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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 1 SC043697 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 home is privately owned and provides care for up to seven children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may experience a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is currently operating without a registered manager. A new manager started in the role in August 2022. He is suitably qualified and experienced. He has applied to Ofsted for registration.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted carried out a visit to the home to monitor a restriction of accommodation notice on 7 November 2022. A further restriction of accommodation notice was served on 8 November 2022 with immediate effect, until 31 January 2023. This is because the inspector identified that there were insufficient numbers of staff to care for the number of children the home is registered for and that some safeguarding processes had not been followed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2022 Full Inadequate 14/07/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 3

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improvement to be good

There are currently three children living in the home. Although there have been numerous changes to the staff team, children are starting to build positive relationships with the new staff and feeling more settled in their home. External professionals reported that the new manager has brought positive improvements to the care of children.

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improvement to be good

Some children’s in-house placement plans are not current and do not reflect their progress or future care planning. Furthermore, some children do not have recent placing authority care plans on file. The manager has failed to escalate requests effectively for these documents with the placing authorities. This means that the staff do not have up-to-date information in relation to the objectives of children’s placements and how these should be met.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake some direct work with children to address healthy eating. They try to encourage children to eat healthy and balanced meals. However, for one child, there has been no communication with the designated nurse to determine the outcome of their recent review. This means that there is no clarity about any recommendations made to support the child with a healthy lifestyle.

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improvement to be good

The clinical team now has an increased presence in the home. They provide additional support for the staff team in the therapeutic work they do with children. There are clearer plans in place for children’s individual therapy. Children are helped to understand the purpose of the sessions and they are encouraged to attend regularly.

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improvement to be good

Staff continue to promote consistent daily structures and routines for children. Staff aim to keep children occupied in the evenings. After their full days at school, children enjoy attending Scouts, football practice, swimming and activities specific to their interests.

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improvement to be good

Have-your-say consultations and manager’s weekly meetings with children are now being held. These give children individual quality time with the manager and the opportunity to share their views, wishes and feelings about their experiences of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Safe allegation management procedures have been followed to keep children and staff safe. Actions from investigations are completed and any lessons learned addressed with staff directly or as a group in team meetings. This has included Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 4 revisiting the use of the whistle-blowing policy and staff’s understanding of broader safeguarding concerns arising from children’s disclosures.

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improvement to be good

Following a serious safeguarding incident in the home, senior managers acted to immediately protect a child and formally address poor staff practice. Furthermore, the staff team has been given clear guidance from senior managers in relation to the appropriate use of restraint and maintaining children’s dignity. However, managers did not immediately notify the placing authority of their concerns and of the action taken. However, this has not compromised the safety of the child as the social worker was notified the next working day.

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improvement to be good

The manager understands the importance of consistent multi-agency working. He appropriately shares information with the relevant professionals and makes referrals to the necessary agencies when required. On one occasion, staff’s recording of an incident was unclear and meant that an immediate and accurate account of an event could not be provided to the social worker. The manager plans to revisit effective reporting and recording with all staff at the next team meeting.

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improvement to be good

Children and staff have been helped to understand the appropriate use of consequences. When appropriate, consequences are restorative to help children understand the impact of their behaviours on others. Children regularly receive rewards. However, there is no structure as to how children earn a reward. This means that there is no consistency when rewarding children and recognising when children have managed situations well.

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improvement to be good

There has been an overall reduction in the use of restraint in the home. The inspector observed staff supporting a child to manage their behaviour safely and quickly without the use of restraint. This demonstrated the progress made by the child and the staff’s understanding of how best to respond to him. The manager monitors incidents of restraint to identify trends and patterns in children’s behaviour. This has enabled him to review children’s routines and access additional support for children when required.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from the home. On the rare occasion that children have tried to leave the home unsupervised, staff have followed them and returned them home safely.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour support plans are updated regularly and provide staff with strategies to help children to reduce their risky behaviours. Children say that they are supported with strategies that help them to calm. A new system means that staff are accountable for reading all changes to the plans. Staff have an improved understanding of the support children require to help them manage their behaviour.

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good

Since the last inspection, two staff have left and four staff are currently not working in the home, which means that there are not sufficient staff to safely care for more Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 5 children than already living in the home. The manager and deputy manager have been required to cover some shifts to ensure that there is continuity of care for the children currently living there. Furthermore, there are still insufficient numbers of staff to deliver therapeutic-informed care to support and safeguard any additional children. Therefore, the restriction of accommodation notice remains in place.

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good

There was a significant delay in the review of quality of care report being sent to Ofsted by the manager. The report does not include feedback from children, to provide a full evaluation of the care provided to children. In addition to this, the independent visitor reports do not include sufficient feedback from children, their families or staff. This means that the reports are ineffective in providing a clear overview of the quality of the service.

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good

Newly recruited staff are currently being trained. The manager has recognised that some staff need a refresher of some training courses. Due to the high turnover of staff in recent months, most staff have not had foetal alcohol syndrome training. This training is specific to one child’s needs and the manager understands it is a priority.

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good

The manager continues to bring stability to the staff team and children. He has a calm approach with the children and they listen to him. Staff are confident in the manager’s leadership style and, because of this, they feel more settled in their roles. Additionally, social workers reported that there is better communication and action planning under the new manager. One social worker said that the manager demonstrates good rationale for the decisions he makes.

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good

All staff are provided with regular practice-related supervisions. They are effective in supporting staff following serious incidents and focus on key areas of learning and development. Team meetings are used to improve staff’s understanding of policies and procedures. In one example of this, staff were involved in a workshop to develop their ability to risk assess activities for children effectively and keep them safe.

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good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He has a clear vision of how he plans to develop the home. His monitoring and oversight of records have improved. He uses his evaluations to make changes to staff practice and to improve the quality of care provided to children. The manager requires further time to embed this, and to ensure that records are organised effectively and include more attention to detail. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 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)) 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 20 January 2023

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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— 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 7 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 20 January 2023

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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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 20 January 2023

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) (4)(a) (5)) 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising when children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.39)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC043697 9

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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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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 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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