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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 1 SC470224 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 is a private children’s home. It provides care for up to 10 children who may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 10 children living in the home.

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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 outstanding

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

There was a second notice restricting accommodation served on 14 September 2022 with immediate effect until 6 December 2022. At the home’s full inspection on 3 November 2022, the notice restricting accommodation was monitored and remained in place to give the manager further time to embed the improvements. The restriction of accommodation notice was lifted on 6 December 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/06/2022 Full Inadequate 28/07/2021 Full Good 18/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children effectively. This is because children know the staff and can build trusting relationships with them. Children who were spoken to named the staff as one of the things they like about living at the home. One child said, ‘All the staff are really nice.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is in line with agreed plans. The manager and staff have challenged and requested reviews of contact arrangements when they do not feel they are meeting the children’s needs. This ensures that children can maintain relationships that are important to them. It also takes into account the child’s views around their family time arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children all have good attendance in school. They are making progress with their academic goals. The home communicates well with the school, and they share relevant information. This shows a positive partnership.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. They have access to local health services. Children benefit from therapeutic care and support. Staff have appropriate training to meet the children’s individual health and well-being needs. This includes training on autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attachment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of social, educational and recreational opportunities, including activities in the local community. These include groups and clubs such as Scouts, Beavers and Sea Cadets. This means that children can make friends and have fun. This helps children to build skills to form and maintain relationships and gain a sense of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff welcome new children to the home with sensitivity. The manager plans for new children coming to the home. This includes making sure that all children will get on together. The manager assesses what effect children may have on each other and how to manage difficulties. However, the assessments do not identify if the staff have the relevant training, skills and experience to meet that child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff capture children’s views, wishes and feelings in several different ways. This ensures that children feel listened to. The manager completes focused work with the children. This is a useful way for children to share their views and know that they get a response. Children’s journey books are lovely and a positive way for the children to see how well they are doing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment is warm and welcoming, and it meets the needs of the children. It feels and looks like a family home for children despite its large size. However, there were some areas of the home that need attention, including repairs to the patio doors and replacing a carpet. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 4

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

The manager responds to allegations and concerns in line with guidance. This includes notifying and involving relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer, Ofsted and the placing authority. When children have raised these concerns, they receive an outcome. This means that children feel that staff listen to them and take their concerns seriously. This ensures that they receive any necessary support to meet their needs.

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

When restraints have been necessary, they are reasonable and proportionate. Staff ensure that there are clear records and notify all relevant professionals. There is oversight and evaluation from the manager. Staff have received a debrief that is reflective of their practice and identifies any lessons learned. Children also receive a debrief. However, the focus is on their behaviour and not on the reason staff have needed to hold them.

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

Children’s plans and risk assessments are clear. They include comprehensive and clear strategies for staff to follow. Staff understand the plans for each child. They use the strategies in their day-to-day practice. This ensures a consistent response for children.

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

Children’s paperwork is ordered and well organised. Staff review and update information so it remains current and relevant. The manager scrutinises all records. This ensures that staff can reflect and develop.

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

Decisions that are made about children are assessed and recorded. There is a high level of communication between the staff and involved professionals. The manager discusses children who they are worried about at higher level meetings to ensure that they continue to meet their needs.

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

Staff complete regular direct-work sessions. They cover relevant topics and are age- appropriate, and staff use resources that are suitable for the topic and the child’s understanding. These sessions are proactive but also delivered in response to new situations that arise. They are also used to give children the chance to explore their feelings and emotions and to understand risks.

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

A locality risk assessment outlines the risks and concerns in the local area. However, the report does not contain all risks, such as bodies of water. This means that there are no strategies in place to identify and manage this risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The experienced registered manager provides good outcomes for children. She is inspirational and enthusiastic about her role. She is successful in providing a caring and therapeutic environment. This means children thrive. The manager knows the children and the staff team extremely well. She is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She uses effective monitoring systems to identify any changes or improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 5 The team has excellent working relationships with partner agencies, schools and family members. This ensures that children are at the centre of a network of support. As a result, children have the best possible experiences. One parent said, ‘I’ve seen [name of child] with the staff, and they are loving and caring towards them. The staff come to their level and really understand them on a level no one else has.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a stable and trained staff team. Staff trust the manager and feel secure in their roles and in the quality of care they offer to children. The stable staffing arrangements provide a consistent and predictable environment. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are positive about the manager and describe a supportive environment. Staff describe the manager as a good role model who is available to provide advice and guidance. One staff member said, ‘The manager is a wonderful manager who puts her heart and soul into her job. She always has time for her team and the children, who all absolutely adore her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is innovative in ensuring that staff understand the training they receive. She tests out their understanding in team meetings, supervisions and competency reviews. This ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and senior staff team complete supervision sessions. They are practice-related and are a supportive tool for staff. Supervision discussions include a reflection on incidents. This identifies risks and staff understanding. There are effective systems to assess staff at regular intervals throughout the year. These systems include competency monitoring, annual appraisals and personal development plans. This ensures a high quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team attends monthly team meetings. The meetings provide development opportunities for staff. They are a forum for the staff to share information with the team. These meetings also review each child’s plans. This means the team can put in place any changes needed to improve the care it provides. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 6

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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

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 (3)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must make sure that following a restraint, the child is spoken to, to ensure they understand why a restraint was needed. 12 October 2023

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Recommendations

 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 Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.7)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment. Staff should seek to meet the children’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. Doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. In particular, the registered person should ensure that any

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Recommendations

damage is quickly repaired and that they replace any carpets when it is not possible to thoroughly clean them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these, such as local bodies of water or streams nearby to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 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: SC470224 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 Sally Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC470224 9 regulates and 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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