Children's home run by Hennessy Living Group Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 1 SC482418 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have physical and/or learning disabilities, two of whom may be placed under short-break arrangements. The home is run by a private company.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The dedicated and committed staff team knows the young person really well and has the skills to provide good-quality, individualised care.  The staff team works well with professionals so the young person benefits from a multi-agency approach.  The young person benefits from a multitude of informal learning experiences, with staff actively encouraging their interests.  The young person has made progress that has led to an increase in their confidence.  There is a very high ratio of staff to keep the young person safe and protected.  There is good behaviour management and there has been a reduction in the young person’s negative behaviours.  The young person enjoys positive experiences in the community.  The overhaul of the systems, procedures and paperwork has resulted in positive changes.  The young person benefits from living in a small, homely environment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 02/12/2015 Full Inadequate 20/10/2015 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently only one young person living at the home who requires a very high staff ratio. The young person’s vulnerability and complex needs and the high levels of staff supervision mean there are no other young people living at the home. The young person receives good-quality, child-focused, individualised care. This is provided by a dedicated and experienced staff team that has the skills to meet the young person’s health and emotional needs. The young person has developed good relationships with staff, who are committed to providing the best possible care and experiences. One professional reported, ‘As a service, the home has gone over and above what would normally be expected of any care provider.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative and innovative, providing a multitude of informal learning experiences for the young person who, because of their complex needs, cannot engage in full-time education. The young person is proud of their achievements. These include drawings of all the world’s flags and a Monopoly board of Europe. Staff provide structured days, keeping the young person busy and occupied. This lessens the chance for negative behaviours to occur because of boredom. Consequently, the young person has learned to manage their free time. They recognise their need to have quiet activities, such as listening to music. This helps the young person regulate their behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The statement of purpose outlines that the specialist home provides a service to support children and young people ‘who present with physical, learning, dual and complex disabilities and needs, including autism’. Staff work collaboratively with a number of professionals so the young person benefits from a multi-agency approach to their care. Staff monitor different aspects of the young person’s life. This informs the professionals involved so that changes can be made to care plans to encourage further progress. Staff work closely with a dietician to help the young person to develop a healthy diet. The young person has learned to cook and prepare simple meals, which they have made into a recipe book to take with them when they leave the home. Smaller portions and regular meals have led to improved health outcomes for the young person. They have benefitted from weight loss and improved self-esteem as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a variety of methods to ensure the young person’s voice is heard and to make sure they fully participate in decision-making. Rather than formal meetings, which the young person struggles with, staff gather the young person’s views from informal chats. The personal, child-friendly care plan identifies a small number of priority areas and goals that the young person works towards achieving. The staff ensure that targets remain realistic and that the young person is not overwhelmed. The use of an inkpad stamp allows the young person to stamp if they agree with the plans. This enables them to remain actively involved with their care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Small and realistic achievements have led to the young person’s increased confidence. The young person, who struggled socially, now goes to the barbers to have a haircut. These learned skills and experiences promote independence for the young person. A Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 4 parent whose child left the home wrote, ‘We really appreciate everything you have done for [name of young person]. We are sad they are leaving, but only want the best for them. You have put [name of young person] on the road to the next step in their life.’

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

The young person’s needs are such that they require a high level of supervision to keep them safe and protected in the home and the community. Consequently, the vulnerable young person is not at risk of going missing or from child sexual exploitation. The young person has learned self-protection skills, such as kitchen and internet safety. The effective care provided by the staff means that the young person can continue to live in a caring family environment rather than institutional care.

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

The comprehensive risk assessments and behaviour plans provide clear information for staff on how to manage the young person’s significant risk-taking and aggressive behaviours. Support plans are very precise, detailing issues such as when there is a higher likelihood of the young person displaying negative behaviours. Staff regularly update plans to reflect the young person’s constantly changing behaviours and risks. The good systems and procedures that are implemented ensure staff promptly know about any changes. This provides reassurance and stability to the young person because of the consistent and safe approach to their care.

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

Staff know the young person well and recognise any subtle changes in behaviour, which helps them to de-escalate arising situations. However, when these do escalate, the staff keep police involvement to a minimum. This reduces further distress and aggravation to the young person and reduces the risk of them being criminalised. Restraints are necessary in order to keep the young person safe, with staff carefully monitoring their health throughout. Staff regularly reflect on their responses to negative behaviours, adopting new strategies and methods when the young person presents new challenges. A staff member said, ‘I have got to know the young person’s behaviours and how to divert them. You can usually tell if [name of young person] is going to have a negative behaviour. This could be a certain look or way they speak.’ Consequently, the frequency and duration of physical interventions have reduced.

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

Robust recruitment systems and an improvement in whistle-blowing procedures ensure that staff are safe to work with young people. The manager takes prompt action in order to deal effectively with any unsafe or inappropriate staff practice, should this occur. This ensures the safety of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new to this post and is not yet registered with the regulator. His application demonstrates that he has the experience and skills to manage the home. He has a clear vision for the future development of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 5 A recent overhaul of the systems, policies, procedures and paperwork has led to a number of positive changes, including less duplication of paperwork and a more consistent approach to recording. The manager is meticulous and thorough, with a strong focus on monitoring the quality of care and outcomes for young people. A good- quality and evaluative six-monthly monitoring report provides the regulator with effective oversight of the home. External monthly monitoring by an independent visitor challenges the management team and offers external scrutiny of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a close-knit team, which provides consistency and stability; one staff member said, ‘Staff here are really good and managers have a wealth of knowledge.’ Staff feel supported by the manager and the deputy manager, who work well together. There is a strong focus on the young person’s experiences, needs and plans. There is a full staff team with a multitude of skills, offering different positive role models to young people. The manager has recruited experienced staff to meet the complex needs of the young person. He said, ‘[Name of young person] needs to feel safe and supported when displaying challenging behaviour.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff benefit from regular supervision, training and support. The management team is in the process of developing a supervision tool for new staff. This will help to identify areas for development during staff’s induction periods. The manager has high expectations of the staff, who are all undertaking advanced qualification training. This will support the staff’s personal and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers advocate strongly for young people, challenging professionals and escalating concerns when necessary. The good access to independent advocates for young people reinforces their voice when plans are made for their future.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC482418 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Helme Hall, Helme Lane, Holmfirth HD9 5RL

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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