Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 1 SC356963 Registered provider: Kirklees Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The risk of a fire starting in this home is high. This is putting the young people’s and staff’s lives in danger. Insufficient action to prevent fire has been taken since a mattress and a pillow were recently set on fire. Some of the young people continue to smoke in their bedrooms and around the home. They have free access to cigarette lighters. This worries some of the young people. One young person commented: ‘I feel unsafe. I don’t want my belongings burnt down.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the young people are in danger of being physically and emotionally harmed through being exposed to child sexual exploitation. The staff team does not always take immediate action to keep the young people safe. Consequently, some of the young people known to be at high risk of being sexually exploited are in danger when they are Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 2 missing on a daily basis. Some leave the home and get into cars with people that the staff do not know. The staff team does not always act quickly to stop them or find them. These serious incidents are not always reported to the police.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the young people live in extremely dirty bedrooms. Their floors have numerous cigarette ends and old food and drink on them. Some of the young people’s clothes are scattered about the rooms. Their rooms smell heavily of smoke and their mattresses and walls are stained from the young people stubbing cigarettes out on them. This is not providing the young people with a safe or cared for environment. It is not teaching them to aspire to high standards now or in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the young people’s physical and emotional health is suffering. Some of the young people regularly use sharp objects to harm themselves. Some young people smoke and use illegal substances. Others who have never tried this before join in. Consequently, one young person has been rushed to hospital after suffering a seizure triggered by illegal substance misuse. The actions taken by staff to support young people under the influence of illegal substances or alcohol are not always clear.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual missing risk assessments do not provide the staff with the information needed to find missing young people. Information is not used effectively to keep the young people safe. The young people’s risk assessments do not contain places where the missing young people are found or their known associates. Where risk assessments are up to date, the staff team is not always following the actions to reduce the risks.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people do not feel safe in this home. One young person commented: ‘I feel unsafe about where I live. The police have to come here. The others are assaulting staff and they do not come here to be beaten.’ As a result, the young people are living in a chaotic and at times violent environment. This is affecting the young people’s ability to make any progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When new young people move into this home, the assessment of their needs is poor. As a result, the young people’s needs are conflicting with others’ and their behaviours are significantly influencing each other negatively. The young people who have previously been settled start to engage in negative activities such as committing criminal offences. This is likely to affect their future life chances.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the young people have poor daily routines. They stay in bed for most of the day and they are up late at night. This is affecting their ability to attend education. Some do not engage with education at all. One of the young people commented: ‘My education has suffered because we don’t settle on a night. It stopped me going to school. I’m behind at school now.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s monitoring of this home is poor. As a result, they are not always aware of significant safeguarding incidents. This is hindering their ability to track information which could help to manage risk and protect the young people. The senior staff who are responsible for this home, including the responsible individual, are not always made aware of serious incidents. This is preventing them from ensuring that the staff team is Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 3 taking the correct action to keep the young people safe. There is no responsible individual registered with the regulatory body. This is potentially further hindering the oversight of this service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The regulatory body is not able to effectively assess safeguarding practice. The managers do not ensure that all serious incidents are notified to the regulatory body. This further hinders oversight of this service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 31/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 4

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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

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii)) 21/01/18

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v)) 31/03/18

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 21/01/18

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— develop the child’s interests and hobbies; participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 21/01/18

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable 21/01/18 Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 5 progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (Regulation 8(1)) * If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) In particular, stop the young people smoking in bedrooms and anywhere in the house. 21/01/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; and there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e) and (b)) 21/01/18

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirement in paragraph (6). (Regulation 26(4)(i)) 21/01/18

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 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 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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kirklees Council, 30 Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HG

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC356963 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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