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 home is privately owned by a small independent provider. The home provides care 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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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 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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inadequate

There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection. No children have moved in or out of the home since the last inspection in November 2022.

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inadequate

There are elements of good-quality care at this home. However, the manager has persistently failed to make the necessary improvements required to ensure that children receive safe and well-planned care that consistently meets their needs.

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inadequate

At the time of the inspection, the environment was not homely or comfortable. There were no curtains or television in the living room. There was significant water damage to the kitchen caused by a radiator being pulled from a wall on the floor above. One child’s bedroom was in disarray. Some of the damage to electrical fittings at the home meant that children and staff were exposed to hazards that increased the risk of physical harm. As a result of continuing shortfalls and the unsafe environment, this home has been judged as inadequate.

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inadequate

Staff are unable to manage one child’s behaviours effectively. This has resulted in significant damage to the home, assaults on staff and a move of home for the child. As a result, children have not experienced a stable or settled home.

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inadequate

However, children have made variable progress from their starting points. One child has made good progress. This includes attending school full time and, with staff support, managing their emotions better. Another child has had a significant reduction in the frequency of incidents requiring police involvement.

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inadequate

Children are cared for by adults who know them well. Staff respond to children with warmth and positive regard that helps them to feel valued and accepted. Feedback from parents, school and social workers about children’s experiences and progress is mostly positive. They say that the manager and staff team stick with children and support them the best they can.

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inadequate

Children enjoy activities at the home and in the community. Over the Easter holidays, this included children enjoying their first experience of travelling on a ferry. Children also enjoyed the beach, theme parks and a trip to the zoo. The manager risk assesses the activities. However, these do not always consider and therefore mitigate all the children’s presenting risks.

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inadequate

Staff have good links with the children’s education providers. This has ensured positive partnership working. Staff actively encourage children to attend education, which has resulted in significant improvements in attendance. Staff welcome the children’s families into the home and ensure that children can safely keep in regular contact with the people who matter to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 4 Children’s meetings are not routinely held, and there is no record of children’s views being sought in other ways. Records do not reflect conversations that children and staff have or any actions or outcomes. Children’s records do not give a clear insight into their daily lives and are not written in a way that is meaningful to them.

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

Staff are unable to manage the high level of physical aggression from one child and unable to prevent significant damage to the home. While a plan for maintenance is in place, there are regular hazards in the home environment from broken electrical sockets and other fixtures that expose children to an increased risk of harm.

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

Staff were unaware that some of the video games available to children in the games room were not age-appropriate. This lack of vigilance increases the risk of children being exposed to inappropriate content.

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

The manager previously recruited two staff under an exceptional circumstances process. These staff remained working at the home without the required reference checks when the circumstances no longer met the criteria. This does not ensure that children are safeguarded from unsuitable individuals. More recently, checks have been completed before staff start work. The staff without the checks no longer work at the home.

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

Managers failed to notify the local authority designated officer within suitable timescales when allegations were made against staff, and they failed to notify Ofsted at all. This means that staff continued working with children without the appropriate multi-agency involvement or review of the suitability of this decision-making.

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

Staff only use physical restraint as a last resort. The holds used are proportionate to keep children safe. However, recording and management oversight of restraint is inconsistent, and records do not show that learning has been applied from incidents involving children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Lack of management capacity remains a significant concern. The manager continues to provide a high level of direct support to staff and children. As a result, many of the shortfalls from previous inspections remain. Six requirements from the last inspection have not been met. There has been limited progress in meeting recommendations made following the independent person’s visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to embed effective processes to ensure that care is consistent and safety requirements are met. This includes areas such as safe recruitment of staff, training, supervision, staff meetings, children’s meetings and repair and maintenance of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 5 Professionals said that communication with them has been inconsistent. The manager makes valuable contributions to meetings, but professionals are unable to contact staff easily, although this has improved recently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have some relevant transferable skills but none are qualified. Staff feel well supported by the manager, but they do not receive regular supervision. The manager has not received regular supervision. Staff have accessed some training but without an effective system in place, the manager is unaware of the training that staff have accessed. This does not ensure effective deployment of the skills in the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Regular team meetings do not take place. Staff communicate well verbally. However, systems for sharing information about children do not provide a reflective space to consider the needs of children and how to support them most effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose does not contain information about staff experience and qualifications. This does not provide an accurate description of the home and does not assist placing local authorities with matching decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is undertaking a relevant level 5 qualification. She has ensured that the culture of the home is child-centred, which provides a useful foundation from which to improve children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 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

*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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises are free from hazards, that all damage to the home is repaired quickly and that children are provided with a safe and homely environment. This includes repairing the kitchen ceiling, ensuring that all electrical sockets are repaired and safe and that structural damage is rectified, including damage to walls and doorways;

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that children do not have access to computer games that are not appropriate for their ages. 8 June 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—

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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; 8 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 7 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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that managers monitor the quality of care and the practice of the home effectively. This includes ensuring that all records of restraint clearly outline all of the information required in Regulation 35 (The Children’s Home’s (England) Regulations 2015);

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the responsible individual takes an active and effective role in overseeing the quality of care provided at the home. This includes monitoring the quality of practice, record-keeping and staff support at the home;

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders and managers have a clear overview and record of what training staff require and what training staff have completed, including any gaps in training and each staff member’s progress with the required level 3 diploma;

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff and the manager receive regular practice- related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. This supervision must enable the staff and manager to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 8 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 8 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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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 (3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, obtain two satisfactory references before staff commence work at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 8 June 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)) 8 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 9 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 8 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to including an accurate list of staff with their respective experience and qualifications. 8 June 2023

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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

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

regularly consult children and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iv)) 30 June 2023

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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. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 10 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))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, staff should ensure that activity risk assessments consider all of the presenting risks to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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 11

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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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Inspectors

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Russel Breyer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 12 inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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