Children's Home run by Halliwell Homes Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 1 Registered provider: Halliwell Homes

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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 to provide care for up to eight children. The home has an attached registered school.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post in the home, who took up position in April 2022. Ofsted is currently processing her application for registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 and 27 July 2022. Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Ofsted also raised a further seven requirements. These requirements have not been assessed as part of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have ensured that all the children have had their risk assessments and behaviour support plans reviewed. This means that staff are provided with the strategies and guidance they need to safely manage risk and keep the children in their care safe.

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This monitoring visit

There has been an improvement in how staff supervise children in the home. For example, the manager has introduced new systems to reduce the risk of children going into each other’s bedrooms. This includes changing start times for staff and using a log that identifies which children have gone upstairs. These systems promote improvements to the quality of care and provide a system which ensures that children are safeguarded from potential harm. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 2 The home’s environment has improved. Anti-climb spikes have been removed from gates around the home and anti-ligature blind cords have been fitted to reduce the risk of self-harm. Furthermore, pictures and soft furnishings along with wall murals displaying positive messages have been added to create a more homely environment.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not receive regular supervision. This minimises the opportunity for consistent care and staff to be aware of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe and support them to thrive.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the measures that the manager has put in place to address online safety are not proportionate. For example, children no longer have access to the remote controls for the televisions in their bedrooms. If a child would like to change a television channel, they have to ask the staff to do this. This punitive approach does not promote a positive environment.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been reliant on the use of agency staff. Leaders and managers have not ensured that safer recruitment processes are followed. Agency staff are working in the home without full and verified employment checks and references. This does not provide children with safe care. Furthermore, leaders and managers do not ensure that the agency staff used have the necessary skills and training to care for the children or to meet their specific and complex needs. This means that children are not provided with continuity of care or a stable environment as set out in the aims and objectives of the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a further compliance notice was issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2022 Full Inadequate 13/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are supported when they are subject to racist abuse from peers. 25 September

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 25 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children are supported when making disclosures against peers and that all children involved are supported to be aware of their behaviours.

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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 promotes their welfare. 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager’s oversight is developed to ensure the quality of care delivered to children is improved.

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

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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)(d)) 25 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff working in the home have full references, employment history and identification checks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that staff involved in physical interventions are not completing the management oversight. Additionally, where measures have been ineffective, ensure that behaviour plans are reviewed to avoid the continual use of these measures. 25 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 25 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 8 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s daily records being kept up to date to accurately record their journey and progress.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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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

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) 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 (1) (2)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent visitor highlights safeguarding concerns about the care and the environment to Ofsted. 25 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 25 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that prescribed medicines are only administered to the individual for whom they are prescribed. Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. This relates to ensuring clear protocols are in place for any medication administered in the home. Also, ensure that controlled medication is witnessed and signed at the time of dispensing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that electronic records should be held at

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Recommendations

the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. IT systems should ensure the safe storage of these records. This relates to staff accessing electronic information about children on personal mobile phones when not at work. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that any home using other monitoring equipment has a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with regulation 24. This relates to assessing if door alarms are required for each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 10

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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

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Mrs Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592943 11 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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