Children's home run by Holywell Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 1 Registered provider: Holywell Children’s Services 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 registered with Ofsted on 31 January 2022 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties and/or has learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since 15 March 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to review compliance notices issued following the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has applied to register with Ofsted. Ofsted has not yet assessed their suitability for their role. The compliance notice and requirement in relation to regulation 27 have been met.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to strengthen safeguarding practice. They held a meeting with staff to ensure that they were aware of the shortfalls. Key messages were delivered to the team, and relevant learning was highlighted. Leaders have discussed how to improve the effectiveness of risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented processes to monitor practice more closely and identify strengths and weaknesses. The provider has introduced monthly monitoring arrangements, enabling the manager to have more robust oversight of the home. The manager demonstrates understanding of how to review safeguarding incidents and the steps required when practice falls short. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 2 A new senior leader has been appointed with the intention that they will become the responsible individual. They have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted, and their suitability has not been assessed. They will oversee the home’s monitoring arrangements to provide an additional level of scrutiny.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met the compliance notices relating to regulations 12 and 13. However, the requirements under these regulations will remain in effect and will be reviewed once the home is operating and the impact on children’s safety and progress can be evaluated.

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This monitoring visit

Other requirements from the last inspection were not reviewed during this visit and therefore remain in effect. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2026 Full Inadequate 23/09/2025 Full Inadequate 26/02/2025 Full Good 13/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 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 with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that staff should be vigilant to the signs that children are likely to go missing and make decisions that prevent this. The timescales in which children should be reported missing should correlate with the risks they are subject to, and staff should ensure this is done promptly. 19 April 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

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

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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 19 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 5 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must use their oversight to recognise practice shortfalls and address them to improve the service and outcomes for children.

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Requirement Due date

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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they carry out a full assessment of children’s needs before they move into the home, considering the impact of the adjacent sister home. 19 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular, effective supervision. 19 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 19 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 6 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children and staff are spoken to following an incident requiring a physical intervention, and following consequences, within the required timescales. The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 19 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 7 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that regulation 44 reports provide a thorough and robust assessment of the homes arrangements for providing care to children. 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 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 19 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care review includes sufficient detail about the quality of the care provided and the way the home is managed.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 19 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 9 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff must complete their qualifications within the required time frames. When staff miss the deadline, the registered person should monitor their progress and support them in achieving their qualifications promptly.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holywell Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Dalton House, 9 Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1WD

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2662751 11 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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