Children's Home run by Hollybank Trust in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 1 Registered provider: Hollybank Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a charitable trust. It provides a mix of short breaks and long- term care for up to eight children with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home on a permanent basis. No children were present under short-break arrangements.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care is supported by a skilled multi-disciplinary team of staff. This gives the children’s primary carers confidence in caring for children who have multiple and profound disabilities. Notably, staff’s care of the children is delivered with love and sensitivity. Time was spent with all six children during the inspection.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have created a stimulating environment for the children to live in. Staff work alongside the children’s parents to ensure that the children’s bedrooms are personalised. There is good use of technology to encourage children to enjoy a level of independence, such as fitting switch systems in the children’s bedrooms so that children can control the lighting.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are passionate about raising awareness around children with profound disabilities. There is a strong determination to promote inclusivity for the children. One child loves to attend the local Brownies group. The manager is working closely with a local school to explore various networking opportunities for the children. This approach enriches the children’s life experiences while championing the profile of children with complex disabilities.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s parents are comforted through their own observations of how their children are cared for and loved. The manager uses technology to keep each child’s direct family members informed and involved in their care. Parents say that this gives them reassurance about practice in the home while providing them with a direct link to the manager.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the staff have extensive knowledge about the children’s disabilities, other aspects of each child’s background are not always explored to enrich what staff talk about and do with the children.

p.3

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

The speech and language therapist has developed the children’s communication passports to include photos to show and describe the children’s emotional state. This is an example of the provider’s deep-rooted intent to communicate effectively with and better understand the children. The staff say that the input and support from speech and language therapists are valued and a crucial element of the children’s care.

p.3

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

There are high expectations for the care of the children. Leaders and managers are supportive of staff and have created a learning and open culture. When mistakes are made, a reflective discussion is held with the manager. This is not to apportion blame but to offer support through reflection and learning. In such events, the manager and provider work alongside parents and professionals to ensure that issues of concern are managed transparently. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 4 The children’s risk assessments are developed alongside occupational therapists. Again, there is good use of photos to give staff visual guidance prompts, for example for children who need postural changes during the night and for those who have a variety of mobility aids. The quality and frequent review of the children’s risk assessments complement the provider’s ethos by encouraging children’s mobility and freedom of

p.3

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

The manager promotes a safeguarding culture in the home. There are visual prompts and confidential mechanisms in place for staff to immediately escalate any safeguarding concern. However, the process for support staff to report their concern is unclear and so undermines their ability to enact their duty of care to the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed and driven and is an advocate for positive mental well-being. This approach to management has been welcomed by the staff. As a result, various staff are mental health first aiders. This has created an understanding and supportive culture about mental well-being across the team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers oversee an open and transparent culture of care. This starts with the provider’s website, which highlights parents’ views around their child’s care. Building on this, extensive efforts are made to reach out and involve parents. Examples include parents being invited and supported on activities with their children, as well as being informed about their children’s experiences of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are motivated to learn and develop. One parent said that they have seen how the provider invests in staff, which reassured them due to the positive culture that this creates. Additionally, staff work alongside a host of practitioners who have specialised areas of expertise, such as speech and language. Staff say that this gives lots of opportunities to naturally develop their skills and confidence in meeting the children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior staff have additional responsibilities associated with their role. Some senior staff are unclear or troubled by their responsibilities for covering sickness. Additionally, there is some confusion around how the senior role is incorporated into staffing ratios. The manager should ensure that senior staff have a clear understanding of how staff ratios are managed, as well as a workable process for covering staff absence.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s written records do not fully capture the content of conversations held with professionals or parents. Therefore, the children’s written records do not consistently give an account of agreements or decisions made between all professionals and parents. This diminishes the accountability and transparency associated with this aspect of the children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.5

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 15 January 2025

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should encourage staff to be curious about children’s backgrounds. The importance of understanding who we are and where we come from is recognised in good social care practice, for example through undertaking life-story work or other direct work with the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with information-sharing requirements relating to safeguarding issues about the children they care for. In particular, ensuring that senior staff carry forward their observations and comments about the children’s welfare to other safeguarding professionals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.7)  The registered person should ensure that there is clarity around staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected

p.5

Recommendations

events or opportunities. In particular, this relates to the role and responsibilities of senior staff in these instances. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.7) Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 6

p.5

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: 2719792 7

p.6

Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 8 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.

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