Children's home run by Holywell Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 1 Registered provider: Holywell Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is operated by a small private organisation. The home is registered to provide care to one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 3

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improvement to be good

The staff in the home know the child well and invest time in them. The relationships between staff and the child is positive. This helps to build trust and the child can identify a trusted adult who they can speak to about any worries or concerns they may have.

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improvement to be good

One child does not currently attend school; they receive home tuition for three hours each day. For several months, there has been a search to identify an appropriate school. This process has taken a considerable amount of time and has not been a priority. As a result, this has reduced the child’s learning and social development opportunities. The manager and staff do not always advocate on behalf of the child for them to return to full-time education as soon as possible.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, they are sensitively welcomed. However, staff do not always carry out direct work with children once they have moved in. As a result of this, children are not given explanations about the children’s guide or how to make a complaint, nor are they made aware of how to access advocacy services.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health is promoted. There are clear health plans in place and the child is registered with local health services. The child’s health appointments are up to date and staff regularly advocate on behalf of the child in regard to their health.

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improvement to be good

Children have their own bedrooms and are given the freedom to personalise them. However, when furniture is broken or faulty, it is not always replaced or repaired in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

The child is making positive progress at the home and is relatively settled. The child’s risk-taking behaviours has significantly reduced since moving into the home. One child’s parent commented, ‘I am really pleased with the progress. They keep my child safe. Their [the child’s] risk-taking behaviour has decreased tremendously.’

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improvement to be good

The home makes use of consequences and rewards, which are recorded. The manager reviews all consequences and their effectiveness, to ensure that they are relatable and restorative in nature.

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improvement to be good

There have been occasions when children have had to be held to keep them safe. Not all incidents of restraint are reviewed effectively by the registered manager. There is insufficient scrutiny and the effectiveness of the restraint used is not considered. The manager does not identify possible learning outcomes from Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 4 incidents and, as a result, staff do not reflect effectively or develop their practice following their involvement in incidents.

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improvement to be good

There are individual and up-to-date risk assessments in place, however, they do not address the vulnerabilities for each child effectively and do not clearly set out what action should be taken to mitigate these risks.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are carried out and recorded; children are informed and involved with the process. When one child informed staff that they had self-harmed, staff decided to carry out a room search. However, the incident of self-harm was not recorded and it is unclear what action was taken to support the child or what first aid was offered.

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improvement to be good

Fire safety in the home is good. Weekly and monthly checks take place and fire drills are carried out every month. Fire drills are also held when there has been a concern, to ensure that fire safety systems are effective and in working order. Children are involved in the fire drills and know how to safely evacuate the building.

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good

Supervisions are held regularly and in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff receive supervisions and are given opportunities to reflect on their practice and the care that they provide to children. Regular team meetings take place once a month. These are also reflective and provide staff with opportunities to appropriately challenge practice.

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good

The manager has implemented a safe area report, which considers the local risks and hazards. The report provides actions to take to mitigate the identified risks and each risk is individually rated. However, the manager has not consulted with relevant agencies, such as local police in the community, to obtain their views.

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good

Monitoring in the home is not effective. Issues are not always identified through the manager’s checks, which prevents the manager from having a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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good

The home makes use of internal care plans that identify children’s needs, however, they do not fully incorporate the placing authority care plan. The care plan that is in place in the home is outdated and does not reflect that the child currently lives at the home.

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good

One child has experienced two bereavements in a short period of time. The manager has not recognised a training need for staff and has not provided them with additional training that will support their development and give them the relevant skills to support children who have experienced bereavement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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 an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(d)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that when children move into the home, there is a clear plan of introduction, covering the children’s guide and other relevant topics to the home, ensuring that their move into the home is positive. 8 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 8 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 8 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 7 The provider must ensure that the children’s individual risk management plans provide staff with clear strategies to manage and reduce risk.

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that factual records of restraint are completed.

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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

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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented in children’s risk management plans or to support the development of staff.

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that incidents involving self-harm are recorded according to the home’s reporting and recording procedures.

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that staff are provided with additional bereavement training, to support children who have experienced loss. 8 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed; 8 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 8 (Regulation 14 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there is an up-to-date care plan in place from the placing authority.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that they consult with relevant people and include their views when reviewing the location of the premises. 8 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with appropriate furniture. Any broken furniture should be replaced or repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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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: 2662751 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holywell Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Dalton House, 9 Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 1WD

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Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2662751 10 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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