because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. A social worker reported, ‘The staff are very invested in the young people and meeting their individual needs and safeguarding them at all times.’ Young people are appropriately monitored and supervised by staff. As a result, there have been no episodes of young people going missing since the last inspection. Staff are vigilant and remain alert to the risk of young people suffering harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that young people are supported and kept safe from harm. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with all safeguarding agencies to promote the safety of young people. A district manager reported, ‘[Young person] has not always been the easiest to manage … Their willingness to accommodate her needs and work with us to do so [has] been excellent.’ A social worker reported, ‘It’s a good placement. He’s a totally different child. His behaviours have improved massively.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has met and addressed all the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. As a result, the home has improved in effectiveness. Most staff have received training on child sexual exploitation, ligature management and managing self- harm. This ensures that staff members can respond effectively to any significant incidents, should they arise.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s use of the internet is appropriately monitored. Staff supervise and monitor young people’s access to online services and provide advice and support to young people, so they know how to keep themselves safe when they use the internet. New software has been introduced, and this enables young people to use technology and the internet safely with suitable safeguards and restrictions in place.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of bedroom door alarms has been reviewed, and consent for their use is in Inspection report children’s home: SC470224 3 place. The statement of purpose has been amended, and incidents of restraint are now scrutinised and monitored by the manager. Records of restraint and the home’s statement of purpose are now both compliant with regulation.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

New fencing has been erected adjacent to the property to keep young people safe by restricting their access to a woodland area, which leads to a busy road. The manager has reviewed the use of sanctions, and staff have been made aware of the revised policy. This ensures that the use of grounding as a sanction for unacceptable behaviour is reasonable, fair and proportionate.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is in the process of completing her registration with Ofsted. She demonstrates strong and effective leadership of the operation of the home. The manager ensures that the home is sufficiently staffed and resourced to meet the needs and numbers of young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/11/2016 Full Good

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Recommendations

 The registered person should continue to manage and optimize the full disclosure of information from placing authorities on placements for children, within the 12 week assessment period, so that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and to help the home fully consider the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC470224 4

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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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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Inspectors

Michelle Bacon, social care inspector Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470224 5 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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