Children's Home run by Care Management Solutions Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 1 Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Ltd

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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 privately operated and provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection, and both children were spoken with as part of the inspection.

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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 widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people 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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There are widespread shortfalls in the quality of care delivered to children living at the home. Children are not being helped to make progress, and their day-to-day experiences are poor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s progress has been affected by a lack of good care planning by managers. For example, information included in one child’s referral was not taken into consideration as part of the planning for them to move into the home. It is also unclear what the care plan is for one child. This has led to instability for children. Managers have given notice on one child’s placement. Children have been very unsettled; they have been missing from home together and their night time routines have been significantly disrupted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not respond promptly and effectively to children’s health needs. They did not seek medical attention when a child’s health warranted further assessment, despite warning signs in relation to this. This compromised the child’s health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children do not benefit from living in a warm, welcoming and well-maintained home environment. This is because necessary repairs are not carried out quickly. As a result, children have slept in bedrooms where there are holes in walls and broken wardrobes. Furthermore, one child was sleeping in a broken bed. This does not show children that they are deserving of a safe and homely environment and affects their sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child said that they do not like living at the home. They say that they do not know who to contact if they are unhappy about where they live. Children do not have the confidence if they raised a complaint that this would be responded to. As a result, they do not feel valued and listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not support staff and children to repair relationships. As a result, children do not have good relationships with all staff and each other. They are not helped to learn how to resolve disagreements positively and move forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When children do not go to school, the manager ensures that they are provided with tutoring at home while appropriate education settings are identified. This helps children continue to learn at times when they are not in formal education.

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

Staff do not demonstrate an understanding of when children are at risk of harm. In one incident, a staff member observed a child take what appeared to be an illegal substance from two unknown males. The staff did not inform the police and seek medical advice for the child. This lack of action did not help to safeguard the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 3 Managers have not taken sufficient action in relation to concerns about a staff member’s practice and they have minimised these concerns. They did not follow safeguarding procedures, including notifying the local authority designated officer. This means that concerns have not been promptly and fully investigated to understand more about what has happened and learn from this as needed.

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

Staff do not take accountability for their actions. In one incident, staff informed the police of a suspected weapon being in the home. When a child blamed another child for this, staff failed to intervene. This poor practice was not challenged by the manager. Following this incident, the child said they did not want to stay at the home and reported feeling unsafe.

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

Staff do not have the necessary skills to manage children’s behaviour appropriately. They do not follow the strategies set out in children’s plans. When incidents occur, staff struggle to manage these, which at times results in reactive responses and police support being requested. One child said that they feel some staff do not help them to manage their emotions and make them feel worse by shouting at them. As a result, children become progressively more distressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is registered to manage two homes in the organisation. Competing demands has affected her ability to have effective oversight of children’s care at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not put effective arrangements in place to ensure the protection and well-being of children. The manager does not always respond effectively in situations when children’s care is poor. Monitoring and reviewing systems are in place but these are not effective in supporting the manager to identify shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

New staff are subject to a probationary period. However, managers do not review their progress and competency to undertake the role in line with the organisation’s policy. Staff supervision does take place, but this is not of good quality. There have been several challenges over recent months, and staff have not had the opportunity to reflect and learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not always taken steps to gather information on unknown people who may pose a danger to children. In addition, they do not share information and make referrals to relevant professionals within appropriate time frames. Failure to take effective and prompt action has compromised children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Agency staff are required as a result of increased staffing demands caused by the ineffective decisions around children living together. One child said they do not like it when strangers work in the home and complete checks on them at night. Being supported by unfamiliar staff has affected children’s continuity of care and their sense of safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 4

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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

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)(iii)(iv) (v)(vi)(vii) (b)) 1 March 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 1 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 5 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 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

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

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)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 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.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— 30 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 6 the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)) (e)(i)) The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(c)) 1 March 2026

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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

positive responses to other children and adults.

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

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

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the 1 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 7 competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(vi)(viii)(ix)(b)) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(b)(i)(ii)(d)(ii)) 30 March 2026

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; 1 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 8 provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

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) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them 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

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: 2844062 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Lydgate, Lepton, Huddersfield HD8 0LT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Halliwell

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Inspector

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2844062 10 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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