Children's Home run by GBA Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 1 Registered provider: G B A Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It provides care for four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. . At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not currently registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

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

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 1 February 2024

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Although children have made some progress, staff do not always take appropriate action to keep children safe. This has led to children being harmed. Furthermore, on some occasions, leaders and managers do not follow robust safeguarding procedures to manage allegations. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is sparse. Although the children have the necessities that they need, some areas require a deep clean, including the carpets. The grounds are unkempt with items of rubbish, cigarette butts and empty packets strewn across the floor. Leaders stated that staff do not smoke on the grounds and that members of the public use this area as a walkway. This presents an additional risk to children that has not been considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some restrictions on children have not been rigorously assessed to ensure that they are necessary and effective. A lock is in use on the utility room and downstairs toilet, meaning that children are unable to access this area without a staff member. Door alarms are also in use on the front and back door at all times of the day. However, the use of alarms has not been assessed. Children expressed that the alarms are loud and intrusive. This does not promote a homely living environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Not all children are supported to achieve their full potential regarding education and training. Two children attend full-time education and are making good progress. One child’s education provider said, ‘Staff are interested in [name of child’s] progress at school and request weekly updates and provide the same in return.’ However, one child is not attending formal education. Although the child has access to a tutor, they are not consistently engaging in this resource.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children have some positive relationships with staff. Staff support the children to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. Effective planning and supervision of family time have allowed children to maintain their familial links in a safe way. Staff transport one child a considerable distance to see family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls, children have access to a wide range of activities in the local community. Staff encourage children’s interests and provide them with opportunities to broaden their horizons. Memory books are kept for the children that include photographs, and staff have written positive reflections to the children that document their time living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children’s routine health needs. Specialist services, such as the sexual health clinic, are accessed when necessary. The children also have access to the organisation’s therapist. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 4

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

Leaders, managers and staff have not consistently taken steps to keep children safe.

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

Allegations against staff are not always managed in accordance with guidelines and company policy. Appropriate safeguards are not always in place while investigations are carried out. Furthermore, previous allegations are not considered as part of the leader’s decision-making process about what is required to ensure that children are safe. Not all allegations are reported to the regulator and the local authority designated officer. This prevents any independent oversight or scrutiny of the provider’s decision-making.

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

Missing-from-care incidents do not contain sufficient information to demonstrate the actions taken by staff to safeguard the child, including if medical attention has been offered.

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

Although door alarms are in place, staff do not always check that children are safe when the alarms sound in the night. This has left children at risk of harm from each other and meant that staff have not always been aware when a child has left the home during the night. This leaves children at risk.

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

Physical intervention is not routinely used in the home, and holding children is used as a last resort. Detailed recording is completed by staff. However, a high number of negative consequences have been given to two of the children. The consequences are usually centred on a technology ban and, as such, are not restorative in their nature. Managers do not have sufficient scrutiny of consequences to ensure that their use is effective.

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

New staff have been recruited safely, with relevant checks being sought.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has been in place since December 2024. The manager knows the children and their needs well. However, the manager was unaware of important safeguarding information about a staff member. Failure from leaders to ensure that the manager was aware of this, has impacted her ability to safeguard the children effectively and has contributed to the poor decision-making regarding a recent allegation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of recording on children’s files is not consistent. On one occasion when a child was missing-from-home, actions taken by staff were not fully documented. It is also not clear if staff have sought medical advice after some incidents. This has not been identified in the manager’s oversight of the incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent person visits the home monthly and provides an evaluation of the quality of care provided to the children. However, there is a lack of recommendations to support improvement and development. Additionally, they do not regularly obtain feedback from children and other key people to provide additional scrutiny of the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 5 There is a consistent staff team to care for the children. Most of the staff are experienced and qualified in childcare. Staff have access to a range of training. Staff receive supervision sessions, which allow them to reflect on their practice. Regular team meetings are also held. Staff and the manager have good working relationships with professionals involved with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When safeguarding concerns were highlighted during this inspection, the responsible individual provided reassurance to the regulator about the immediate actions they would take to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

All staff, including managers, must know the processes to be followed when allegations are made against staff. This must include notifying relevant safeguarding and regulatory bodies. Systems must be in place to ensure that these processes are followed.

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Requirement Due date

Systems must be in place to ensure that if any safeguarding or practice concerns are raised against staff that all history is considered. Leaders and managers should be aware of, and have access to, historical information that may inform their decision-making.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must understand and follow strategies in place to safeguard children. Any shortfalls in practice must be addressed. 2 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 2 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 7 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is kept to a good level of cleanliness. This includes the grounds of the home being maintained to a good standard.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that staff do not smoke on the grounds of the home as this is a fire risk. 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 13 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 8 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that locks are not in use in communal areas of the home unless the need for this has been rigorously assessed.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, front and back door alarms should only be used to meet a child’s individual needs and should also be subject to rigorous assessment.

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Requirement Due date

The garden of the home should be kept secure to ensure that access is limited to those living or working in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are kept that detail staff actions and contact with other agencies and services during missing-from-home episodes. Records must also be kept of any medical care or advice sought for a child. 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that negative consequences used to address unwanted behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. Where some sanctions used are not effective, these should be reviewed by the manager and an alternative approach applied. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 9  The registered person should ensure that where a child living in the home is not participating in education, they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities for the whole of the school day. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 2732583 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Brian Royd Mills, Saddleworth Road, Halifax HX4 8NF

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Inspectors

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 11 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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