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

The home was registered with Ofsted in August 2020. This monitoring visit follows on from two previous visits. The first visit was carried out on 24 November 2020, after Ofsted received concerns about the quality of care and children’s safety. Following this visit, a decision was made to issue the provider with a notice that restricted them from admitting any further children to the home. This was put in place for up to 12 weeks. This notice was issued because Ofsted found concerns around staff sufficiency. Ofsted was of the belief that should any new children be admitted to the home this would place the existing children and any new children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

A second monitoring visit was carried out on 15 December 2020. This visit was made to review the provider’s compliance with the restriction notice. The provider was found to have complied with the restriction of accommodation notice and had not admitted any new children. Since the previous visit, in November, one child had left the home, leaving four children living there.

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This monitoring visit

During the December visit, the inspectors found that managers had not addressed the regulatory breaches identified at the previous monitoring visit. There were serious shortfalls in children’s risk assessments and ongoing shortfalls in safeguarding. Following this visit, a decision was made to issue a compliance notice under regulation 12 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 2 The purpose of this latest monitoring visit was to check that the provider was still complying with the notice of restriction and that all actions set out in the compliance notice dated 17 December 2020 had been met. Ofsted did not physically visit the home. Instead, inspectors gathered evidence in several different ways, including talking to the manager, children’s social workers and members of staff. The manager also provided electronic documents for the inspectors to review.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the provider has continued to comply with the restriction of accommodation notice. However, managers have failed to ensure that all the steps set out in the compliance notice have been met. As a result, a further compliance notice has been issued.

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This monitoring visit

There are ongoing shortfalls in how managers assess children’s risks. For example, one child attempted to run away from the home. When staff challenged the child, he used a shard of glass to try and stab a member of staff. This child’s individual risk assessment was not updated following this incident. 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.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have failed to adhere to the supervision levels set out in children’s individual care plans and risk assessments. For example, one child’s risk assessment indicates that the child should be supervised by two members of staff, due to a known risk of physical aggression. Despite the significance of this requirement, situations have been able to occur when staffing levels have fallen below this required level. For example, a member of staff was left on her own with the child and was assaulted by being punched, kicked and spat at. This lack of adequate supervision of a child has resulted in serious incidents in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff still lack the necessary skills and confidence to manage the needs of the children. For example, not all staff have completed training in safeguarding, understanding autism spectrum disorder and anti-bullying awareness. This means that managers have not ensured that new staff receive appropriate support and guidance to fulfil their roles safely and effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The regulation 14 requirement raised at the visit on 24 November 2020 has not been reviewed and, therefore, remains in place. 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff’s understanding and implementation of each individual child’s risk assessment, and their role in keeping children safe. 26 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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; 26 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 4 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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff from the home are experienced and have received appropriate training.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff from the home completing individualised care plans. 26 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

*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

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 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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