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

Inspection report children's home: 1216505 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There has been no registered manager since 23 April 2019. This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2019

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1216505 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1216505 3

p.2

improvement to be good

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted. Individualised placement plans are completed with children and young people and are updated and reviewed monthly. One-to-one key-work sessions identify agreed targets and areas for further discussion with children and young people. This provides them with a sense of ownership and a voice that is heard within their plans. Children and young people are developing positive relationships with their key workers. Staff are striving to develop positive relationships with children and young people and are showing a commitment to improve on consistency of care. Children 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. The staff advocate for children and young people to attend education. Where they are

p.3

improvement to be good

not in mainstream education, staff promote and support learning in the home and through educational visits. Staff are proactive in setting up meetings with alternative educational providers and attend meetings to support children and young people to engage. This helps children and young people to develop resilience and confidence in engagement with others. Children are encouraged to engage in a range of activities, including horse-riding, dining out and theme nights. They also participate in pamper nights and watching DVDs in the home. These activities enable children and young people to develop relationships and confidence. A social worker commented, ‘I have only received positives from the young person. [Name] has good relationships with staff and they attend all her meetings and speak on her behalf well. I have no complaints.’ The staff support and encourage children and young people to develop basic

p.3

improvement to be good

independence skills, such as cooking and personal care. However, they do not explore in any great depth skills and knowledge that are age appropriate or that would prepare young people for independent living. Children and young people know how to complain, and the home’s complaints policy is easy to understand, accessible and child focused. However, records do not show that children and young people are always informed of the outcome. This does not support children and young people’s sense of well-being and development of trust in adults who care for them. Inspection report children's home: 1216505 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Risk assessments are clear and well written. Strategies are in place to manage children and young people’s negative behaviour. However, these are not consistently applied across the staff team. This has led to boundaries and routines being challenged by children and young people, thus providing an environment that does not always provide stability and a sense of well-being. Staff are proactive in reducing the time that children and young people who go missing are away from the home. They actively look for children and young people and use intelligence gathered to contact known addresses and persons to locate them. Well- developed relationships with other children’s home providers in the local area and further afield, as well as the police, support safe care. However, not all other relevant agencies were informed of significant events. This has not left children and young people at significant risk. It is too early to assess the recent changes in staffing structures. However, comments

p.4

improvement to be good

made by the staff have been positive. They say that structure and boundaries have improved and staff are providing children and young people with consistency.

p.4

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

There has been no registered manager since 23 April 2019. The acting manager is experienced and undertaking the relevant management qualification. The staff are relatively inexperienced and not appropriately qualified. However, they are undertaking appropriate qualifications and have demonstrated, under the acting manager, a commitment to children and young people. There was a lack of direction and inconsistent practice which has had an effect on the quality of care provided to the children and young people, as well as an effect on their behaviour. Staff receive a thorough induction and on-line training that provides them with the foundation to meet children and young people’s needs. They have read and confirmed that they understand the policies and procedures that safeguard children and young people. Staff receive appropriate levels of supervision. The leaders and management team were not able to present a training matrix when requested. This was partly due to the home

p.4

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

awaiting the installation of a new electronic recording system and accessibility. This potentially reduces the quality of the home’s internal monitoring process that supports professional development of the staff, and could impinge on their ability to meet children and young people’s needs. External monitoring is appropriate. The independent visitor consistently attends the home on a monthly basis. They identify progress that children and young people make and highlight any shortfalls in the home. A delay in the appointment of a maintenance person has led to repairs not being carried Inspection report children's home: 1216505 5 out in a timely manner. Additionally, children and young people have expressed interest in making the living environment homely; however, this has also been delayed. This does not lead to children and young people having a sense of pride in their environment and a sense of permanence.

p.4

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

Staff work effectively with a number of agencies, including mental health teams, education providers and police. The sharing of information and communication is good, which is helping children and young people make progress. A social worker stated, ‘I receive weekly updates, and there is good correspondence in terms of contact arrangements which is positive. There is good communication between us.’

p.5

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.

p.5

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 purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(2)(c)(i)) 20/06/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviours; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child's behaviour and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child's age and understanding, personal, sexual 20/06/2019 Inspection report children's home: 1216505 6 and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to

p.5

Requirement Due date

recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; strive to gain each child's respect and trust; understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(g)(i) and (h) 20/06/2019

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 20/06/2019

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each relevant person without delay if— there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. A notification made under this regulation— 20/06/2019 Inspection report children's home: 1216505 7 must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisation (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40(4)(e) and (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) and (b))

p.6

Recommendations

 Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home's support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) In particular, staff should maintain an individual record with the young person which they can take with them to support their development to adulthood. Steps should be taken to ensure that tasks and information include relevant practical knowledge required to support independence.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and

p.7

Recommendations

20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional developmental needs of staff – including the home's manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.7

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. Inspection report children's home: 1216505 8 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

p.7

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: 1216505 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Goundry

p.9

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.

p.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10