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 run by a private company. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. All three children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The interim manager has submitted their application to be registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 21 and 22 January 2025, Ofsted carried out a full inspection and identified serious shortfalls relating to the safety and protection of children and the management of allegations. Compliance notices under regulation 12 and a notice restricting accommodation were raised. The steps detailed in the compliance notice were found to be met following a monitoring visit on the 4 March 2025. The restriction on accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Inadequate 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: good

Children feel cared for by the staff. They are making progress. Staff identify that the care they provide to the children makes a difference. When children have concerns about their care, they know how to make a complaint. Complaints are responded to in a timely and detailed way that is appropriate to the child’s age.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend full-time education and they are making progress. Staff have positive links with the children’s teachers, and they encourage school attendance because they want to see children flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive timely health reviews and this helps to ensure that lifelong conditions are monitored and effectively supported. When children are prescribed medication, this is managed well. Medication reviews are arranged with appropriate professionals to ensure that children are administered medication that is beneficial to them. Children routinely go to the dentist and opticians.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The team identified that children's meetings were not fully meeting the needs of the children. Staff worked with one of the children to explore how to improve the agenda and location of the meetings. This child has also encouraged their peers to engage fully with the meetings, which are now enjoyable and interesting.

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

Children live in a safe and secure home. This helps to prevent risks to children. The children are encouraged to participate in gardening and cleaning the home, to develop their own skills towards independence.

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

The children enjoy using technology. Staff use internet monitoring and phone checks to help to mitigate online risks for children. Staff have knowledge of the risks posed to children online and they help children to develop their knowledge in this area.

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

When children’s risks significantly increase, the staff request support from external professionals. This has resulted in the restriction of children’s liberty through legal orders. The staff continue to help the children to enjoy activities and engage in the local area, while understanding the restrictions and their responsibility to help maintain the safety and well-being of children.

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

Consequences are restorative in nature. The children are encouraged to be involved in these decisions, to further teach them about the effect of their choices. However, the child’s voice is not always clear in the recording, but this is identified by managers during their review. The decision-making by the staff is clear, and managers use team meetings to reflect and learn about the future strategies. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 4 The staff are skilled in de-escalation and adept in responding to the children’s behaviours. As a last resort, staff will physically hold a child to prevent harm to the child or others. The physical restraint of children is proportionate.

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

The staff have a detailed knowledge of care plans and risk assessments to follow when children go missing from home. This ensures that staff consistently try to prevent and respond to missing-from-home incidents. Staff will gain support from external professionals to help ensure that children return to the home safely. Children are always welcomed back into the home, and staff have supportive chats with them to understand their experience and identify potential risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An interim manager has been appointed. The interim manager has varied experience in children’s residential care and understands the needs and safety of the children. The interim manager’s application for registration has been received by the regulator, but unnecessary delay was evident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

External monitoring is routinely taking place. The quality of these reports does not support the interim manager to reflect, learn or develop the service. This is a missed opportunity as there are shortfalls in the manager fulfilling her roles and responsibilities, including notifying the regulator of significant incidents. Not reporting significant incidents affects the regulator’s oversight of incidents and the assurance that appropriate actions are taken to protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is no action or development plan for the home. The interim manager has not been supported to develop this by senior leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The interim manager requires planned, structured support and oversight from senior leaders and managers to support her growth and development. The interim manager is developing her own systems and processes. This will continue to adapt to support their management of the home and their oversight of the needs of the children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of the children. Safer recruitment processes ensure that staff are qualified to deliver high-quality care to the children. Staff speak positively about working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff have strong working relationships with professionals, resulting in positive outcomes for the children. This includes working with the virtual school to improve children’s future outcomes. Leaders, managers and staff are continually striving for children to achieve important milestones, which are regularly celebrated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 5

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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.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that senior managers provide regular support and oversight to the management team. 1 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

Any person who carries on or manages an establishment or agency of any description without being registered under this Part in respect of it (as an establishment or, as the case may be, agency of that description) shall be guilty of an offence. (Section 11 (1) Care Standards Act 2000)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the person in day-to-day charge of the home registers with Ofsted. 30 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all incidents that meet the regulation should be submitted to Ofsted for review. 1 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 6

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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 7

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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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Inspector

Rachel Moore, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732583 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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