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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 1 SC008488 Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Midlands Division Limited Interim inspection 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 of either gender. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers education on site at a registered school. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed to manage the home and is in the process of seeking registration.

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Inspection date: 6 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 6 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the previous inspection, seven requirements were made. The manager has met five of those requirements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has been in post since June 2021 and has applied for registration with Ofsted. He is supported by two enthusiastic and committed deputy managers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, children’s risk assessments have been reviewed. They are regularly updated and receive managerial oversight. This ensures that significant incidents and unsafe behaviours are recorded and evaluated to reduce the risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff offer children opportunities to reflect and talk about their feelings when there have been incidents. They are asked how staff might better support them and what they felt led to the incident. Staff also help children to widen their understanding of emotions through age-appropriate direct work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records of physical restraint used on children are now detailed and provide a comprehensive picture of the incident. Records evidence that staff use de-escalation techniques to try and prevent unnecessary intervention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Through regular monitoring, managers identify where staff could avoid incidents from reoccurring. Staff reflect on incidents and evaluate possible triggers and patterns for children. Examples of these include the gender of staff on duty, and the time of the day that incidents occur. In light of these possible triggers, managers have adjusted staffing and adapted children’s routines to better meet their needs. In addition, staff have purchased items to help children settle at night, such as sensory toys.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are now a suitable number of staff working in the home. However, there has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. There has been a total of 13 new staff and eight staff who have left. This does not offer consistency and stability for children and a requirement is made to this effect.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, managers have continuously discussed and reflected on staff abilities to meet children’s needs. As a result of this process, a decision was made to give notice to end one child’s placement. The child’s local authority, however, did not feel suitably involved in this decision-making. Managers had not requested an early review of the child’s care plan to discuss and review whether the Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 3 home could continue to meet the child’s needs. A requirement made at the last inspection regarding children moving on from the home has therefore not been met and is restated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have considered the impact that children’s behaviours may have on other children. Assessments now reflect these considerations and are shared with local authority social workers. A social worker seeking to place a child in the home considered the planning to have been detailed and thorough.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have responded appropriately to allegations that children have made and suitably involved other agencies. When concerns have been raised about the actions of staff, managers take swift action to ensure that children remain safe until investigations are completed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement was made at the last inspection regarding the administration of medication. There are now clear processes in place and all staff are assessed for their competency in this area, prior to administering medication to children. This competency assessment is in addition to basic-level medication training. Records are clear and regularly audited.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage positive and kind behaviour between children. They set incentives, spend time talking to them and have recently created a large ‘act of kindness’ board. All children are involved in this and their achievements celebrated. Staff are inventive in their approach in encouraging children’s positive behaviour. An example of this is a very large advent calendar that staff have made. Children take turns in opening this each day and sharing the contents and the activities inside. The home was undergoing improvements and redecoration at the time of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/02/2020 Full Good 11/12/2019 Full Inadequate 05/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are cared for by a stable and consistent staff team. 31 March 2022

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— 31 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 6 the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm, or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to managers fully involving the local authority in decision-making regarding the ending of children’s placements. It also refers to managers requesting reviews of children’s care plans should concerns emerge that leaders and managers does not feel able to meet a child’s needs.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 for children’s home: SC008488 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Midlands Division Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 28 Sandown Road, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6PL

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Inspectors

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Paul Scott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC008488 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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