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

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

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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 learning difficulties, two of whom may be placed under short-break arrangements. A private company operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since 2018.

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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: 7 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/07/2017 Full Good 21/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, staff should record and implement strategies that are individual to each child, ensuring terminology and practice used is not considered as institutionalised in nature.

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulation 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that newly appointed staff access increased levels of supervision during probationary periods. The supervisor should be named, and stated timescales for supervision should be recorded.

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Recommendations

 Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home currently accommodates two young people. The management and leadership team ensures that all paperwork is available before placement. This helps staff to understanding the needs of each young person prior to them coming to live at the home and assists with care planning, while helping to identify any potential gaps or shortfalls in knowledge and skills for staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home allows for young people to be provided with their own apartment, which they personalise to provide a comfortable and homely environment. The home offers a place where young people can develop independence skills in a safe, supported way. The staff map their progress and share targets achieved with other members of the care team and family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps young people to gain general independent skills and competence in cooking, cleaning their own room and using electrical equipment under supervision. A young person has bought a fish tank from rewards, provided for his achievements and pocket money. He has gained confidence by having sole responsibility for his fish. Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 4 Young people are engaged in education provided by tutors, supported by staff that are nearby to manage behaviours. The staff team works collaboratively with several professionals to ensure that educational needs are supported and strive to enable them to return to a more formal educational environment. Young people are supported in visiting proposed colleges and voicing their wishes and feelings, supporting confidence in their decision making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team encourages physical activities and healthy eating. As a result, young people’s specific health needs and social presentations improve. This raises self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have developed good trusting, respectful relationships with staff and are helped to maintain positive family contact regardless of distance. The staff team transports to and from contact in addition to staying in hotels near to family homes if required. This commitment supports a sense of belonging for young people and develops relationships safely.

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

The staff team knows young people well and identifies potential risks and triggers. The risk assessments and strategies that are followed reduce the impact of potential harm. However, language and terminology used is not child-friendly and could read as punitive practice. This needs to be addressed.

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

High staff ratios keep young people safe and protected. As a result, young people’s risks have reduced significantly. Young people are no longer misusing drugs, going missing or involved in criminal activity. Behaviour management plans are comprehensive and routinely reviewed. The use of physical intervention is, as a result, rarely required. The young people are not at risk of exploitation due to the high levels of supervision by staff.

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

A professional said, ‘I am incredibly impressed with the length staff go to in managing [Name]’s responses and behaviours.’ The staff team manages the environment well. Young people are supervised when engaged using the kitchen, the internet and in social activities inside and out in the community. Key-work sessions are carried out specifically to help young people understand known and potential risks. This helps young people to develop confidence and reduce behaviours that previously put them at harm.

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

A young person said, ‘I really, really feel safe here and I feel calmer and relaxed.’ Young people grow in confidence and develop a sense of well-being because of the consistent safe care messages that they receive from trusted adults.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been a high level of staff recruitment to ensure that staffing ratios are compliant with individual young people’s placement plans. This recruitment has been thorough to ensure that staff are safe to work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 5 The manager and leadership team are relatively new to the management role. They are experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in their approach. They demonstrate a commitment through recognising the need for continuous change. Placement plans have been individualised and staff have been identified to take responsibility for certain care tasks. This develops confidence and knowledge in staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a supportive working environment with staff, which is providing stability and consistency of care to young people. They receive supervision of a good quality. However, new staff do not receive more frequent formal supervision, and although they receive a debrief after every shift, this is not recorded. This limits overall performance management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides staff with clear support in recognising good practice. Staff feel supported, valued and motivated. Management oversight is visible and communication with a range of care professionals is positive and proactive. The manager advocates strongly for young people, challenging professionals and escalating concerns when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and her team work well with professionals involved with each young person. Both independent reviewing officers spoke highly of the care being provided and of the management communication, which results in all parties feeling well informed about the young people’s needs and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff focus on promoting positive outcomes for young people. Well- written reports are presented at local authority meetings. This demonstrates an awareness of the progress being made and how young people are supported to express their views and opinions on their care. Young people are encouraged to identify and recognise the changes they have made. This develops their confidence, enhances their emotional well-being and promotes their overall resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is good. However, there is a reliance on in-house training. The skills and knowledge of staff would be enhanced if specialist training was sourced on a range of subjects, for example mental health, attachment and trauma.

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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. Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 6 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

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Information about this inspection

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 7

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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

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482418 8 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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