Children's home run by Holibrook House Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 1 SC037248 Registered provider: Holibrook House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately operated home which provides care and accommodation for up to six children. The provider’s statement of purpose states that staff use a therapeutic approach to care for children who may have social, emotional and multiple complex needs.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 2 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/10/2019 Full Good 06/12/2018 Full Good 28/09/2017 Full Good 29/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 3

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outstanding

There were four children living at the home at the time of inspection.

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outstanding

Leaders and managers plan exceptionally well for children moving into the home. They match the needs of children and staff skills very well. During the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, children have been supported to view the home and their room and to meet with staff virtually prior to moving into the home. This helped children settle in very quickly.

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outstanding

Children receive individualised care that meets their needs exceptionally well. This means that children make excellent progress in achieving their targets. One child spoke about the positive difference living at the home has made to his life. He said, ‘Staff have helped me to respond to things better and they have helped me to be a better version of myself.’

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outstanding

Children and staff share strong and positive relationships. Children are at ease with the staff team, enjoy their company and eagerly look to engage them in their activities, learning and play. One child who regularly visited her friend at this home developed positive relationships with the staff team, who provided her with a significant amount of help and support. This resulted in the child’s placing authority making a decision for the child to move into this home. The strength of relationships, commitment, and help and support of staff outcomes for this child have significantly improved.

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outstanding

Children’s wishes and feelings are expertly understood by staff. Children benefit from regular key-work sessions and house meetings, and have access to advocates. Staff are skilled in interpreting and adapting their interventions according to children’s moods and behaviours. Additionally, the strong collaborative working with other professionals helps children to get the right support at the right time.

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outstanding

Older children only move on from the home when they are fully prepared. Staff are instrumental in preparing children for independence and provide excellent guidance and support. This ensures that children have a clear plan for their future steps and have the confidence to live independently. Children are very much involved in coordinating these plans and are supported to make decisions about their lives. For example, staff support children very well with their university and college applications and their preparation for job interviews.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff set clear and consistent boundaries for children. Behaviour management support plans are highly individualised. These plans provide staff with effective Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 4 strategies that help to promote good behaviour and assist them to manage children’s complex behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Comprehensive individualised risk assessments address known and anticipated risks to children. Most of the time, these provide staff with guidance and highly effective strategies that help to reduce risk-taking behaviour, such as self-harm or going missing from care. Although one child’s risk assessment identifies a specific risk to him, the risk assessment lacks specific detail about this risk. However, all staff have a good understanding of what the risk is and the strategies identified to manage the risk. This is a recording issue and does not have an impact on how well the child is safeguarded.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Allegations against staff are managed well. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the policies and procedures relating to the management of allegations against senior staff. This helps staff to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff only use physical restraint when it is necessary to safeguard children and others. Following incidents of restraint, children receive good support which enables them to reflect on their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a long-standing, highly experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. The registered manager leads by example and has developed a skilled team of staff that consistently strive to provide excellent care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for children. The registered manager plays a significant role in improving the lives of children by ensuring that staff are supported and skilled in improving outcomes for children. For example, she has led a team to help children to achieve their GCSE results, find part-time jobs, open their own business and make plans to obtain a mortgage and own their own home. Furthermore, she has ensured that the risks to children have significantly reduced. The manager said, ‘Every child that comes to this home is like my own child. I will advocate for the very best for them.’ This helps children to feel valued, and gives them a sense of belonging and being part of a family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely well supported. They benefit from regular supervision, team meetings, appraisals and excellent training opportunities. The registered manager has strong oversight of staff practice and development. The registered manager supports and develops the staff team to be future leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work very well with other agencies and carers to support the safe day-to-day care of children. One police officer said, ‘I feel the children’s home and the manager in general are easily one of the best care homes/managers to work effectively with us.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers plan well for the day-to-day care of the children, using information from various sources. Children’s care plans are detailed and clearly Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 5 identify their individual needs and the strategies in place to meet their needs. Although there is an absence of local authority care plans for two children, sufficient information was obtained from the placing authority to ensure that the children’s needs were identified and met. Furthermore, leaders and managers took action to obtain these care plans during this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they challenge any placing authority that asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful and clear recording. In particular, the registered person should ensure that risk assessments consistently include sufficient information relating to individual risks to children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC037248 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holibrook House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, 172 Hoe Street, Walthamstow London E17 4QH

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037248 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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