Children's Home run by Halliwell Homes Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592943 1

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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 to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children. The home has an attached registered school.

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This monitoring visit

On 25 November 2020, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit and found serious and widespread concerns. As a result of serious shortfalls, a decision was made to issue a restriction of accommodation notice on 26 November 2020. This has been adhered to and no new children have moved into the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was conducted to assess the progress made by the provider in addressing the previously identified shortfalls. Inspectors have found that managers have not addressed the regulatory breaches identified at the last monitoring visit. Inspectors have again identified serious shortfalls in safeguarding, staffing and care planning.

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This monitoring visit

Children continue to be at risk of harm and display complex and challenging behaviour. This has included one child physically assaulting members of staff and other children with sharpened objects. This has been allowed to happen despite the child being on one-to-one supervision. On one occasion, two children were able to access knives and take them into school. Not only does this undermine a safe homely environment, but it places children and staff at risk of serious harm.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are not updated following serious incidents, nor do they identify all the risks that are identified on the child’s placement plans. This means that unsafe situations are not adequately reviewed, and staff do not have the guidance and instruction needed to respond to potentially unsafe situations. Managers have failed to devise effective plans to manage risks. For example, t he risk assessment for one Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592943 2 child does not consider or include information about his propensity to cause harm to others with sharpened objects.

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This monitoring visit

A new bedroom door alarm system was brought in following the last monitoring visit. This requires staff to sign a log to confirm that checks have been completed to show evidence that all children’s bedroom alarms have been checked and correctly set. The purpose of the new system is to prevent children from being able to spend unsupervised time in each other’s bedrooms at night. However, despite the implementation of this new system there are a number of gaps in the records. Consequently, the new system is failing to safeguard children at night.

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This monitoring visit

Because of children’s challenging behaviour and the general disruption in the home, staff and managers have not completed all their administrative tasks. This includes important records such as care plans, which have not been updated in a timely manner. This leaves less familiar staff with limited knowledge of children’s care plans and vulnerabilities.

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This monitoring visit

The home provides care and accommodation for children who have complex needs and require significant levels of support. The organisation provides staff with ongoing training opportunities that include e-learning and some face-to-face training events. However, as a result of the frequent staff changes in the home, sustaining a well-trained and experienced workforce is proving challenging.

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This monitoring visit

All requirements from the last full inspection will be reviewed at the next scheduled inspection. At this time, the restriction of accommodation notice remains in place. It is Ofsted’s view that there would be unacceptable risks to the safety of children should more children be admitted to the home at the current time. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592943 3

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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. 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b))* 10 January 2021

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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— help children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promote their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)(c)(e)) 11 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) 11 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592943 4

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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

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Mr Sam Dulay-Kainth, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592943 5 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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