Children's Home run by Gravitas Care Limited in Calderdale

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 1 Registered provider: Gravitas Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Another child, while still being cared for by the staff team, has recently moved out to a temporary home due to safeguarding concerns while a permanent home is identified. The inspectors spoke with both children during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2024. The manager is also registered to manage another children’s home for the same provider.

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Inspection date: 9 October 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was carried out in response to information suggesting a possible breach of regulations. We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Concerns raised about staff working permanently together with each other in this home while in a personal relationship were unfounded. Staff covering shifts from other homes where there might be a conflict never work together. This supports a culture of transparency and a focus on the care of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments are in place, and they identify children’s risks. They provide clear direction to staff on how to support children. However, staff do not always have the most up-to-date information about the children, as their risk assessments are not always updated.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children when they are at immediate risk of harm, for example, by providing them with medical and emotional support. Safety measures are then implemented to prevent the risks from reoccurring. During one recent incident when a child and staff were staying away from the home, the staff responded proactively by quickly seeking medical attention to ensure the child’s welfare. They also identified the need for a locked medication cabinet to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. However, this incident could have been avoided if the new environment had been assessed for any known risks to the child when they moved in.

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Findings from the inspection

Concerns regarding staff practice are taken seriously. The responsible individual has high expectations and standards for the quality of the care staff provide children. When necessary, investigations are carried out to identify all concerns, and action is taken to promote children’s safety and daily experiences.

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Findings from the inspection

Children living in the home do not have positive relationships with each other. When children do not get along, staff do not work with them to promote healthy relationships. This has resulted in children physically harming each other, and one child needing to move out of the home with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

There are areas of the home that need improving to ensure that it is a warm and welcoming environment for children to live in. This includes damaged furniture being replaced and the home being cleaned and decorated.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a lack of management oversight throughout the home. Shortfalls in the recording of children’s records and the reporting of incidents have been identified during the inspection. Supervision sessions do not take place in line with the provider’s supervision policy. Leaders’ and managers’ audits are ineffective, which contributes to the lack of oversight. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 3 The new setting where a child has moved to has closed-circuit television. However, leaders and managers have not considered who else has access to this monitoring technology, affecting the child’s privacy.

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Findings from the inspection

During the inspection, the responsible individual accepted the shortfalls identified, particularly in relation to the leadership and management of the home. Decisive action was taken in respect of the concerns about the registered manager, and an action plan was also developed to address all other shortfalls.

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Findings from the inspection

Three recommendations from the previous inspection were not considered during this inspection and have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 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 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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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual, and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 9 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 5 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)(xi)(b))

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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; and

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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)(b)) 9 January 2026

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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— 9 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 6 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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(e)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 9 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 7 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

This requirement has been restated. 9 January 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, including via the regulator’s annual survey. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children’s care plans are kept up to date and that information aligns in the children’s documents and plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that the environment is homely, nurturing,

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Recommendations

and supportive. This specifically relates to ensuring that the decoration of the home is well maintained and reflects that of a family home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gravitas Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 to 3 Annes Place, Pellon Lane, Halifax HX1 5RB

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Inspectors

Sarah McGow, Lead Social Care Inspector Jo Cansfield, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2636225 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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