Children's Home run by Calderdale Council in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 1 Registered provider: Calderdale Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority. It offers care for up to three children who may experience emotional and social difficulties. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 19 September 2023

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children were spoken with as part of this inspection.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not making consistently good progress in all areas of their lives. Some relationships that they have with their peers in the home and the community expose them to risky and harmful situations.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There are close working relationships between professionals, including social workers, the police, and carers. They work collaboratively to share information. However, this is not always effective and has not reduced the risk of children going missing from the home, or disrupted antisocial or criminal behaviour. The shortfalls in practice in promoting children’s safety are serious.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are drawn to unsafe activities and unsafe people in the community. Children prioritise their time out of the home. Staff offer unconditional support to the children while trying to connect with them and build relationships. However, staff have been unable to discourage these harmful behaviours and re-engage children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have education available to them, although this is not always on a full-time basis. One child has moved back into mainstream schooling, which is an achievement. Staff deliver one to one discussion sessions on academic topics as well as about reducing risky behaviour. This provides additional learning opportunities for children and supports their development of social skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When older children move out of the home, this is mostly done in a planned way. Children are supported to move on to a home suited to their needs. After children have moved on from the home, the staff still show an interest in them and keep in touch. This helps children to feel valued.

p.3

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

Peer relationships have a serious and negative impact on the children’s safety, health, and well-being. Children are being encouraged by their peers to experiment with illegal drug misuse and break the law. Children also frequently go missing from the home, sometimes together or at the same time. Children who go missing are more vulnerable and this places them at a higher risk of harm.

p.3

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

Sometimes children fall out and staff have physically intervened to keep everybody safe. Allegations against staff have arisen following some of these incidents and the use of physical intervention techniques. The manager does not ensure that allegations about staff practice are consistently investigated or recorded. This does not provide assurances that children’s complaints are taken seriously, and also leaves staff vulnerable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 4 Children’s missing-from-home plans are not effective and expose children to risk. When children are missing from the home, staff do not look for them in all likely locations, and sometimes no one is available to carry out a search. This leaves children in vulnerable and unsafe situations, including exposure to exploitation, criminality, and violence.

p.3

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

Leaders and managers are aware of children’s risks and vulnerabilities. However, decisive action to move children on from the home to a different area where risks are lower does not always happen urgently. This delay affects the child and their peers as the risk of harm remains.

p.4

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

Managers have not notified the regulator about significant safeguarding concerns and incidents. When notifications are sent to Ofsted, this is not always in the timescales set out in guidance. This means that Ofsted does not have a timely insight into this home and the safety and welfare of the children as risks escalate.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers understand the home’s weaknesses and shortfalls in care. They advocate for children to move when their risks increase. However, these moves are not timely and this delay means children remain at risk of harm.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have oversight of children’s plans and how staff implement them. They challenge and seek solutions when staff deviate from plans. However, they have not always been effective in changing plans and practice, which is a missed opportunity to better promote children’s safety.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers carry out assessments before children move into the home. This enables them to evaluate the group dynamics and compatibility of the children. Leaders and managers seek advice from other people and professionals who know the children, but they do not always take account of the information and advice provided. This shortfall in placement planning has negatively affected the group dynamics and the safety of children, as staff have been unable to prevent a child’s known risks impacting on others.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say they feel supported by managers. Staff receive regular supervision and training that gives them additional knowledge to support children. Supervision records show that managers discuss issues around poor staff practice as they arise.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of children’s specific cultural needs. They lead the staff team to support children in celebrating their heritage. This validates children’s individuality and sense of identity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(vi)(b)(e)) 1 December 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 1 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 6 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))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This refers to the registered person ensuring there is effective planning which promotes children’s safety in relation to children moving into the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.6

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 1 December 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

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: 2704517 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calderdale Borough Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Princess Buildings, Princess Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 1TS

p.7

Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2704517 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8