Children's Home run by G B A Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 1 SC462591 Registered provider: G B A Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home, and they were all spoken with.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2024 Full Good 05/06/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard. There are personalised touches throughout the home, with children’s artwork and photos on display. The children each have a large bedroom that is decorated and furnished to reflect their wishes, tastes and styles. Children are encouraged to personalise their space as soon as they move in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Memory books are created from the day the children arrive in the home. They capture clear and meaningful memories of the adventures, milestones and achievements experienced while living in the home. In the future, children can use them to remember and understand this part of their care experience.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings are held regularly, and all children are encouraged to participate in discussions. Their views and wishes are clearly documented, and the manager listens carefully to these wishes and responds with care. She supports and encourages the children to be adventurous in both their requests and their plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When the children have identified health needs, they are supported to attend planned appointments and manage the administration of prescribed medications.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child attends an education provision that is aligned to their learning needs. Children are making good progress. The staff help them to understand the importance of learning and provide high levels of praise for their achievements. There is effective liaison between the manager, virtual schools and the local authority. This has ensured that children have access to a meaningful educational package while waiting for a permanent school placement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, this is carried out in a planned and supportive way. Some children have been helped to achieve reunification with their families, while others have successfully moved to semi-independent accommodation. However, when children have moved into this home, the manager has not effectively planned for or assessed their needs and risks. This has resulted in one child only having a brief stay at the home, as their needs could not be safely met.

p.3

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

Children are praised daily for their achievements, and consequences are rarely used. The manager reviews and provides reflection on all incidents and staff practice and ensures that consequences are proportionate and restorative. Consequences are clearly documented, and individual conversations are held to help children understand the reasoning behind decisions.

p.3

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

Physical interventions are rarely used by staff. When staff physically restrain a child, this is used as a last resort to keep the child and others safe. The incident is recorded in Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 4 detail, clearly evidencing the staff’s rationale and the use of de-escalation techniques before the physical intervention. The manager’s audit provides a detailed evaluative statement that supports future learning and practices.

p.3

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

Children each have an up-to-date risk assessment and care plan. Staff understand the known risks for the children and how to respond effectively to address these vulnerabilities and keep the children safe. Children’s risks are reducing because of the plans that are in place and the action taken by staff.

p.4

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

During incidents, children are supported by staff who have a thorough understanding of the most effective and least restrictive strategies. Each incident is recorded comprehensively, and children receive supportive follow-up conversations. Staff well- being is monitored by managers after any involvement in an incident.

p.4

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

When significant incidents occur, notifications are submitted to Ofsted. However, the notifications do not clearly detail the actions taken by the manager and staff to help the children and maintain their safety and well-being.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a detailed knowledge of the children and is aspirational for them and her staff team. She understands staff’s roles and responsibilities and manages the home to ensure that it is a safe environment that meets the needs of the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by a knowledgeable leadership and management team. Staff said that they are happy at work and enjoy their roles.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a detailed and comprehensive training package that is tailored to the individual needs of children. Training is delivered in various ways to support different learning styles. All staff have either completed or are enrolled in their required qualifications. This focus on learning and development enhances staff knowledge, skills and the quality of care provided to the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are reflective and supportive. There are clear and detailed agendas, and the recording provides a clear action plan for the staff. Staff development and progression is a core topic for discussion during supervision.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carries out regular reviews and audits to maintain a clear oversight of the home. Any relevant findings are shared with the staff to support learning and ensure they are meeting the needs of the children. External independent monitoring of the home is also carried out regularly. However, the resulting reports do not support the leaders and managers to identify areas for improvement, and there is an absence of consultation to help understand the children’s lived experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)) 30 September 2025

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place so that all safeguarding notifications that are submitted to Ofsted include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that they actively seek independent scrutiny from a person who is skilled at reviewing incidents and supporting the learning of the managers from their findings. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 6

p.5

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: SC462591 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Brian Royd Mills, Saddleworth Road, Halifax HX4 8NF

p.7

Inspector

Rachel Moore, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC462591 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8