Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 1 SC378407 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes 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 owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 19 July 2023.

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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 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: 28 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2024 Full Good 14/02/2024 Full Good 30/11/2022 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived in the home for some time; one child for over three years and the other for two years. This has provided both children stability and afforded them opportunities to make progress, despite both children facing complex barriers at times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Shortly after the last inspection, one child became aware of potential changes to where they may live. This knowledge and the continued lack of a permanent and full-time, structured education has significantly impacted on their sense of safety and undermined the stability they have experienced from living in the home for such a long time. Despite these challenges, staff have remained committed to caring for the child and have supported them to feel settled again.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have advocated on behalf of the child due to the continued lack of formal education available. This has been escalated to the assistant director for the child’s local authority. Despite this, there continues to be barriers in place preventing the child being allocated a place in a school that can meet their needs. Staff understand the impact and have created thoughtful and education-based daily timetables for the child. To counteract some of the social exclusion the child is facing due to not attending a school, staff have supported the child to attend and engage with local clubs on a regular basis. The child has started to build up some friendships within these clubs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child has been supported to successfully return to education in September, on a full-time basis. Their attendance is encouraged and supported by staff, promoting positive daily routines, including around sleep. The child told the inspector that they like living in the home, they have people they trust, and they want to remain in the home until they are ready to move to independence. This aligns with professionals who work with the child, highlighting the positive difference that trusting relationships between staff and the child have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children receive wraparound support from the provider’s in-house clinical team. Their plans are suitably individualised to support children’s experiences and their goals, particularly around improving their emotional well-being. One child has been on the waiting list for a specialist health assessment for a significant amount of time. The provider has tried to support the child by offering to fund a private assessment and requesting to use the right to choose. However, the local authority has declined both offers, and the child remains on the waiting list.

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

Positive relationships between staff and children were observed during the inspection. The manager and staff have a very good understanding of children’s experiences and their needs and vulnerabilities. Staff use their de-escalation skills and have not needed to Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 4 use physical intervention with children. However, there have been some occasions where children have been appropriately guided by staff.

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

Children’s documents are well written and include a clear understanding of their vulnerabilities and how staff should respond. There are clear goals, which children are achieving. Rules and boundaries within the home are clear, but there have been times when staff have struggled to maintain these. These incidents have been quickly addressed by the manager.

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

At times, it has been necessary for staff to use consequences to maintain rules and boundaries. These are always appropriate and aligned to what has happened. Consequences are used to support children to understand the impact of their behaviour or keep them safe. These always have management oversight.

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

When children make complaints or allegations, they are taken seriously. Complaints and allegations are investigated thoroughly and, if required, appropriate action to safeguard children happens in a timely way. Children always receive a response to complaints. Allegation outcomes align to investigation findings. Children are kept safe and feel heard.

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

When children go missing, staff respond in line with their plans. They go and search the local area and known places children may be. On one occasion, staff did not respond appropriately to the level of risk during an incident. The manager also missed this opportunity to consider staff practice. When children return from being missing, it is not always clear whether statutory return home interviews take place. Staff do not have a good understanding of what a return home interview is.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective systems of oversight in place that ensure she has a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities. This oversight allows her to respond swiftly when patterns emerge. An example of this is noticing a child does not engage in the world around them much and implementing a plan to address this which is reviewed regularly. This makes sure the child’s needs are being met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home and can quantify children’s progress well. They are committed to the children and are aspirational on their behalf. Staff feel supported by the manager and the wider organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager role models open and effective communication by encouraging and supporting feedback from staff. This has allowed the manager to adjust some of her leadership style to further support the team. This has improved the morale of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When new staff are recruited, safer recruitment practices are adhered to. Staff have a planned induction to support them in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff usually received regular, reflective supervision. If there are practice issues, these are appropriately addressed and then followed up with supplementary learning. This is Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 5 then revisited in subsequent supervision to check that learning has been embedded. The manager has recognised that some supervisions have not taken place within the expected timescales. There has never been more than one supervision missed for any staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 6

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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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all plans align with the most current and relevant information, and all relevant sources of information are understood and used effectively.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the registered person must ensure that when children are at immediate risk of harm, staff have the skills to respond appropriately to safeguard children. 1 December 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that all staff supervision takes place in line with the organisation’s policy. If supervision does not take place as planned, this should take place as soon as is reasonably practical to remain as close to the organisation’s policy as possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 7

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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: SC378407 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC378407 9 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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