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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 1

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Hennessy Living Group Limited

Monitoring visit 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 who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 24 April 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to follow up concerns following complaints received by Ofsted about potential breaches in regulation. The inspector subsequently found failings in the way that children and young people are safeguarded in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Consequently, two further requirements have been issued to ensure that the home’s leadership and management team makes immediate improvements to keep children and young people safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children and young people cannot access external areas of the premises freely and without restriction. The locking of external doors and, in some rooms, the windows does not ensure the health and well-being of children and young people in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring of the home is ineffective. The provider has failed to ensure that the external monitoring effectively safeguards children and young people and that the conduct of the home promotes children’s and young people’s well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Since the previous inspection, the provider has appointed a new manager. However, she has only been in post for four days before this monitoring visit and so has not Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 2 had time to address shortfalls in practice.

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This monitoring visit

The concerns raised have been addressed through this monitoring visit. The leadership and management have met with local councillors and representatives from the local community. This is to ensure that the home’s purpose is transparent and to strengthen community relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing of the home is being supported by recruitment of two additional care staff, subject to appropriate checks being completed. Additionally, a maintenance worker is in the process of being appointed, also subject to necessary safer recruitment checks. The provider has ceased the practice of using agency staff, thus providing children and young people with continuity of care.

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This monitoring visit

The judgement was not changed at this monitoring visit. However, two new requirements have been made. Three requirements from the recent full inspection on 7 May 2019 are in progress and repeated here, along with the recommendations. Two of the previous requirements are met.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who-

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to-

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(2)(c)(i)) 25/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationship 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 behaviours; 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 behaviour and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or 25/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 4 harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encourage to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (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-

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on-

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(h) 25/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises-

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 25/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 5 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. Regulation 21(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have access to external areas. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent visitor-

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether-

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44(2)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. 25/07/2019

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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) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 6 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

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Recommendations

workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 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)

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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: 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 for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 7 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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