Children's Home run by Halliwell Homes (Midlands Division) Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 1 Registered provider: Halliwell Homes (Midlands Division) 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

This is a private children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to eight children. The home has an attached registered school. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 15 September 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, seven children were living in the home. Inspectors observed and spoke with all children.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 11 February 2025. An inspector returned on 5 March 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/06/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 4

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outstanding

Children living at this home make exceptional progress, enjoy wonderful experiences and establish incredibly strong bonds with staff. Staff have genuine love, care and aspirations for children and make the home a lively and joyful place for children to live. When children return home from school, they are happy to see staff and eager to tell staff about their day. Children and staff laugh together, play together and demonstrate affection towards one another. This creates an environment that is like that of a loving family home.

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outstanding

Social workers are exceptionally positive about the support their children receive from managers and staff. They say that communication is excellent and that children make fantastic progress. They say managers and staff are child centred and therapeutic in their practice. One child’s social worker said, ‘They have come such a long way since being at the home. They are flying.’ Another social worker said their child is ‘authentically happy’ and that the home is ‘a happy and welcoming place to visit’.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home. Children’s moves are carefully planned. Managers work with social workers, therapists and teachers to gain an in-depth understanding of children’s needs and risks. Plans for children to be welcomed into the home are highly individualised and include visits to the home and visits from staff. This child-centred approach enables children to quickly settle and provides a base for children to make positive and sustained progress.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection, three children have moved on in a planned way. These children lived at the home for between 18 months and three years. Children receive excellent support to prepare them to live in their new home. Future carers visit the home to meet children and take part in activities with them. Staff share information about children’s likes and dislikes and their routines. Staff show children specially prepared videos of their new home and make a child-friendly timeline leading up to the move. They then plan to stay connected with children after they move for as long as necessary to help children to settle.

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outstanding

A therapeutic approach, based on research, is fully embedded into every aspect of children’s care. Managers and staff work closely with therapists to understand children’s emotional needs. When necessary, staff receive additional training from therapists that enables them to understand how to support children with these. Staff are skilled at having supportive conversations with children and are highly attuned to children’s emotional responses. This empathetic care supports children through difficult times and promotes children’s emotional resilience. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 5 Managers and staff place a strong emphasis on children’s progression in education. Staff support children with phonics and reading at home in the way a good parent would. Children initially attend the company school and progress to attend mainstream school if they are able. Close partnership working enables children who

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outstanding

have a history of not attending school to attend. This has enabled one child to achieve 100% attendance.

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to live healthy lifestyles. Meals taken together are chosen by children and are cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients. Staff encourage children to be active. They go running with children to a local children’s park run. Children are enrolled in swimming lessons, and they enjoy playing at local parks. Staff ensure that children attend all health appointments, including appointments with specialists. They sensitively support children to manage their needs.

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outstanding

Children have many opportunities to develop hobbies and interests. Managers and staff constantly encourage children to try new things. Children make friends and integrate into the community by attending clubs such as scouts and brownies. They have swimming lessons and go on holiday with staff and other children. As a result of this ‘can-do’ attitude, children develop self-confidence and increase their social skills. One child has attended overnight cubs camp, and another child is taking part in a dance show. This is a huge achievement for these children and an indicator of the exceptional progress they have made.

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outstanding

Children receive exceptionally well-planned care that allows them to flourish and progress. Children’s views about their care are constantly sought by staff through planned discussions and therapeutic conversations. Staff know children’s individual communication style, and they support children to express their views through strategies such as play, worry monsters and toys. Although most children have the services of an advocate, one child does not. This compromises the available opportunities for this child to share their views and directly influence aspects of her care.

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outstanding

Staff know the individual therapeutic strategies to support children when they are upset or angry. These plans, shared with therapists, are exceptionally detailed and clearly outline the support required by children. The manager regularly reviews and evaluates risks and the strategies to manage them. Children are engaged in creating their own safety plans. Therefore, children feel protected and better understand how to keep themselves safe.

