Children's Home run by G B A Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 1 SC462591 Registered provider: G B A Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2019 Full Outstanding 17/07/2018 Full Outstanding 29/08/2017 Full Outstanding 01/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 3

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improvement to be good

Some children have made progress from their starting point. One child’s progress was described by their independent reviewing officer as ‘excellent’. This has not, however, been the experience for all of the children. Not all of the children have made good progress and had a positive experience while living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Careful planning and matching was not evident for the new children who have moved into the home. The planning and matching for these children did not consider each of the children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. The matching of these children was not informed by multi-agency consultation and communication. This means that the strategies were not put in place to mitigate all of the known risks. This had a negative impact on all of the children and led to the breakdown of a child’s placement.

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improvement to be good

In some areas, the home does not have a particularly homely presentation. There are some noticeable wear and tear issues, the decor is looking tired, and some areas require a deep clean. These matters detract from the overall presentation of the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff use a therapeutic approach and the children receive support from therapists. The manager and the staff also benefit from reflective therapeutic training sessions and consultations. This has helped some of the children to make progress in relation to their confidence, self-esteem and emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Care plans address the children’s needs. They are updated regularly, contain relevant information and show some of the progress made by the children. Up-to- date care plans ensure that the staff understand and can meet the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain regular contact with their families. Staff make sufficient efforts to ensure that the children who live far from their family home have positive family time. Good contingency plans are put in place in the event that family time does not go ahead as planned.

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improvement to be good

The staff support children well through regular key-work sessions. There is information recorded about the work completed on matters such as staying safe online, attending education, maintaining good health, the restrictions and impact of COVID-19 and increasing children’s independence skills. Children’s records provide a good insight into the support that the staff provide, and the progress made by the children. Key-work sessions have helped to educate some of the children on important matters and have promoted progress for some children. Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 4

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improvement to be good

The manager has not followed their safeguarding procedures in relation to an allegation of assault made by one child. This incident was not investigated appropriately as the information was not shared with the child’s social worker and designated officer. The lack of appropriate action taken by the manager has prevented a prompt, thorough investigation being undertaken. This could result in children being placed at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

There have been four significant incidents which have led to the police being called to the home. The manager has not undertaken a thorough evaluation of these incidents and has not notified Ofsted as required. The lack of notifications, following significant incidents, prevents Ofsted from having any oversight of the safeguarding practice in the home. Therefore, Ofsted cannot be assured that the provider is managing all significant incidents appropriately.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour is not managed and recorded consistently. The physical intervention records do not demonstrate that staff have followed the children’s behaviour support plans when a child is in crisis. When physical intervention is necessary, not all of these incidents have been recorded. When they have been recorded, these records do not consistently provide a clear description of the behaviour leading up to the physical interventions. The records do not consistently identify the staff’s attempts to de-escalate the child’s behaviour, or include a debrief with the child. On occasions, the records have been completed by the staff who have been involved in the physical intervention. In addition, individual staff debriefs have not always been completed. This means that the manager cannot be assured that the use of physical intervention is in line with the children’s care plans and is proportionate and necessary.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home protocols are clear and up to date. The staff have a good understanding of what to do when a child goes missing from the home and the staff make extensive efforts to look for the children. Key-work sessions take place with the children around their missing-from-home behaviour. This has helped the children to develop a better understanding of their personal safety.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment practice ensures that the staff working in the home are suitably vetted. New employees complete an induction programme so that they have the right experience and are supported to learn and develop in their role. This ensures that the children are cared for by individuals who have undergone the required vetting and induction process.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that regular health and safety checks are completed in the home. General risk assessments relating to the home and activities are up to date. This means that staff have the necessary up-to-date information and strategies to keep the children safe in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 5

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good

The support available to the manager is not consistent. This means that they have not benefited from regular supervision. This impacts on the manager’s ability to ensure that the home delivers continuous improvement.

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good

Staff say that they are well supported. However, the registered manager does not provide the staff with regular reflective supervision. Safeguarding and expectations in relation to the quality standards are not standing items for discussion in the staff’s supervision sessions. This lack of structure hinders the manager’s ability to deliver more focused supervision and could lead to some important issues being missed.

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good

Leaders and managers have not responded to the recommendations made by the independent visitor in the regulation 44 reports. For example, the independent visitor highlighted the shortfalls in relation to the recording of the physical interventions. Failing to act on such recommendations indicates that the leaders and managers may not be committed to the continuous improvement of the home.

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good

Staff have access to regular training and development opportunities. Their mandatory training is up to date, and the manager is aware of when training requires renewing. The manager ensures that the staff have the skills and training to meet the children’s needs.

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good

The registered manager escalates his concerns to the children’s placing local authorities to ensure that the children’s needs are met. For example, the registered manager has challenged one child’s placing local authority when they failed to provide an appropriate education provision for him. In addition, the manager supported another child to make a formal complaint about a proposed change to their care plan. This managerial challenge and escalation helps to better support the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 6

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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—

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii) 17 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 26 November Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 7 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii) (c)) 26 November Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 8 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 5 November 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Victoria Street, Greetland, Halifax HX4 8DF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Martin Hardcastle

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Inspectors

Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Janine Shortman-Thomas, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 10 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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