Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 1 SC033367

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Kirklees Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and/or young people aged between 12 and 18 years. It is operated by a local authority. The registered manager left the home in September 2018. An interim manager has been appointed. The manager is in the process of making an application for registration to Ofsted. She is working towards a level 5 leadership qualification and has supervisory experience gained in a residential care environment.

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This monitoring visit

At the interim inspection on 7 November 2018, the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. There were a number of significant breaches of regulation. These included deficiencies in the assessment and management of risk, in care planning and in ensuring that adequate fire safety precautions are taken. This placed children and young people at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

As a result, eight regulatory requirements were made. Three requirements were the subject of compliance notices that were served on the provider relating to regulations 12, 14 and 25 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015. A restriction of accommodation notice was also served to prevent the further admission of children and young people to the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to establish whether the provider has complied with the restriction of accommodation notice and to inspect the progress made in relation to the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has reviewed and updated all of the risk management plans for children and young people. The plans contain appropriate strategies for staff to follow in order to reduce the level of risk posed to children and young people. Children and young people are undertaking direct work with newly identified Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 2 mentors to help them understand and overcome risks to their safety. Regular meetings are taking place with partners from the wider child protection system to agree and progress coherent multi-agency actions.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders were able to demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that the impact of individual risk factors for children and young people living at the home is fully considered prior to any new admissions to the home. All care plans for children and young people at the home have been reviewed and amended to reflect new individual goals. When transitions are planned, leaders have taken steps to create written plans to ensure that children and young people who do move on from the home do so in a planned and positive manner.

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This monitoring visit

The local fire service has visited the home to discuss with children and young people the dangers of smoking in the home. Further direct work of this nature is planned. An incentive programme has been developed to encourage children and young people not to smoke in their bedrooms. Staff regularly check bedrooms for evidence of smoking and whether fire detection equipment is working, and while this behaviour has not ceased, it has reduced considerably.

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This monitoring visit

While risks to the safety of children and young people have not entirely diminished, the provider is taking appropriate action to mitigate risks to the safety and well- being of children and young people at the home. The compliance notices that were served in relation to regulations 12, 14 and 25 have been met. The provider has adhered to the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

Because of the continuing level of presenting risks, the restriction of accommodation notice remains in place and will be subject to further review. The progress made in relation to the remaining requirements made at the interim inspection will be reviewed at the next full inspection of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Good 28/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 3

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 30/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(2)(a)(iii)) 30/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 30/12/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 4 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)) 30/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 30/12/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, 3 Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2EY

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas: social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033367 6 to 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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