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outstanding

On occasion, restraint is used to manage children’s complex behaviours and to keep children safe. Following these incidents, managers review staff practice and ensure that staff receive an effective debrief. Staff not involved in the incident sensitively talk with the children and help them to think of better ways to deal with their emotions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 6 Consequently, children are better equipped to manage overwhelming feelings in healthier ways.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from the home because they have an overwhelming sense of feeling safe and secure. Each child has an individualised missing-from-home protocol. As an added safeguard, managers share information with the local police. If a child should leave the home, staff know the appropriate procedures to follow.

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outstanding

Managers’ response to complaints and allegations is excellent. When there are safeguarding issues, managers work with children’s social workers and the local authority designated officer to ensure that children are safe. If necessary, they carry out thorough investigations and initiate actions to improve staff practice. Managers keep children updated through sensitive discussions. As a result, children feel valued and listened to and their well-being is promoted.

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outstanding

Staff continually support children to have positive relationships with their peers. Disagreements and tensions in the home are quickly dealt with. Staff encourage children to reflect on how their words and actions affect others, and children regularly receive rewards and praise for positive and kind behaviour. Children, therefore, become increasingly tolerant and considerate of others.

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outstanding

Strong routines and boundaries individualised to each child help children to feel safe and contained. Because children feel safe and secure, they are open in discussing their concerns. This enables children to live safely in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly respected by external professionals and the staff team. Their influence and approach have created a nurturing and loving environment in which children make exceptional progress. The manager and her two deputies work as a team. They have a strong presence in the home, and children love spending time with them. This feeling is openly reciprocated. This therapeutic and nurturing practice supports the children to feel safe and secure and has resulted in children thriving, achieving and progressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain constant oversight of the home, using a range of review and monitoring systems. These effective systems provide a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This means that managers can quickly address issues and plan developments and improvements across the home. However, a child was not appropriately supported during an activity because of a lack of robust planning. The child was safe and well and had support from her member of staff close by. However, the child was supervised by an adult that the child and staff did not know well. Nevertheless, the child was very happy about the support she received from the adult.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The highly motivated team of staff receive consistent support through regular good- quality supervision that educates and challenges them. New staff receive an effective Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 7 induction that includes good-quality face-to-face training in safeguarding children, therapeutic parenting and attachment and trauma. Managers are aspirational for staff, and there are clear standards for staff to achieve if they want to progress. Staff say they feel very well supported and that morale is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a wealth of mandatory, required and personal development training. Staff have training specific to children’s needs, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, harmful sexual behaviour and autism. All staff have completed first-aid training and fire safety training. Additionally, consultation with therapists in bespoke meetings is extremely effective in developing staff practice. As a result, children receive high-quality care from skilled and well-informed staff who are fully invested in children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers understand the importance of children knowing who they are and where they come from. They support children’s knowledge of their own culture and identity through open discussions and specific celebrations. They promote children’s knowledge of diversity and inclusion by celebrating events such as World Mental Health Day and International Women’s Day. This encourages children to be curious about their world and to be socially aware.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff should ensure that children’s clothes fit them well. A child has recently gone through a growth spurt, which means that she has outgrown some of her clothes. The child has no concerns about her clothing. However, these concerns do not uphold the child’s dignity and may invoke unkind behaviour from other children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible, this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to express themselves as individuals and are given an appropriate degree of freedom and

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Recommendations

choice in relation to day-to-day arrangements for their care, depending on their individual needs and the setting in which they are cared for. This specifically is in relation to personal items such as clothing. Staff should ensure that children have clothing that fits them to uphold their dignity at all times. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)

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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: 2611027 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Halliwell Homes (Midlands Division) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pearce House, 80 Cawdor Street, Eccles M30 0QF

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Inspectors

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Joanne Vyas, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2611027 10 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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