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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 1 SC008488

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Halliwell Homes

Monitoring visit 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 registered for up to eight children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers education on site at a registered school.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is currently operating without a registered manager. The manager left his position following the assurance visit on 21 and 22 September 2020. A new manager has been recruited and is in the process of submitting his application to Ofsted for the position of registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

The home had its registration with Ofsted suspended on 7 October 2020. This was due to serious concerns being raised by the designated officer about a number of unexplained non-accidental injuries to a child residing at the home. Additionally, several concerns were raised by a whistle-blower relating to:

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This monitoring visit

 senior staff and managers covering up allegations made by children  senior managers dismissing staff concerns about other staff’s treatment of children and no action being taken  staff being told to cover bruising and not to be honest with Ofsted about this  staff not following policy and procedures when a child is injured, such as calling 111.

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This monitoring visit

Further, the child’s social worker visited the home and reported that it was in a state of significant damage and disarray, and that there were a number of ongoing incidents taking place with children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 2 This monitoring visit took place to evaluate the progress made in addressing the above issues, and to review whether the provider had taken sufficient action for the suspension to be lifted.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that internal investigations were still ongoing. The designated officer’s investigation is not complete, and the outcome of the Section 47 enquiry is not confirmed. The injuries sustained by the child are unexplained. It has not been possible to evaluate fully the effectiveness of any action taken without the outcomes of these investigations.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and the head of safeguarding both left their posts following the assurance visit on 21 and 22 September 2020. A new manager has been appointed along with a new head of therapeutic parenting (HTP). The manager also takes on the role of designated safeguarding officer. The responsible individual (RI) has also changed. The new senior leadership team is taking action to make the structure more accountable and to strengthen their oversight of the quality of practice in the home. It is too soon to see the impact of this restructure.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to said they would feel confident to approach the new managers and raise any concerns they may have. This follows a review of whistle-blowing procedures and is part of the senior management focus on creating an open and transparent culture. Managers have completed additional training in relation to safeguarding and investigation. However, not all staff have had basic safeguarding and child protection training.

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This monitoring visit

A new monthly monitoring tool has been introduced and is intended to support more rigorous monitoring of the home.

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This monitoring visit

An internal investigation has taken place, and serious concerns have been identified around the culture of the home, poor management oversight and weak policies, procedures and guidance. This identified that not all safeguarding issues had been investigated and dealt with appropriately. The new RI and HTP have worked closely together to make improvements to the homes safeguarding arrangements. Whistle- blowing and safeguarding are now set agenda items within team meetings and supervision. Safeguarding policies and procedures have been revised and are appropriate.

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This monitoring visit

In relation to following the correct procedure when a child is injured, inspectors spoke to staff and found that they were clear about their roles and responsibilities relating to children receiving appropriate medical care. There is a policy in place relating to accidents and injuries which steers staff to err on the side of caution when making decisions about seeking professional medical help. Inspectors found that not all staff had basic first aid training, and this is imperative in ensuring that children receive appropriate care for any injuries sustained.

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This monitoring visit

While there have been no children resident, the home has undergone some major internal structural changes to promote a homelier environment. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 3 It is evident that some progress has been made to support improvements in the culture of the home and to create a more transparent environment. Better systems are in place to provide clearer accountability and management oversight of practice. However, staff training, and the environmental changes needed, are not fully implemented. Not all of the investigations are concluded in order to inform any further learning and next steps. The criteria for lifting the suspension is not met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/02/2020 Full Good 11/12/2019 Full Inadequate 05/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 12 January 2021

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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— mutual respect and trust;

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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

that staff— 12 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 5 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; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to evidencing direct work with children following incidents, engaging children in key work sessions to address children’s relationships with each other and children’s specific needs. This will ensure that key work sessions are structured, appropriately timed and completed regularly. 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; 12 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 6 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that physical restraints and serious incidents are recorded and records reflect the full duration of the incident; staff use authorised and trained restraints only; body maps are recorded clearly and reflect detailed accounts of any bruising or injuries to children; staff are trained in safeguarding, child protection and first aid.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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; 12 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the management oversight of the home should be more robust. Debriefs and lessons learned should be used to support staff to manage children’s aggressive behaviour towards others living in the home in an effective manner, to prevent children being hurt. Staff should have suitable sleeping arrangements while completing their overnight shift. The oversight of the review of quality of care report and locality risk assessment should ensure that both documents meet regulatory requirements. Managers should ensure that all staff, including probationary staff, receive regular practice- related supervisions.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, managers’ oversight of sanctions should be robust, ensuring that sanctions are discussed with children, and that sanctions are proportionate and restorative in nature in order to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children and the staff caring for them. 12 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 12 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 8 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, restraint records should meet regulatory requirements and reflect robust oversight by the manager. Records should include full and reflective debriefs with both children and staff involved in the incident, to help reduce the level of restraint in the home. The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. 12 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 9 (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, all children should have a current placement plan on file, and the home should provide regular written reports to children’s placing authorities. Children’s individual documents should contain consistent information in relation to health and risks. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 10

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Recommendations

 Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Staff should be 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

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Recommendations

helpful to the child. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, that staff record the work they complete with children, as requested by therapists, so that children’s progress is maximised. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 11

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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

Registered provider address: The Curtis Partnership, 1 Tape Street, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1BB

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, social care inspector Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC008488 12 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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