Children's Home run by Halls Homes for Young People Ltd in Luton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 1 Registered provider: Halls Homes For Young People Limited

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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 years 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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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged the home as inadequate following the full inspection on 20 and 21 April 2023. On 25 April 2023, Ofsted served a notice restricting accommodation at the home. Ofsted also served compliance notices relating to the leadership and management of the home and how well children are helped and protected. The purpose of this visit was to assess the provider’s adherence to the restriction of accommodation and to review the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has adhered to the restriction of accommodation. At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home. No children have moved in since the last full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met the steps set out in the compliance notice relating to the help and protection of children. Significant work has taken place to improve the physical environment of the home and remove hazards that were identified at the full inspection. This has included replacing all plug sockets with more-durable material and repairing a ceiling. New furniture has been purchased for many rooms, including children’s bedrooms. Communal areas have been redecorated and new flooring and carpets have been fitted. The home now provides a safe and homely environment for children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 2 Age-inappropriate computer games have been removed from the home. Staff have been spoken to about the importance of ensuring that any games that children access are appropriate. There are suitable measures in place to ensure that the child living at the home is safe when using electronic devices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met the steps set out in the compliance notice relating to the leadership and management of the home. Managerial monitoring of the home has improved. There has been one incident of physical intervention since the last full inspection. There is good oversight of this, with appropriate recording and follow-up actions being undertaken. This includes detailed debriefs with the child and staff member involved. These sought to understand how the incident was managed, and identified where practice could be improved. Plans have been updated to reflect this learning.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is providing improved oversight of the home. He is present at the home for one day each week and has been meeting with staff members on a one-to-one basis. This is helping him to gain a greater understanding of the care that is being provided to children. He will be undertaking regular audits of different areas of care.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has implemented new systems to ensure that she has good oversight of staff training and any gaps. This includes monitoring staff’s progress with the level 3 diploma. Additional support is being provided to staff to help them to achieve this qualification within the necessary timescales. Staff are working through a programme of training. The manager has good oversight of their progress.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the frequency and quality of staff supervisions. All staff have had supervision since the last full inspection. Supervisions have included significant reflective time, which has been used to think about how effectively children’s needs are being met. The sessions have included discussion of the effect of children’s behaviour on staff. However, the requirement has been restated so that it can be tested over a longer period.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no allegations made against staff members. The requirement relating to the notification of events to Ofsted is restated so that it can be tested over a longer period.

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This monitoring visit

No staff have been recruited since the full inspection. Therefore, the requirement in respect of recruitment is restated.

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This monitoring visit

The date for the requirements that were raised at the full inspection relating to consulting with children and the internal quality reviews had not passed at the time of this visit. These requirements, and the recommendation from the last full inspection, have therefore not been reviewed at this visit and for that reason are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 3 The judgement made at the full inspection remains. A second full inspection will take place within 16 weeks of the last full inspection, in line with the social care common inspection framework guidance.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/04/2023 Full Inadequate 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 - monitoring visit: 2628612 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 with the given timescales.

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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. 24 July 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 24 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 5 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. 24 July 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))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 6 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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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

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: 2628612 7

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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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Inspector

Joe Matkar-Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2628612 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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