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

Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD).

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 27 November 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home has recently varied its conditions of registration to admit children and young people with emotional and behavioural needs, following compliance action under previous conditions of registration. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 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, 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

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b)) 07/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the home–

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Requirement Due date

(b) the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations under it, except for article 23 (duty of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that guidance relating to fire alarms and evacuation is provided for visitors. 28/02/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in a way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as individuals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

In particular, staff must ensure that children and young people who are not attending formal education are encouraged and supported to engage in home study or educational activity as would be expected as per normal school hours.  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)

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Recommendations

In particular, staff must ensure that risks are current, and that records detailing strategies to support children and young people are not overly complicated.  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 4 child to achieve their potential. To ensure that staff understand and can meet each child’s needs, in line with their responsibilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, the staff and timelines for completion of tasks should be recorded clearly in the child’s plans. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 5

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improvement to be good

Following a period of suspension, the provider applied to change their registration to take children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD). This was agreed on 14 November 2018. The first child was placed on 18 January 2019. The staff team has been meeting children’s and young people’s care needs since this date.

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improvement to be good

Individualised placement plans outline each child’s and young person’s vulnerabilities and needs. Children and young people are settling in. The staff ensure that they are welcome and that their basic needs are being met. Children’s and young people’s progress is minimal. Staff are developing positive relationships with children and young people.

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improvement to be good

Care planning involves children and young people. Their views and opinions on their day- to-day living experiences are documented. This promotes their self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people are encouraged to take part in activities, for example trampolining, horse riding and cinema trips. Staff helped children with specific interests to volunteer at a local community stable. This helps to develop their self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

The staff contact local schools and colleges to engage children and young people in education. The manager is working with social workers and virtual school head teachers to meet children’s and young people’s educational needs. However, staff are not consistently ensuring that children and young people are taking part in structured learning on a day-to- day basis.

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improvement to be good

Children’s and young people’s health needs are met. The staff team ensures that children and young people are registered and have access to local health services when they need them.

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improvement to be good

The homely atmosphere and standards of accommodation support the children’s and young people’s sense of belonging. The near proximity of community shops, leisure facilities and access to direct bus routes enables children and young people to take part in their social and life skills development.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people are supported in their contact arrangements with their families. As a result, children and young people are re-establishing and maintaining links to parents, brothers and sisters and friends. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 6

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improvement to be good

Staff’s response to two recent incidents of going missing was thorough and proactive. The staff contacted relevant agencies and the family to ensure that the child returned safely to the home. Staff undertake key-work sessions with children and young people. These cover risk from exploitation and safe care.

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improvement to be good

A comprehensive range of risk assessments contribute towards protecting children and young people. However, they are complicated and limit the ability to identify what is a current risk and what is historical. This does not make risk management as effective as it could be.

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improvement to be good

The home’s locality risk assessment is good. It acknowledges the positive environment in which the home is located.

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improvement to be good

Members of the staff team have used their time well while waiting for the home to be operational. They have engaged in a combination of e-learning and face-to-face training. Safeguarding training and whistleblowing are paramount in developing a safeguarding culture. All staff have completed training in children’s and young people’s mental health. This supports safe care for children and young people.

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improvement to be good

Positive consequences for good behaviour are given and recorded. The staff team engages children and young people in activities in and out of the community. They enjoy less- energetic activities such as board games and watching television together. This is developing safe, caring and trusting relationships.

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improvement to be good

Visitors to the home are not consistently informed of the fire evacuation procedure on arrival. This puts them at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

This manager has been in post since November 2018. He has, however, been working on developing the newly appointed staff team for several months. He is qualified and has relevant experience of residential childcare. The manager is supported by a deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team is newly formed and has a mix of experience appropriate to meeting children’s and young people’s identified needs. Induction processes for staff are thorough. Staff have completed essential training and have read and confirmed that they understand the policies and procedures that safeguard children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Recording systems are, at present, both electronic and paper based. The management team regularly reviews standards of recording. However, required changes and actions recorded do not state who is responsible or give timescales. This limits accountability and allows potential delay in meeting children’s and young people’s needs. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 7 The morale of the staff team is positive. Staff feel supported and listened to by management and colleagues. One member of staff commented, ‘We have had lots of meetings and training together that have enabled us to bond together.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Social workers for the children and young people have commented on the manager’s support and good communication. They say that he has been proactive in accessing education and advocates for children and young people. Transitions into the home have been positive. This has enabled children and young people to feel welcome and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose is kept under review and reflects the service provided. However, a copy has not been provided to HMCI as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager shows a desire and a passion to improve outcomes for children and young people. The recording systems in place, supported by clear procedures, are known and well maintained by staff. This supports the protection and well-being of children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are robust procedures in place to ensure that only suitable matches of children and young people are made. A social worker said, ‘(Management) has been very good at matching considerations and, although (name) was placed first, has ensured that her needs have been taken on board and supported.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 8

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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 whom 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: 1216505 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Helme Hall Nursing Home, Helme Lane, Meltham, Holmfirth, Yorkshire HD9 5RL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Goundry

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 10 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 11

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