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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 1 Registered provider: Halls Homes For Young People Ltd

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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 can provide care for up to three children, with emotional and social difficulties and/or mild learning disabilities, between the ages of 10 and 18. There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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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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 inspectors 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: 2628612 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Managers and staff do not always fully understand the risk of harm to children, and children are not always safeguarded.  Leaders and managers have not provided enough oversight of the quality of care provided at the home. When concerns about staff’s safeguarding practice have been identified, managers have not always fully explored and monitored the concerns.  A child’s needs relating to their neurodiversity have not been considered in their care plans.  Managers have not always had oversight of missing-from-home records for children. This has meant that actions to keep children safe do not always take place and are not always recorded.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was brought forward to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. No children were spoken with as part of the inspection. One child provided a written note for inspectors. The registered manager was present for the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not always kept children safe. Two staff members failed to provide the agreed levels of supervision of children. This meant that the children were at risk of harm. This was not investigated at the time that it happened. The staff involved have not been held accountable. There are no records available that make it clear to staff that this is not acceptable practice. Leaders did not demonstrate curiosity about the incident and what children may have experienced, despite individual risks of peer-on-peer harm being known.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortly after the incident, further information about it became known. Following this, social workers and the police were involved. A staff member attended the subsequent professionals’ meeting, but they did not make a record of the meeting and they have not requested the meeting notes from other professionals. It is unclear if further investigations are taking place and whether leaders and managers are aware of the tasks that they need to complete in relation to the incident.

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Findings from the inspection

The local authority designated officer (LADO) was informed of the incident. However, information, such as the incident happening because two staff did not follow a safety plan, was omitted. The LADO has not been made aware of the outcome of the internal investigation and, therefore, has not been able to offer oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff members, including those involved in the safeguarding incident, have not received supervision since this practice concern was known. They have also not refreshed their knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 3 The incident has not been discussed as part of staff meetings to share any learning or promote good practice.

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Findings from the inspection

A child regularly spends time away from the home without agreement. There is no meaningful strategy to ensure that the child is safe when they are not at the home. This concern was raised at the last inspection. There are significant periods of time when the child is away and they are not contacted at all. A safety plan directs staff to search for the child and to visit known locations, but this has not always happened. Records about actions taken while the child is missing are unclear. The records do not always provide necessary information, and the managers’ reviews of these incidents do not always take place. Limited oversight of these incidents means that leaders and managers cannot develop effective strategies with other agencies to reduce the risk of harm to the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that a child’s individual needs, including those relating to their neurodiversity, are understood by staff. Written plans to guide staff in caring for this child do not include consideration of their known communication and learning needs. Leaders and managers have not accounted for these individual needs when reviewing incidents. This has meant that the child has not received care that is responsive to their individual needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have poor oversight of records. Documents, including consequence records, key-work session records and missing-from-home reports, have not been reviewed by managers. This does not enable lessons to be learned about the effectiveness of staff practice.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has conversations with the staff about their practice. One consequence record, where there has been a written review, is insightful and provided staff with advice on the sensitive use of language. However, this oversight is not consistent. No staff have received formal recorded supervision since March 2024. Leaders and managers cannot assure themselves that children experience a good level of care when they are not reflecting on practice regularly with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Safe recruitment checks are not consistently carried out. A gap in employment records that was identified at the last inspection has not been explored. This means that the manager cannot assure herself that staff are suitable to work at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not undertaken a review of the quality of care since July 2023. This is a missed opportunity to drive improvement.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff offer children a range of activities and opportunities in line with their interests. Staff encourage children to live a healthy lifestyle using effective incentive charts and through the thoughtful planning of children’s daily routines.

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Findings from the inspection

The games room has been decorated and arranged so that it can be a useable space again. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 4 The two children living at the home have been supported by staff to improve the quality of their relationship and are now enjoying time together.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is aware of many of the shortfalls in record-keeping. She is realistic about her own and the staff’s limited experience and recognises the need for leaders and managers to develop their knowledge, skills and capacity for oversight. The manager has developed information sheets to guide staff practice around common recording errors and has organised twice-monthly sessions to address practice development as a group. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2023 Full Inadequate 07/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 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

*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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 2 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 2 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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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 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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 2 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 8 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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(ii)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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 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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 2 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 2 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 9 *This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a workforce development plan is in place, covering all aspects of staffing at the home, as set out in regulation 16, schedule 1. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halls Homes For Young People Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 66 Drayton Road, Luton LU4 0PH

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Inspectors

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Natalie Day, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2628612 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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