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 four children who may experience a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 7 December 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/08/2022 Full Inadequate 14/07/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff put children’s well-being at the centre of their practice. Children say that they can speak to the staff, and they will listen if they have any worries or problems. Throughout the inspection, warm and nurturing relationships were observed between the children and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families in line with their individual plans. This means that children maintain relationships that are important to them. If concerns arise, the manager or staff immediately contact the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good attendance at school and are making progress in line with their individual plans. Staff at the home and school work together to meet children’s educational needs. Staff and children sit together after school to discuss their day. This shows to children that the staff are interested in their views and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are new to the home, staff make them feel welcome. Before coming to the home, staff and managers assess if the child is compatible with the home. This includes if the child will get on well with the other children. This is child-centred practice. This admissions process is not fully effective because it does not consider if staff have the skills and experience to meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet children’s health and well-being needs. They make sure that children have access to necessary health services. Medication is administered and well recorded. However, the records of staff giving children pain relief medication are incomplete. They do not include the reason for the medication. This means that staff and managers cannot monitor the use of this medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that children have access to a wide range of activities in the home and the community. This supports their growth, development and social skills. It means that they have fun and can meet new friends.

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

Each child’s individual risks are detailed in their risk assessments and plans. These are robust documents which are frequently updated. They give clear guidance to staff. This ensures a consistent response to children’s behaviours. Staff understand these documents and put them into practice.

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

Children understand how to raise a complaint. The manager takes action to investigate and address these complaints. This means that the needs of the child are at the centre of the process. However, when a complaint has been dealt with, the manager has not explained the outcome to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 4 Staff work with children to teach them how to keep themselves safe. Staff carry out this work proactively as well as in response to significant events.

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

Instances when children have been physically held are reasonable and proportionate. They are well recorded, and all relevant professionals are updated. Staff and children have a debrief after a hold has taken place. However, debriefs focus on the child’s behaviour and do not ensure that the child understands the reason why a hold was necessary.

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

Staff celebrate and praise positive behaviour. They understand children’s experiences and put in place clear and consistent boundaries about what is safe and acceptable for each child. Staff challenge children when they display behaviours which may not be appropriate. This means that children learn about the importance of respect in relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and qualified registered manager manages the home effectively. The manager has a sound understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He has an ambitious vision of the development he wants to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the leadership team and describe a supportive environment. Staff say that the manager is readily available to provide advice and guidance. The manager has an in-depth understanding of children’s individual needs and knows them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has taken action to address staff vacancies and there is now a stable staff team in place. Recruitment processes are robust, and staff are suitably vetted. Agency staff have worked in the home. These are members of staff who have worked regularly at the home and are already known to the children. This promotes consistency for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a qualified and trained staff team. There are some shortfalls in training, such as training in how to manage sexualised behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision sessions. However, these lack meaningful reflection. This is a missed learning opportunity for staff. Team meetings take place and are well attended. They include development sessions for staff to enhance their knowledge. This includes understanding children’s individual needs and recording processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all children have up-to-date local authority care and placements plans. The manager has requested these documents but has failed to ensure that they are received within a suitable time frame. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that—

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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))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is evidence of continued challenge and escalation to ensure that up-to-date care and placement plans are sent from the placing authority. 21 August 2023

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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

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)(c)) 21 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 6 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that when holds are used, debriefs with staff consider if the measure was necessary, reasonable and effective.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children understand the reason why a hold was used.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are trained to meet children’s individual needs. In particular, staff must receive training in managing sexualised behaviour. 21 August 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

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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)) 21 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are provided with a clear outcome when they make a complaint.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is a clear record of the reason why pain medication has been necessary. 21 August 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there are procedures in place for welcoming and introducing each child to the home and that they are sensitive to the needs of the child at the time of arrival. This should include a plan to identify if the staff team has the skills and experience to meet that child’s individual needs before the child moves into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.7)

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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 8

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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

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043697 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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