Children's home run by Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 1 Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide 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 home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care for one child who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child did not speak to the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection since the home was registered in May 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 2

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improvement to be good

One child has moved into the home since it opened. The move in was planned. However, the decision was taken by the placing authority not to discuss the new home with the child prior to them moving in. This decision was not robustly challenged by the management team. This decision has contributed to the child having difficulty settling in and not yet being able to form positive and trusting relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff listen to the child. They have supported them to ensure that their voice is heard when they express dissatisfaction with the placing authority’s plans. Staff ensure that the child can speak to the professionals involved in their care when they need to.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s health needs. The child is registered with universal health services and staff have tried to support them to attend appointments. Referrals have been made to specialist services, such as substance misuse services, when required.

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improvement to be good

The staff team employs a therapeutic approach. The members of the team take into account the child’s past experiences when considering the best way to work with them. Staff have access to the provider’s therapeutic support team. Children are also able to access this support when they are ready.

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improvement to be good

The home is large and well kept. It is a comfortable and safe environment. The child has been encouraged to begin to personalise their bedroom. The child arrived with only a few belongings and was given a substantial budget to buy the things that they need.

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improvement to be good

In the absence of a permanent manager, the responsible individual took the decision that a child should move in who has a high degree of risks and vulnerabilities. A comprehensive assessment was completed which considered the needs of the child. However, an overly optimistic view was taken of how these needs would be managed. Staff are working alongside a number of other professionals to try and mitigate risks to the child. However, while staff understand the child’s needs, some of the documents in the home do not fully reflect all of the risks relevant to the child.

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improvement to be good

The child has been missing from home for a large amount of the time that they have been living in the home. When the child is missing from home, staff follow the relevant procedures. This is reported promptly and in line with protocols. Staff search for the child and ensure that they are waiting to welcome them home when they return. However, while the manager has oversight of the records, there has not been robust evaluation of the incidents and staff practice to aid further learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 3 There are currently risks regarding criminal exploitation of the child. When there are safeguarding risks for children, staff and the manager work with other agencies. They ensure that they share information to try and keep the child safe. One social worker said, ‘I think the staff have really tried to work with us and [name of child].’ Staff support the child with attendance at important meetings and help them to understand their

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improvement to be good

New members of staff have been recruited safely. This means that only suitable individuals work with the child. Most staff are aware of how to escalate safeguarding concerns, including to external agencies.

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

The registered manager in place at the time of registration resigned her post shortly after the home was registered. The team is now being supported by a manager from another of the provider’s services and the responsible individual. The provider is taking steps to recruit a new manager.

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

The staff team is stable and committed. However, as a new service, the team is still developing. Its members have been supported by a small number of staff from the provider’s other homes, which ensures consistency for the child. However, the staff rotas do not always accurately reflect who has worked in the home.

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

Staff have access to a wide range of training, and the manager ensures that most of the staff have the skills to meet the child’s needs. However, one member of staff has not yet completed training in criminal exploitation. New staff complete an induction before being enrolled to complete a qualification in residential childcare.

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

Staff state that they feel supported by the management team. Team meetings are held regularly. Staff have access to regular supervision sessions. However, staff have not always been given the opportunity to reflect on their practice and their care of the child.

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

There are arrangements for safe storage of records and documents in the home. However, the child has been able to access some sensitive information regarding their plans. Staff have since changed their ways of working to ensure that this does not happen again. Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 4

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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

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

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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

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)(iii)(v)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessment documents are clear and congruent with the current risks and vulnerabilities of the child. Furthermore, that staff are provided with clear direction and strategies to reduce and manage risks.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that all staff have a good understanding of the signs of criminal exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers should ensure that staff understand whistleblowing procedures and know how to escalate safeguarding concerns effectively. 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 5 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that when accepting new children into the home there is a skilled staff and management team that can meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that children are supported to understand the plans and arrangements made for them and that their wishes and feelings are taken into account. 15 August 2025

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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 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children do not gain unsupervised access to sensitive case records. 15 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that copies of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home and actual hours worked are accurate. 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 6

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Recommendations

 Leaders and managers should ensure that robust evaluation of missing incidents is completed to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  Leaders and managers should ensure that supervision sessions allow staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2826958 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holistic Care Service Nationwide Limited

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Inspector

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2826958 8 regulates 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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