Children's Home run by Halton Borough Council in Halton

Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 1 SC039559 Registered provider: Halton Borough Council

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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 local authority home is registered to provide short breaks for up to 4 children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 19 children were receiving short breaks at the home. Three children were in the home during the inspection. Three children have left the home and moved on to adult services.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 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: 25 February 2025

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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: SC039559 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good 22/02/2024 Full Good 15/03/2023 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a warm and homely environment which is well-equipped. Staff support children to learn social skills, become more independent and develop friendships during their time in the home. Managers are committed to continuously improving the children's experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and the local authority are invested in capturing children's views. Managers have recently purchased two assistive technology devices to support this, and staff have been trained to use them. One child was able to engage with the eye gaze technology very quickly and engage in a full conversation with staff for the first time. This is a positive achievement for the child opening up new opportunities for them to express their views in all areas of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are warm, welcoming, and attentive and care about the children and their families. Children have confidence in staff and have built trusting relationships with them which gives families confidence to trust the staff too. Families feel well supported by the managers and staff who always try to help them. One parent said. 'We are very lucky to have a place here. We had to wait a while, but we are so glad we found it'.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a broad range of activities which are linked to their interests and passions. Children plan these with other children they like to spend time with. Children are asked what they would like to do, and staff carefully consider offering new opportunities which they hope children will enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has appointed a new cook who cooks food from fresh ingredients and consults with the children to try to encourage them to explore new foods. The cook has been researching restricted diets linked to sensory needs and is trying new approaches with the children. This is a new piece of work and has resulted in one child exploring a new food which is positive progress for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Introductions to the home are thorough and managers seek out information and training before children access the home. Children are also well supported by familiar staff as they leave the home and prepare for adult provision.

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

Children feel safe when they stay in the home and the home is well-equipped to meet their needs. Managers ensure that specialist equipment is well maintained and repairs are quickly done. Appropriate safeguarding checks are completed for staff and visitors to increase safety of the children. Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 4 The manager has worked closely with the fire brigade after a child refused to leave the building during a fire alarm practice. New plans have been developed and a plan to support the child to stay safe moving forward.

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

Children do not go missing from the home, but managers are in the process of implementing new records and assessments which would help if a child were separated from staff. The records reflect children's individual needs and support staff to work closely with emergency services and respond swiftly should an incident arise.

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

Managers and staff understand the risks to children and take time to build positive relationships with them. This helps children to feel safe and to manage their own emotions. Staff are consistent in their approach to children which supports children to predict what will happen.

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

Staff rarely use physical interventions with children. However, when these have taken place there has not been an appropriate reflection with the children or staff to learn from the incidents. Processes to consult with children after incidents are not adapted to the specific communication needs of children.

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

Managers did not report a serious event to the regulator at the time that they became aware of it although action was taken to safeguard the child once managers became aware. This prevented the regulator from monitoring risks in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers show great commitment to the children and their families. This is noted by families and professionals. They also work closely with other professionals who support the children and professionals describe communication as strong and effective. Managers share information to promote the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have reviewed the overnight supervision arrangements for each child to identify the level of support required for them during the night. This was done in collaboration with children and their families. Children now have a plan of support during the night, which promotes their privacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide strong support to staff within the home, and staff report that they genuinely enjoy their roles. Staff consistently reflect that managers are approachable and make themselves available whenever needed. Regular supervision sessions take place and include clear, well-defined actions to guide staff development and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers also use team meetings effectively to share up-to-date information, ensuring staff are aligned in their approach and promoting consistency of care for children. However, despite these positive systems, staff have not yet received an annual review of their overall performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children's guide does not reflect the current staff team and has not been reviewed recently. This does not help children preparing to come and stay in the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 5 The quality-of-care report has been completed but does not reflect the views of children and other stakeholders. Where feedback has been collected from children it has not been reviewed and considered to develop a plan to further improve the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 30 April 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 7 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any use of restraint is appropriately recorded in line with regulation 35. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should keep the children's guide under review and ensure that children receive accurate and up-to-date information in an accessible manner. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 24, paragraph 4.23)

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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: SC039559 8

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Children's home details

Registered Provider: Halton Borough Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor Rutland House, Halton Lea, Runcorn WA7 2GW

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Lyndsey Ratcliffe

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC039559 9 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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