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

Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate up to five children, including two under short- break arrangements, who have physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities. It is operated by a private company.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people benefit from receiving care from a nurturing staff team.  Children and young people develop a sense of security and belonging due to positive relationships with staff.  Staff meet the complex physical needs of children and young people by working closely with medical professionals.  The majority of children and young people attend school and have good attendance. Staff provide informal learning experiences for those without a formal school placement.  Staff are consistent in their approach in providing children and young people with clear boundaries, structure and routines.  Good behaviour management has led to a reduction in negative behaviour.  The manager provides effective oversight. She has made improvements in recording, monitoring and auditing systems.  The manager and cohesive staff team are committed to providing children and young people with the best possible care.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Not all staff understand the impact of trauma, neglect and/or loss on children’s and young people’s attachment development.  Some staff demonstrate a lack of understanding about care proceedings and care planning regulations.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Children will have varied pre-care experiences. A large proportion of children come into care for reasons relating to trauma, neglect and abuse. The registered person should ensure that staff are prepared and able to listen to children who want to talk about their past experiences. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.11) In particular, ensure that staff receive training about trauma and loss and the impact of this on attachment behaviour.

p.3

Recommendations

 The home should play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high quality support that is needed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4) In particular, ensure that staff receive training about care proceedings and care planning regulations to understand the processes involved and responsibility of others in the child’s care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people settle quickly into the home, including those who have a history of placement breakdowns. They make progress and respond well to the predictable routines. For one child, this has resulted in an improved sleep pattern. Children and young people develop their social skills due to the re-parenting techniques used by the nurturing staff team. One child is now brushing his teeth and another is developing toileting skills. This leads to children and young people developing improved personal and oral hygiene, a sense of dignity and improved confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet the complex physical needs of children and young people. They work closely with medical professionals, keeping their knowledge updated in areas such as epilepsy and gastrostomy. Independent assessment confirms staff’s competency to provide healthcare. Staff support children and young people with long-term medical conditions to accompany them to their many health appointments. This leads to improved health and well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff cook healthy meals and are creative to suit all dietary needs. Everyone eats together at mealtimes, providing a natural way for staff to nurture children and young Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 4 people. This results in better eating habits, with one child beginning to eat solid food and another making significant progress with his weight management. This is leading to improved self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children and young people are engaged in education, including those who have a disrupted school history. Staff are in regular contact with school and a teacher said: ‘The communication is very good so I know exactly what is going on with [Name of child], which is so helpful for his everyday school life. We regularly discuss strategies and make sure that we are putting the same boundaries in place so there is consistency.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use opportunities to provide informal learning for those who are not yet engaged in formal education. This includes taking part in a wide range of activities and experiences, such as attendance at scouts, youth clubs and having guitar lessons. This offers discipline, builds confidence and gives the chance to socialise with peers, resulting in improved social skills.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enjoy spending time with children and young people who develop a sense of security and belonging, speak of being happy and enjoy living at the home. Positive relationships develop to help children and young people talk openly with staff. This also leads to improved language and comprehension. A professional said: ‘It has been a really supportive placement with progress particularly made with [Name of young person’s] communication. Staff are really proactive and he has made language development and it’s given him the ability to communicate better.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children and young people to express their views and contribute towards the running of the home. This is further enhanced by the independent advocate and, where needed, interpreters. Young people are involved in staff recruitment by meeting prospective staff. To help children and young people with their understanding, staff use child-friendly placement plans and work on achieving three small targets. Rather than written progress, staff use visual aids, such as graphs, to enable children and young people to see the improvements they have made. This promotes their sense of pride and achievement.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff would benefit from a better understanding of care proceedings and care planning regulations to help them challenge others when necessary. They can also explain to children and young people about their care plans to help reduce anxieties about their future.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop good working relationships with children’s and young people’s families. Communication is good, with staff providing regular updates to parents about their child’s progress. Some family contact takes place in the home. This makes it a more meaningful and relaxed experience, helping to reduce anxiety. A parent said: ‘This is the happiest he has ever been. Staff are good with us. We can come in and see him and go if he doesn’t want to see us.’

