Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Unique reference number SC033367 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Kirklees Council Registered person address Kirklees Council 30 Market Street HUDDERSFIELD HD1 2HG Responsible individual Paul Johnson Registered manager Margaret Marlene Yvonne Lewis Date of last inspection 19/01/2015 2 of 5 Inspection date 12/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people continue to receive good quality care from staff that provide consistent boundaries and they take proactive measures that keep them safe. This results in young people making good progress. They greatly benefit from living in a home where they are the focus of staff attention.

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This inspection

Young people regularly attend school which supports their learning. This enables and assists young people to make steady progress over time. Staff continue to have a well-developed awareness of the personalities and the needs of each young person they look after. This is because the home has a stable and experienced staff team which allows young people to get to know their carers. Strong and positive relationships exist between staff and young people. Young people say that they get on well with members of staff.

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This inspection

One out of three recommendations has been implemented since the full inspection in January 2015. Work has commenced for young people requiring therapeutic support.

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This inspection

Two recommendations are partially met; quotes have been obtained to undertake the refurbishment of the kitchen which is currently showing signs of wear and tear. A new cooker has been purchased and is in use. In the main, direct work with young people is undertaken in a timely manner within key work sessions. Young people confirm that discussions take place with them about their individual care, support and safeguarding matters. However, omissions have been found for some work relating to sessions not always being recorded, for example some missing from care incidents.

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This inspection

Safeguarding continues to be given the highest priority. A young person said, 'staff 3 of 5 are always talking to me about keeping myself safe,' another said, 'I get on with all the staff and they are fair.' Staff demonstrate a very good understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of the young people they care for but not all staff have received refresher safeguarding training at regular intervals.

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This inspection

Suitable staffing levels provide young people with good support and supervision. This enables staff to monitor young people’s whereabouts. Missing from care incidents are low and young people’s risk taking behaviour is also low or reducing. Where there are identified risks of potential child sexual exploitation other professional support is being accessed. This provides young people with advice and ensures they are aware of how to keep themselves safe. This safety work continues for particular young people.

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This inspection

The manager and staff work proactively with professionals from a number of different agencies. These include education, police, health services and social workers. This strong partnership working provides young people with a consistent approach and supports their overall progress and ensures that they are safe.

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This inspection

The monitoring systems of the home continue to assess the quality of care and how young people are kept safe. Staff receive regular supervision and training. They say they feel well supported and are a motivated team. This in turn supports young people to move forward in their lives and make progress. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is provided by a local authority and cares for up to six young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2015 Full good 21/08/2013 Interim good progress 15/05/2013 Full good 25/02/2013 Interim satisfactory progress

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment that is well maintained and decorated, with particular reference to the refurbishment of the kitchen. ( NMS 10.3)  ensure records are clear, up to date and stored securely, and contribute to an understanding of the child's life. Staff understand the nature of records maintained and follow the home’s policy for the keeping and retention of files, with particular reference to the timely recording of keyworker sessions (NMS 22.1)  ensure staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and the purpose of the setting, and training keeps them up-to- date with professional, legal and practice developments. In particular, staff receive refresher safeguarding training. (NMS18.1) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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