Children's home run by Helm Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 1 Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since April 2024. A manager has been appointed but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The shortfalls in help and protection and leadership and management mean that children have not consistently been safeguarded and their outcomes have been impacted. Although children have made progress, the changes within the home have hindered some children’s sense of belonging, and this has resulted in bringing forward their moving-on plan.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff experience challenges when helping children to access and attend education. However, staff work with the virtual schools to secure appropriate education provisions. Staff also use incentives and access vocational educational activities to encourage children’s learning and to make education engaging and enjoyable with the staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work with children to ensure the child’s voice is evident in key-worker sessions, care plans and children’s meetings. Children are aware of their right to access independent advocacy and know how to make a complaint. Leaders and managers ensure children’s complaints are treated seriously.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are helped to access planned and emergency health appointments. Staff understand children’s individual health needs and work with the children to assist them to make healthy choices. Children are assisted to have support around their emotional well-being. Staff support children to embrace their identity and offer them sensitive care that encourages them to develop a positive sense of identity.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to develop their independence according to their individual needs. For example, some children enjoy free time in the community, without staff presence. The children enjoy varied activities, such as day trips to the zoo and to parks, and they also enjoy art and craft activities and caring for their pet animals.

p.3

improvement to be good

Moves into the home are sensitively planned, at a pace that is suitable for children. Leaders and managers carry out detailed assessments to consider the individual needs of new children and children currently living in the home. Additionally, staff assist the children to explore any anxieties that they may have. Staff understand that change can unsettle children. They also offer nurturing and sensitive support to help the children to have positive endings when moving on from the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have had varied experiences in the home. Overall, they have felt protected from harm and have trusted adults they can talk to. However, on occasion, one child said that they felt unsafe. Although this is no longer a concern, their experiences have hindered their sense of safety and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 4 Staff have not routinely followed children’s care plans and taken immediate action to reduce the risk of harm to children. On one occasion, during a difficult time for a child, staff failed to provide the child with the appropriate support. This inaction resulted in the child requiring medical attention. On occasion, there has also been delay in management oversight of incidents, and children have not had the timely opportunity to talk about their experiences.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s missing-from-home procedures ensure staff take a prompt and effective response to missing-from-home incidents. This includes contacting the relevant parties to enable a coordinated response to actively search for children when they are missing. However, shortfalls in staff practice means that children’s plans have not been followed, enabling a child to go missing from the home. In addition, on two occasions there have been delays in staff reporting children as being missing from home. Police support has been required to return the children home safely.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff understand the whistle-blowing policy and procedures and report concerns regarding practice. Leaders and managers take all disclosures seriously, sharing information with the appropriate agencies to ensure a thorough investigation. The home has effective links with local authority designated officers. Additionally, safer recruitment arrangements are in place, to help ensure that only suitable staff support the children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s risks. Children’s risk assessments are detailed. They cover children’s known associated risks and provide staff with practice guidance to help to keep children safe. The staff offer children direct support to help them to understand these risks and to know how to make safer choices. Children are developing the skills and strategies to manage their own conflicts and develop positive relationships.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have physically held children to keep the child and others safe. These holds are used as a last resort when all other de-escalation techniques have been unsuccessful. On occasion, staff have carried out searches of a child’s room and possessions. These searches are carried out sensitively by staff in order to ensure the safety and well-being of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been some changes within the management team. A manager withdrew their application to register with Ofsted and a new manager has been appointed. However, they have not had the opportunity to implement essential changes to make improvements.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to monitor the home effectively. They have insufficient oversight of the quality of care provided and there has been delay in management oversight of some significant safeguarding incidents. This means leaders and managers are unable to be assured that the actions of staff promote children’s safety and welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 5 Internal auditing tools are ineffective and have not supported managers to identify shortfalls in the home. Leaders and managers have not escalated their concerns to a child’s local authority. This shortfall in escalation means a child’s updated legal care plan was not secured. This means that staff are working with an out-of-date plan, hindering their ability to provide the child with suitable, safe care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not consistently worked collaboratively. There has been a delay in sharing information with a child’s placing local authority. Leaders and managers have also not ensured that necessary information is shared with Ofsted. Two notifications of significant incidents have not been shared. Additionally, monthly independent audits and the quality-of-care review have not been shared with Ofsted in a timely manner. This means that there has been a delay in independent oversight of events that relate to children’s safety and welfare.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not had consistent support from the manager. Staff are not receiving regular supervision sessions. This is a missed opportunity for managers to talk to staff about their development and about the children’s needs, and to highlight any potential worries. Additionally, leaders and managers have not helped some staff to secure suitable qualifications in a timely manner.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated. This means that significant others do not have all updated care information regarding the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that the home environment is maintained to a suitable standard and provides a homely environment for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 20 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 7 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

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;

p.7

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)(c)(f)(h)) 20 June 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 20 June 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 20 June 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered provider— 20 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 8 is an organisation or a partnership;

p.7

Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

p.8

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and that all updated information regarding the children’s care is shared in a timely manner with the relevant parties. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

p.8

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: 2750251 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Helm Care Services Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 103, Group First House, 12A Meadway, Padiham BB12 7NG

p.9

Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2750251 10 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.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10