Children's Home run by Holden Knight Healthcare Temp Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 1 Registered provider: Holden Knight Healthcare Temp Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It provides care for one child 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.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in the home since April 2026. A manager has been in post since June 2026 who said they will be applying to register.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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: 23 September 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: 2814872 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Good 20/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 3

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Summary of findings

The child is making positive progress, which is aided by strong and supportive relationships with staff. Previously, the child has experienced multiple moves and this has been a settled period in their life. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practices and provide the child with support and guidance that is helping to reduce risks. The new manager is experienced and is supported by a stable staff team. The manager has already identified areas for development to support both service delivery and positive outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has lived in the home for nearly 18 months and benefits from a stable relationships with a supportive staff team who clearly want the best for them. The child said, ‘This is the best home I have ever been in. Everyone is really supportive.’ Staff speak about the child with warmth and affection during conversations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has strong relationships with members of staff. The child clearly values those relationships, and the positive impact of these relationships was commented on by the wider staff team and professionals working with the child. The child’s relationships with peers and family members are promoted and supported by staff. As a result, the child has been able to enjoy healthier relationships with those they care about.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is valued in the home. Staff are committed to finding the right path for the child as they move on from secondary education. Prior to finishing school, the child did have times when attendance at school reduced, directly correlated to emotional wellbeing, but staff supported the child with this. Staff understand the benefit of the child finding the right training or employment and hope that it can be a stabilising factor moving into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met. Staff actively support the child to attend appointments, offering emotional support and reassurance to help reduce any anxiety or reluctance. The child is supported to understand the longer-term health implications of vaping and alcohol use, enabling them to make more informed and safer choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys spending time with staff doing various activities, whether that is going out in the community or learning new skills. Staff are developing a personal pictorial guide using photos and reflective discussions of tasks the child is learning to carry out independently now, with clear step-by-step instructions to help these tasks be repeated independently in the future.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 4 Staff give the child confidence that they can keep them safe. Through ongoing support, the child is developing a greater understanding of personal safety and increased capacity to make safer choices.

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

Some risks to the child have reduced. Staff are good role models and report that the child is increasingly demonstrating empathy and kindness towards others. Staff show a strong understanding of the risks present in the child’s life, while also understanding the factors that contribute to some of those risks. There is a recognition that the risk of unwanted behaviours increases after experiences of loss or disappointment. This insight enables staff to respond in a supportive and consistent manner, which is strengthened by the strong relationships they have with the child.

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

There was an increase in the child being reported missing from home after developing a new relationship. Staff spent time with the child to understand the reasons for this and make a plan that the child is happy with. As a result, this pattern of needing to report the child missing from home has subsided and the child is able to spend time with people who staff have met and communicate with regularly.

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

Room searches are completed when necessary and if there are any escalating concerns of harm. Wherever possible, these are completed with the child’s knowledge and consent. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and how to escalate any concerns to safeguarding partners if needed.

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

There are age-appropriate expectations in place and consequences are rarely used. The new manager has recognised that some of the previous consequences including asking the child to pay for broken items, have not been effective and spoke of moving to a more reparational approach to encourage positive behaviour and a greater understanding of right and wrong.

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

The manager has recognised that there is some work to be done on language used in recordings and the importance of making this more trauma-informed.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place. Staff have the appropriate DBS checks completed and references are sought. However, one staff member’s record did not show how a long gap in employment was explored in discussions with the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a recent change in management, with the previous dual registered manager leaving in April 2026 to reduce to managing one home, and a new manager joining very recently. In the interim period, the home was supported by the operational manager with support from the deputy manager. This ensured that the child continued to have the same level of support available from key members of staff. The responsible individual has very recently left their post but was in the process of handing over to the new responsible individual appointed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 5 The new manager is ambitious and has already identified several areas for development in the home, with a particular focus on ensuring important information is easily accessible for both children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has the benefit of a supportive staff team. Staff spoke positively about the support from the both the previous and the current manager and the child-centred ethos of the wider organisation. There is an understanding of what improvements are needed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are positive working relationships with professionals and family members. Staff work hard to establish open lines of communication to enable a collaborative approach to meeting the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are completed regularly, and staff report that they find these beneficial. Appraisals are completed yearly and support staff development. However, children’s views are not obtained as part of the annual staff appraisal process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are up to date with all the necessary training. There is a comprehensive induction programme for all new staff. Further training is provided on a regular basis to support staff development. Additional training to support any current themes or emerging risks is sourced from external providers. Staff also benefit from regular input from the provider’s psychologist to enable staff to have a greater understanding of the child’s emotional wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. Staff are encouraged to share strengths and areas for development and there are ‘lessons learned’ sessions to support the development of the team as a whole. This has helped the team agree on how to consistently care for the chid going forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff regularly seek the child’s wishes during time spent together, giving opportunities to share any views or worries in a way that is appropriate to their age and level of engagement. Staff know the child well enough to recognise when they will be the most receptive to these conversations to get the best outcome.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person carries out monthly home visits. However, feedback from external sources is minimal. This limits the manager’s capacity to evaluate the quality of care and to support service development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 6

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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

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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must support the independent person to obtain the views of all stakeholders on a regular basis. 18 Aug 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should take responsibility for maintaining good employment practice. They should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This includes undertaking a thorough and satisfactory exploration of any gaps in an applicant’s employment history before appointment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make effective use of information gathered through both independent and internal monitoring processes, including the views of children, their families and involved professionals, to drive continuous improvement. Children’s views should also be collected as part of the annual staff appraisal process. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2814872 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holden Knight Healthcare Temp Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 200 Brook Drive, Reading RG2 6UB

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Inspector

Melanie Cotterill, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2814872 8 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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