Children's home run by Holibrook House Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 1 SC037248 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2003 and the manager registered in April 2011.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Outstanding 09/10/2019 Full Good 06/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle quickly in the home. Staff explain the rules and provide the children with clear and consistent boundaries. This helps the children to understand what is expected of them and to develop daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved out of the home in the past year. They had all lived in the home for over two years. Staff helped them prepare for semi-independent living. They had 18th birthday party celebrations with staff and children and remain in touch. The registered manager spoke affectionately about ‘the three musketeers’ and the progress they had made. Managers and staff support children effectively when they move into the home. Careful thought is given and planning put in place to welcome new children to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child said that the home is ‘more like a family home’ than a children’s home. Two children said it is the best place that they had lived. Children get on well together. Children said they enjoyed games night with staff, which happens on most evenings. Children particularly liked the long-running card-game competition. Positive relationships are nurtured between the staff and children. This results in children spending more time with one another and with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with all relevant health services and are taken to their health appointments when required. Staff promote healthy eating. There is a lot of home cooking and staff eat with the children. Children enjoy cooking meals and baking. Staff praise the children’s efforts and achievements, which encourages children to participate in activities in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is a priority for the registered manager and staff. They work hard with education professionals and children to explore and overcome barriers to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff team work hard to support children to see their families and other important people in their lives. Family members are made to feel welcome in the home by the staff. One child’s parent said that the registered manager and staff were ‘five star’ and got ‘10 out of 10’ for the care they provided her child.

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

Children are included in the risk management process. This helps them to understand and accept the measures in place to keep them safe. The manager challenges professionals effectively when it is in a child’s best interests. This ensures that risk management strategies are robust and effective. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 4 Staff have a good understanding of contextual safeguarding and the risks posed to children in the community. The registered manager has been the manager of the home for over 10 years. She knows the community well and her knowledge about effective specialist services and support is strong. This means that the children receive support without delay and risks are reduced.

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

There is a robust missing-from-home protocol in place. The management team and staff team are successful at working with children to reduce missing-from-home episodes when this is a concern. When children go missing, staff alert the police and family members. Staff are proactive in keeping in touch with children and going out to look for them when they know where they might be. Staff discuss the importance of the children’s safety with them when they return home. This helps children to better understand the potential risks posed to them.

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

Staff talk to the children about the world, including culture and religion, and support the children to explore their own beliefs. One member of staff said she loved learning about the children’s different cultural backgrounds and celebrating these differences was one of the many highlights of working at the home.

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

Safe recruitment processes provide assurances that staff have been appropriately vetted before they care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked hard to ensure there is a family feel to the home. There is a relaxed and happy atmosphere in the home. This means that children and staff spend time together and trusting relationships are formed. Children are helped to settle and feel cared for by the manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager values her staff. She sings their praises and works hard to build their confidence and skills. The manager seeks the views of staff so that improving the care that the children receive is a whole-team effort. The staff said the manager was always available to talk to and they felt supported by her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented monitoring processes to keep the care that the children receive under review. She tracks the progress that the children make and helps key workers plan work to further support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which focuses on safeguarding practice and children’s needs, as well as staff’s development needs. This demonstrates management oversight of staff practice and development, and of the progress that children are making. The timescales for some staff training have not been met by the leadership and management team. This needs to be addressed to ensure that the staff are suitably qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been no incidents in which it has been necessary for staff to manage behaviour by holding children. However, the statement of purpose says that all staff will be trained in a particular method of restraint, and this is not the case. It is Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 5 important that all staff receive this training, which includes de-escalation skills. This will ensure consistency and that staff are appropriately qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management team needs to ensure that any update to the home’s statement of purpose is shared with the relevant agencies and parents of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 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, 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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(a) (5)) 27 May 2024

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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 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; the requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 27 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 7 the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC037248 8

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037248 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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