Children's Home run by Halls Homes for Young People Ltd in Luton

Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 1 Registered provider: Halls Homes for Young People Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned by a small independent provider. The home cares for up to three children aged between 10 and 18 who may experience emotional and social difficulties and/or mild learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the home opened in September 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: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 3

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improvement to be good

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. No children have moved on from the home since the last inspection. The manager has not considered any new referrals, which is in line with the home’s development plan to embed improvements before a new child moves into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are settled at the home and say that they are happy. Staff are committed to the children they care for and provide them with a sense of stability. Daily routines have improved. Children are up each morning and engage more readily with staff and with learning new skills.

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improvement to be good

However, there continues to be a lack of care planning or systems that promote consistent staff practice. While these have improved since the last inspection, the continued pressure on managers’ time means that progress has been slow. Additionally, several requirements from the last inspection have not been met. Further shortfalls have been identified in relation to managing risk and providing staff with regular supervision. As a result, the home has been judged as requires improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to access learning opportunities. One child is regularly attending school and is making progress. Another child, who had been out of full- time education for a long period, is now accessing an education provision on a reduced timetable. Children are supported to access community groups and to achieve recognised qualifications at the home to supplement their learning. This structure has resulted in one child being more active, sleeping better and enjoying greater social integration. An external professional said that it has been an ‘amazing transformation’.

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improvement to be good

Staff have built positive relationships with children. Children spend less time in their bedrooms and take part in activities such as arts and crafts and board games. Staff plan activities in the community, including recent outings to the science museum and a safari park. Staff work with children’s social workers to carefully plan for children to have time out of the home without staff supervision.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to keep in touch with their families. Staff supervise this when needed. A parent confirmed that communication has improved recently and said that they feel ‘reassured’ by the relationships that staff have formed with their child.

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improvement to be good

Children requested artificial grass in the back garden. This is in place, and one child takes pride in hoovering this to keep it clear of debris. The home is comfortable and adequately furnished. However, some of the paintwork in the communal areas is chipped and a wardrobe and shelf need repair. The front of the home had a broken mop and traffic cones discarded near the hedge. Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 4

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improvement to be good

There are gaps in training for staff, including in first aid, fire safety and the physical intervention approach that the home has adopted. This means that there have been occasions when there has not been a first-aid trained staff member on shift. Consequently, the manager has had to remain available to attend the home if needed. First-aid training was arranged to take place the week after the inspection.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of each child’s vulnerabilities. Staff act appropriately to manage risks as they occur. This includes responding quickly to children leaving the home without permission. However, individual risk assessments do not contain an accurate assessment of the presenting risks for each child or the measures that staff should take to reduce these. This includes a lack of guidance in relation to children smoking and holding lighters, or the expectations of staff who are supervising a child ‘from a distance’ in the community. This increases the risk of unsafe or inconsistent practice.

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improvement to be good

There has been a reduction in the use of restraints at the home. When a restraint happens, it is used to keep children or adults safe. The manager ensures that children and staff have debrief conversations following an incident. However, not all restraint reports clearly state where the restraint took place or each staff member’s involvement in the hold.

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improvement to be good

The home had a recent visit from the local fire brigade. The manager has arranged for the identified actions to be carried out. The quality of these repairs has not been verified by a person with suitable training to ensure that they meet fire standards.

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improvement to be good

The manager has established links with the local authority designated officer. She reports safeguarding concerns to the relevant professionals promptly. The manager has regularly updated the home’s location risk assessment. This includes updated statistics on local crime but lacks up-to-date feedback from local services, including from the police.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to understand their emotions and to manage their feelings in less harmful ways. One child, who was regularly aggressive to staff, now chooses to have time out in their room or to take a walk when they are feeling agitated. This child is calmer and less anxious because of the support that they have received from the staff and manager.

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improvement to be good

Children are involved in developing their incentives. This allows for helpful conversations with children about how the home and each other should be treated with respect. The effect has been positive, with children doing more around the house with less prompting. Staff encourage children to be understanding of each other, and they address any unkindness quickly. Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 5 Children often confide in the manager and staff about their relationships and incidents that have occurred. This helps professionals to review plans to keep children safe.

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good

Management capacity remains limited. Despite engaging specialist recruitment agencies, the home has not been successful in recruiting a deputy manager in line with its development plan. The manager continues to provide a high level of guidance to staff, who say that they feel well supported.

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good

Most staff have transferable skills of working with children but limited experience of working in a care role. The longest-serving member of staff had been working at the home for eight months at the time of the inspection. None of the staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification. Details of staff experience and qualifications are not contained in the home’s statement of purpose. This is a newly formed staff team that is relatively inexperienced in providing care. Despite this, supervision meetings are not taking place regularly or in a formal way.

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good

The manager has established a safe recruitment policy. However, recruitment checks for the two most recently employed staff were not available to view during the inspection. The previous requirement in relation to staff recruitment checks has therefore been restated.

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good

The manager continues to take the lead with much of the direct work with children and modelling approaches to communicating with children. The manager knows the children well. She is a strong advocate, ensuring that children’s views and best interests are represented. When necessary, the manager escalates concerns to relevant professionals or independent advocates to help progress children’s plans.

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good

The limited management time available, coupled with the guidance needed by the inexperienced staff team, means that improvements to the systems at the home have been slow. Management oversight of incidents is good. However, management oversight of other documentation is inconsistent.

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good

The manager has regular supervision with an external professional. With this support, the manager is starting to develop the team and delegate responsibilities more effectively. Two team leaders have been appointed and have taken on additional tasks. This new structure is starting to embed and alleviate some of the pressures on management time.

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good

Until now, the manager has taken sole responsibility for communicating with external professionals. As a result, a representative of the home has not always been present at important meetings, and there have been long delays in sharing weekly reports with children’s social workers. Daily and weekly recording is taking place. However, records remain of variable quality in terms of providing the right level of detail and capturing a child’s experience. Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 6 The manager is committed to the success of the home and is working tirelessly to make the necessary improvements. She has a good knowledge of the home’s strengths and areas of development but has not yet captured these in a review of the home that is required by regulation. An improvement plan is in place. This is informed by the independent person’s visits that are thorough and provide good challenge. Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 7

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and provide clear guidance for staff on managing all presenting risks. In particular, the assessments should include risk management strategies in respect of the risks of smoking, children holding lighters and supervision of children in the community. 14 June 2022

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the workforce development and recruitment plan identify the required level 3 qualification and the specific training needed by the staff to meet the needs of the children, including training in first aid, fire safety and behaviour management. 25 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 8 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to management oversight of the quality and accuracy of recording, including daily tasks sheets and the recording of restraint.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 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

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should ensure that plans are complete and include decisions on delegated authority and that records are clear, accurate and accessible to children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 9 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 25 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first-aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 14 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 10 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 25 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) 25 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. Children’s homes, in most cases, should be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the registered person should ensure that maintenance issues are actioned quickly, the front Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 11 entrance is free from debris and a review of the fire risk assessment is prioritised to ensure that the actions taken to meet previous shortfalls are suitable and meet the required standards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the review of the location is informed by other relevant professionals, including the local police. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 2628612 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halls Homes for Young People Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 66 Drayton Road, Luton LU4 0PH

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2628612 13 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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