Children's Home run by Hollybank Trust in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 1 Registered provider: Hollybank Trust

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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 home is operated by a charitable trust. It is registered to provide a mix of short- break stays and long-term care for up to 8 children who may have physical or learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 7 children were living at the home. Another child was accessing the short-breaks service. The inspector spoke with or observed all children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Good 03/12/2024 Full Good 24/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 3

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Summary of findings

The quality of care children receive is not consistently good. Staffing shortages mean children do not always receive the care set out in their plans or have regular opportunities in the community. Safeguarding practice requires improvement because risks are not always managed effectively and staff do not always feel able to raise concerns.

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Summary of findings

Leadership is inadequate. Poor management oversight, insufficient staffing and falsified records undermine leaders’ ability to demonstrate that children receive safe and effective care consistently.

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Summary of findings

Despite this, children benefit from caring relationships with staff who know them well, promote their health, communication and independence, and provide a home that reflects the children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff cannot consistently meet all of the children’s assessed needs as staffing shortages mean staff cannot always follow children’s individual plans. Children do not always receive daily showers or spend planned time out of their wheelchairs. This negatively impacts children’s daily routines.

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improvement to be good

Children do not regularly access activities in the community. Children requiring 2 members of staff could not always leave the home because staffing levels were insufficient. Some children have spent up to 6 days without community activities. This limits children’s opportunities to develop skills and enjoy new experiences.

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improvement to be good

Medication is not always administered as prescribed. Staff have tried to identify different way to administer medication for children struggling to take medication, including mixing it in yogurt. However, these methods are not agreed with children’s GPs, or reflected in prescriptions on how the medication should be administered. There is no way to ensure that the correct amount of liquid medication has been administered.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well. Staff understand children’s communication methods and individual needs. Staff respond promptly to children’s requests and children influence day-to-day decisions about their care. This ensures that children are given the autonomy to make choices about their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s dietary needs well. Mealtimes are calm and sociable. Staff support children to eat food prepared to their individual requirements and encourage Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 4 independence where possible. Children enjoy balanced diets and positive mealtime experiences.

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improvement to be good

The home environment reflects children’s individual needs. Bedrooms are personalised with children’s involvement and contain equipment and furnishings tailored for them. This helps children feel comfortable and valued in their home.

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improvement to be good

Leaders have not created an open safeguarding culture. Staff do not always feel confident raising staffing concerns because they fear negative consequences. This has delayed action to address practice and staffing challenges.

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improvement to be good

Risks to children are not always managed effectively. An adult stayed in the home without appropriate checks or agreement to follow children’s risk management plans. This exposed children to potential risk.

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improvement to be good

Personal emergency evacuation plans do not consistently provide staff with clear guidance. Plans omit important information about how some children should be evacuated safely. This reduces clarity, particularly for agency staff, during an emergency.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are managed appropriately. Staff report whistleblowing concerns. Allegations are investigated independently and children receive appropriate safeguards. This means children are kept safe from poor practice.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment processes are thorough. Leaders complete additional safeguarding checks to strengthen safer recruitment practice. This helps ensure that children are cared for by suitable staff. However, vacancies remain difficult to fill.

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improvement to be good

Staff identify practical ways to reduce self-injurious behaviour. For one child, staff introduced cycling gloves to reduce hand injuries. Staff regularly reviewed this approach and reduced its use as risks decreased. This promotes both safety and independence.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s behaviours well. Staff identify patterns, recognise triggers and develop individual behaviour strategies. Staff use de-escalation effectively and have not needed to hold children to keep them safe. This helps children regulate their emotions safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has falsified records by signing risk assessments on behalf of others. The manager also misled the inspector about these records. This raises concerns about the validity and accuracy of all children’s records and means that leaders and managers cannot demonstrate that children consistently receive safe care. During the inspection, senior leaders took immediate action in response to this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 5 Consultation with staff and professionals is not always effective. Staff had previously raised concerns about the culture in the home, but these were not addressed. Some professionals were not given an accurate picture of the quality of care provided. Staff are reluctant to accept professional development opportunities due to the culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager had recognised some of the challenges affecting the home. Staff shortages required the manager to undertake senior shifts, reducing management capacity. The manager sought support from the trust’s quality assurance and therapy teams to maintain management oversight during this period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff remain committed to children despite challenges. Staff want children to receive the best possible care and continue identifying areas requiring improvement. Staff undertake champion roles to promote good practice. Children continue to receive warm and nurturing relationships from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home celebrates the achievements of children and staff. Displays and events recognise successes and milestones. This promotes and encourages children to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders are receptive to feedback. Although leaders had not recognised the extent of challenges in the home, they took immediate action to address and improve practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 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

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)) 30 July 2026

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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; 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)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that personal emergency evacuation plans stipulate actions staff should take to evacuate children from the home safely.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments are read and understood by those they apply to.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that there is a strong safeguarding ethos where staff do not receive reprisal for raising child welfare concerns. 30 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicines administered covertly are assessed appropriately in the child’s best interests.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that there is appropriate monitoring of the administration of liquid medications.

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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

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; 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)(d)(f)(h)) 27 August 2026

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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: 2719792 8

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Inspector

Vikki Thwaites, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2719792 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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Inspector

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