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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 1 Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Limited Full 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 that provides care for up to eight children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous manager left their role in September 2021. The new manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021. She is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/08/2019 Full Good 30/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy in their home. They have developed positive relationships with a nurturing and supportive staff team. One parent reported that staff care for their son and offer support to their family. Children regularly attend school. They are helped to understand their behaviour and make better choices. Furthermore, children make good progress because they are now provided with clearer boundaries, structures and routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment has been refurbished to make it homely and modern. Children’s bedrooms are personalised nicely and reflect that the children are well cared for. Children are encouraged to play together. They enjoy fun days out, including going to theme parks, and have completed, as a group, a 100-mile walk to raise money for charity. Children also attend a variety of community-based clubs, such as gymnastics, Scouts and Guides.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers reported that, when children move into the home, the plans are structured to help reduce children’s anxieties. The staff team communicates regularly with social workers. When children move out of the home, their moves have mostly been positive. When children’s placements have come to an end unexpectedly, families have praised the support provided to their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For one child, the manager has failed to escalate her concerns to the child’s placing authority effectively. This has contributed to a delay in the completion of some essential assessments. This has resulted in a delay in the permanency planning for the child. However, the manager has taken action to facilitate regular placement review meetings with the placing authority. This will ensure that there are no further delays in working towards the long-term plan for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are monitored well. The staff understand their role in the restorative parenting programme and the therapeutic support that children require to meet their needs. The staff team is supported regularly by a qualified clinical team to deliver this work effectively. Staff support children to explore their identities in a supportive and non-judgemental way. Children are taught to respect each other’s choices and identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with lots of opportunities to ensure that their views, wishes and feelings are heard. Children have a say in the running of their home and share their views about their care through regular house meetings. However, children are not routinely provided with feedback in relation to their requests at these house meetings. This means that children are not given the reasons when their requests cannot be agreed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions focus on the objectives of children’s placements, as agreed with social workers and in consultation with the in-house clinical team. The staff team Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 4 uses effective parenting techniques to help children to address their emotions and talk about how they feel. Additionally, monthly workshops are effective in engaging children to educate them about important topics such as racism, mental well-being and healthy relationships.

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

Children feel safe and secure at the home. Social workers said that the staff team is proactive in safeguarding children to minimise risk. Safety planning for one child has been particularly robust to ensure that the child, their peers and the staff team have been safeguarded effectively. Staff are vigilant in their practice and work consistently with the strategies set out in children’s individual support plans.

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

Matching risk assessments evidence that the needs of the current group of children are considered against any new child’s risk-taking behaviour, prior to them moving into the home. Strategies are identified to determine how any shared risks can be managed safely. The staff team is involved in the matching process, which empowers them and helps them to have a clear focus on the support a child requires when they move into the home.

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

A positive behaviour support model of care is embedded in staff practice and has been effective in supporting staff to understand children’s trauma-led behaviour. Children are more settled because there is a stable staff team providing continuity of care. Consequently, the use of restraint has reduced for all children. The manager uses her monthly monitoring reports effectively to focus on trends and patterns of children’s behaviour to inform future practice.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Despite this, each child has a clear missing-from-home protocol in place. Staff respond to any incidents without delay and ensure that children are returned safely and within minimal timescales.

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

Serious incidents are responded to well by the staff team. Debriefs are promptly undertaken with both the staff and children. Safety planning is immediately implemented to prevent further incidents. Following a significant incident, additional follow-up work was identified as being required for one child. However, this work was not undertaken. Additionally, the child’s behaviour support assessment records were not updated in relation to the child’s risk-taking behaviour. This means that staff were not provided with current information about how the child’s behaviour should be monitored or managed.

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

Children have made no complaints and bullying is not a concern in the home. Children said that staff quickly manage any conflict between children before it escalates. Allegations are responded to appropriately to safeguard all involved. The staff team is confident in their use of whistle-blowing, and safeguarding professionals are notified within suitable timescales to ensure that there is a transparent approach to allegation management. Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly motivated, enthusiastic and child-focused. She has provided stability and consistency since she transferred to the home. She has made significant improvements in the level of care and management oversight. The manager is supported by two knowledgeable and experienced deputy managers who work together positively to motivate the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a thorough understanding of the children. She will challenge decisions to promote better life chances for children and advocates on their behalf to ensure that their needs are met. The manager’s consultations with children encourage children to provide honest feedback about their care, and demonstrate the positive relationships children have developed with the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has stabilised, and retention of staff has improved. Some staff have retracted their notice since the arrival of the current manager to the home. Staff said that they receive high levels of support and that they now enjoy their roles again. They feel valued and listened to. One staff member said, ‘Morale is at an all- time high.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive consistent practice-related supervision. New staff members are provided with additional support throughout their probationary period. Staff development and progression are promoted in the team. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed. Additional training specific to children’s needs is provided, which ensures that the staff team has an in-depth insight into children’s behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are child-focused and supportive. The staff value the attendance of senior managers at these meetings on occasions, so that the staff team’s views can be heard. Prompt action is taken when requests or suggestions are made to improve the service. Additionally, the manager’s workforce development plan provides a clear and realistic vision of her aspirations to develop the home in the coming months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s quality-of-care report provides a reflective account of children’s achievements and any action to be implemented to resolve barriers to their progression. However, the quality of the independent visitor reports is poor. They do not include regular feedback from children, family members or professionals. They lack detail about staff management of serious incidents, and they do not consistently reflect whether children are safeguarded effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 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

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 21 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(a) (4)(a)(b)) 21 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the manager provides feedback to children regarding their views and feelings shared at house meetings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s behaviour support assessments include up-to-date information about children’s risk-taking behaviour, and that staff are provided with clear guidance of how children’s risk-taking behaviour should be monitored and managed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 7  The registered person should ensure that staff evidence that they complete additional follow-up work with children to address risk-taking behaviour and help children to manage their emotions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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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 for children’s home: 1229534 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halliwell Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pearce House, 80 Cawdor Street, Eccles M30 0QF

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1229534 9 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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