Children's Home run by Gravitas Care Limited in Calderdale

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 1 Registered provider: Gravitas Care 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 run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The newly appointed manager has not yet registered with Ofsted. She also manages another children’s home that is owned by this company.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2023

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last full inspection, only one child has been living in the home. This has meant that staff have had the opportunity to individualise the care they provide to the child. Despite this, the quality of care has not been consistently good.

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Findings from the inspection

Some staff have established trusted relationships with the child, but others have not. Other staff have moved on to work elsewhere. The home’s manager has left at short notice since the last inspection, and the new manager has only recently started. This does not provide the child or the staff team with stability.

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Findings from the inspection

The premises show signs of wear and tear and some damage. During the inspection, this was being remedied, and a wider scheme of refurbishment has commenced. However, children’s bedrooms are clean and personalised, which helps them feel comfortable in their own space.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff take account of the child’s emotional needs when planning how to best support them. They provide access to specialists who help children with their emotional well- being. However, a lack of tenacity from staff meant they failed to obtain an important report about the child. The result was that the care plan and guidance to support the child were not based on a sound understanding of the child’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are suitably trained to manage unwanted behaviours. However, the methods used to hold children do not always align with the training and plans provided to staff. In addition, the required conversations with staff and children after a hold have not always been conducted or recorded properly. This does not promote safe care and also misses opportunities for staff to learn from these incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff regularly review risk assessments and add in new risks and vulnerabilities as they emerge. Some risk assessments also have focused additional plans to help staff mitigate identified risks. However, one important area of concern had insufficient strategies to manage and reduce the risk. Some plans therefore need improvement to make them more effective.

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Findings from the inspection

Records of consequences for poor behaviour lacked objectivity from staff. Consequences also do not take account of the Children's Homes Regulations, which require that any remedial action does not affect a child’s ability to maintain contact with their family.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has made progress in education, attending more than they previously did. This provides the foundation for further improvement and to increase the hours they attend weekly formal study. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 3 Some progress had been made in addressing shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. A requirement around children moving in and out of the home has been restated, as staff have not had the opportunity to test out improvements they have planned.

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Findings from the inspection

The requirement around the lack of training for staff is also restated. This is because although staff have received some training, there are still gaps in the courses completed. This lack of knowledge hampers staff’s ability to understand and engage with children effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

The new manager has only just commenced employment. She has had insufficient time to implement the improvements that were identified as necessary at the last inspection. This includes reviewing and improving the workforce development plan and removing internal locks that detract from the domestic feel of the property. These recommendations are also restated.

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Findings from the inspection

Some records still contain judgemental or value-laden terminology, which could be detrimental to children who read those records now or later in life. The manager has plans on how to encourage more objective recording by staff, but these plans have yet to be fully implemented. Therefore, the recommendation about the use of language is also restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are trained in and developing therapeutic skills and trauma- informed practices and are trained in other relevant areas, such as exploitation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 30 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 30 April 2024

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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;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 30 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 7 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result 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; 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) (c)(iv))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home, unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff are able to identify signs that children may be at risk and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1. This should show the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the home and Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 8 any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. It should also detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training, such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications; detail the process

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Recommendations

for managing and improving poor performance; detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  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. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gravitas Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1-3 St. Annes Place, Pellon Lane, Halifax HX1 5RB

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 10 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 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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