p.4

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

Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 5 The manager considers the individual needs of all new referrals and balances them against the potential impact on the existing residents. This detailed process helps to avoid unnecessary disruption, together with preventing children’s and young people’s exposure to new risks and dangers.

p.5

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

Children and young people benefit from a high staff ratio and the actions of staff keep them safe and protected. Comprehensive and individualised risk assessments highlight young people’s vulnerabilities, making staff fully aware of actions and strategies needed to manage or reduce risks. The manager’s continuous attention to risk management helps to protect children and young people from harm.

p.5

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

Children and young people do not go missing from care. They do not have drug and alcohol issues and are at low risk of child sexual exploitation. This is due to the high level of staff supervision. Staff keep up to date with training and have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They have excellent insight into the vulnerabilities that children and young people face. To prevent complacency, the manager regularly discusses different safeguarding scenarios during supervision. This ensures that staff remain confident and know how to respond in an emergency.

p.5

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

Staff no longer use sanctions, as some children and young people struggled to understand these. Positive reinforcement strategies are applied effectively. Consequently, children and young people respond positively to these and display less challenging behaviour. They also benefit from clear boundaries and consistency, which provide structure and routine. One social worker said: ‘There has been a massive difference and significant change in [Name of young person’s] outbursts because of the structure, boundaries and routines, which he has responded well to.’

p.5

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

Staff have a good understanding of children and young people and can pre-empt negative behaviour. In the event that behaviour escalates, staff follow clear strategies to help reduce this. This provides children and young people with a consistent and calming approach. Restraints have reduced in frequency and duration, with low-level physical intervention used to guide children and young people to a calmer and quieter area of the home. This offers a distraction and prevents other residents being involved in the outburst, keeping everyone feeling safe and supported.

p.5

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

Not all staff have a good understanding of the impact of trauma through neglect or loss on children’s and young people’s attachments. This makes it difficult for them to recognise and respond appropriately to children’s and young people’s underlying needs and behaviours. A social worker said: ‘Not all staff have the training in respect of attachment and how to deal with young people with attachment disorders.’ Consequently, staff are not always able to appropriately support and care for children if their knowledge is limited.

p.5

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

The manager has met the requirement from the last inspection and regular fire drills and practices now take place. Staff work to de-sensitise children and young people who have sensory processing issues to reduce distress and anxiety during these times. Staff ensure that all children and young people, in particular those who are new to the home and Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 6 those who are visiting, are aware of fire procedures. This ensures that staff, children and young people and visitors all know what to do in the event of a fire.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been registered for almost a year. She has the necessary skills, is suitably qualified and is experienced in working in children’s residential care settings. Her experiences include managing homes for children with severe learning disabilities, physical disabilities, challenging behaviour and complex health needs. The manager receives regular supervision and support from a social-work-qualified area manager who provides her with opportunities to reflect on her decisions.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A robust recruitment and induction process ensures that only staff who have the right skills and attributes work at the home. Most of the staff members are new, and the manager uses her leadership skills to build a cohesive staff team, achieved through regular team meetings and good quality supervision. Staff development is encouraged and staff are empowered to learn new skills, including their enrolment on a course to obtain a higher-level qualification. Staff take on designated roles, which gives them variety in their job, empowering them to improve practice, such as for more participation at residents’ meetings. Staff talk of gelling as a team and enjoy working at the home. A staff member said: ‘We have a really good team. We all bring something in, with our past experiences. We all talk and share ideas.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has made good progress in developing recording, monitoring and auditing systems. This helps her maintain effective oversight of the care, progress and experiences of children and young people. One of the many areas she has made improvements in is the development of staff’s recording. The manager is keen to have consistency of practice and recording. Staff are able to talk about their responses to incidents openly with each other and in formal, reflective practice debriefs. The records are now concise and detailed, making it easier to reflect on the actions of staff following an incident. This ensures that staff take safe and necessary action to keep children and young people safe.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is forward-thinking and has plans for the service. A robust independent visitor challenges the manager about shortfalls he finds and provides extra scrutiny of the home. The whole staff team aspires to make this home the best it can be and wants children and young people to have the best outcomes while benefiting from living in a family environment.

p.6

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 differences 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 Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 7 knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

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: 1216505 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Tina Ruffles, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9