Children's home run by Hamann Care Ltd

Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 1 Registered provider: Hamann 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 one of two children’s homes owned by the provider. It can provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered with Ofsted on 3 March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke to both children about their experiences of living in the home.

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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 widespread failures that mean children are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children say they do not feel safe living in the home. Significant shortfalls in relation to care planning, safeguarding practices and decisions by leaders and managers have negatively impacted on children’s safety and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that there is consistent care for the children. The frequent use of agency staff means that children are often cared for by people they do not know. Additionally, the frequent changes of staff mean that children’s needs are not understood. This limits the children’s ability to feel safe and secure with the people caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s relationships with staff are not consistently positive. Not all staff know how to respond to children when they are upset. This frequently leads to situations escalating and children feeling frustrated. Children do not always receive the therapeutic care they need to help them build trust with the adults caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s basic needs are not being met. Children say there is often a lack of food in the home. Managers and staff do not ensure that there is sufficient food in the fridge. This was acknowledged by the manager at the time of the inspection. Overall, the home is furnished to a good standard. However, the home lacks personalisation by the children, specifically in their bedrooms.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children do not feel listened to. Children’s meetings are held regularly. However, when children raise concerns, they are rarely responded to. As a result, children do not feel heard and the shortfalls in their care are not addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are provided with opportunities to enjoy new experiences and develop their interests outside of the home. However, changes in staff mean that these activities are often with staff who children do not know well. This often limits the children’s engagement in activities that will support their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not supported to access education. The frequent changes in staff mean that children do not have the essential routines in place to ensure that they are ready to learn. When children do not attend formal education, staff struggle to engage them in alternative educational activities. This limits children’s opportunities to gain the vital skills they need for the future.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are inadequate. Children’s safety has been compromised by poor decision-making from leaders, managers and staff. Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 3 Prior to children moving into the home, leaders and managers failed to assess effectively whether the children could live together safely, or to ensure that staff have the appropriate skills to manage children’s risks. This has led to unsafe interactions between children that staff were unable to de-escalate. As a result, children’s vulnerabilities have increased, and they are at risk of emotional and physical harm.

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

Staff do not have the relevant skills and experiences to respond to children’s behaviours or to meet their needs. At times, leaders and managers have failed to ensure that there are sufficient staff in the home. On two occasions, this led to a child calling the police to come to the home to help them as they did not feel safe.

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff know how to manage risks for children. Children’s risk plans are of poor quality and do not provide staff with clear guidance. This means that staff are unable to anticipate incidents and respond effectively when incidents do happen. This has led to the escalation of incidents for children.

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

Leaders and managers have not considered children’s individual risks prior to them moving into the home. One child has known risks of fire setting. Leaders and managers failed to apply measures to reduce the risks, and the child was able to access cigarette lighters in their bedroom. Although no children have been physically harmed, this resulted in an incident of fire. This inaction places children and staff at serious risk of harm.

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

When incidents occur, oversight by leaders and managers is limited. They do not evaluate incidents effectively and frequently focus on the actions of the child, and not the practice of staff. External professionals say that when children are distressed, their behaviour is viewed as a ‘problem’. This does not ensure that children receive care that is nurturing and trauma informed.

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

Staff do not routinely check the identification of visitors to the home. This is a fundamental step to ensure that the people in the home are safe to be there and have a legitimate purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children are at the centre of their care. They have failed to provide clear guidance to the team and do not ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to identify or address shortfalls in staff practice. On one occasion, a child made an allegation against a member of staff on shift, and staff failed to call the duty manager. This was identified by leaders and managers but not addressed, resulting in another incident where staff failed to notify the duty manager. This lack of action places children at risk of harm. Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 4 Recording practices are not robust. Staff do not ensure that children’s records are accurate and contain the necessary detail. Although this is something that leaders and managers are aware of, this shortfall has not been addressed. In addition, leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s records are stored securely. One child was able to access sensitive information relating to the other child living in the home. This put both children at further risk of emotional and physical harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff training is effective. Staff have attended training on therapeutic care. However, this is not embedded into practice in the home. Staff have not been provided with the opportunity to attend training to meet the specific needs of the children, including training on neurodevelopmental conditions. This does not ensure that children are cared for by staff who understand their needs. Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 5

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they thoroughly evaluate all known risks to children and ensure that staff have clear guidance to prevent harmful incidents for 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 6 children. This includes notifying managers when serious incidents occur.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to prevent children’s behaviours from escalating and them causing harm to each other.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff help children to understand their risks. Children must be responded to appropriately when they express that they do not feel safe, and the necessary action taken.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 7 research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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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 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient staffing in the home to meet the needs of children and keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is consistency of care across staff that is aligned with the statement of purpose.

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The registered person must ensure that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.

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The registered person must ensure that feedback from children stating shortfalls in their care is responded to and acted on.

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The registered person must ensure that staff have completed training relevant to the children’s individual needs and risks.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that a thorough evaluation is completed by managers to understand children’s risk so that they can meet the children’s needs, before they move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each child’s risks are fully explored and understood so that children can live together safely, before they move into the home.

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

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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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provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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

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meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient food available to children, based on their preferences and nutritional needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect children’s individual tastes and personalities. 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 9 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff have a full understanding of how the impact of children’s experiences can affect children’s emotions. Additionally, children must receive responses from staff that are trauma informed and support children to understand their emotions and feel listened to. 12 September 2025

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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

are kept up to date; and 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 10 are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c) (2)(b)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that all records are kept securely in the home and are accessible to only those with the appropriate authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff record information about children clearly and objectively. This relates specifically to the recording of incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of 12 September 2025 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 11 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to support children to access learning opportunities, whether in formal or informal settings. Any barriers to children’s learning must be identified and addressed with consistency by staff.

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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 the children’s home: 2815319 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hamann Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bradford Chamber Business Park, New Lane, Bradford BD4 8BX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Daniel Blackburn

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for the children’s home: 2815319 13 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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