Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 1 SC033387

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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

This home normally provides residential short breaks and emergency support for children and young people aged up to 18 years old, who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairments. Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), the short-break service is no longer operating.

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority has applied to the regulator for a variation to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The variation has yet to be approved. Two children have subsequently been admitted to this home who required care and accommodation due to emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, the manager had been absent from work for over 28 days.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was conducted in accordance with statutory guidance following the regulator receiving a complaint in relation to care planning and risk management of two children living at the home. Concerns were also raised from external monitoring reports and through an escalation in regulation 40 notifications. The inspector followed the health and safety guidelines in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

The children admitted to this home have complex needs that include self-harm, emotional dysregulation, mental disorder and attachment, and risks associated with going missing, such as sexual exploitation and criminality. The inspector found that there was a lack of information on the referral documentation. Impact risk assessments had also not been completed. The manager and staff were unprepared Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 2 and inexperienced in dealing with this level of need and risk. This resulted in staff sickness that potentially could have compromised the safety and well-being of the children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not had the specialised and bespoke training that would better equip them to respond to and manage the range of complex needs and behaviours, such as attachment disorder, self-harm and child sexual exploitation. Equally, staff felt inexperienced in managing and monitoring safe usage on social media devices. This resulted in one child downloading inappropriate images and content. Once this was spotted, the deputy manager took appropriate action. Strategies are now in place that monitor safe usage.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training remains a shortfall. The deputy manager advised that the need to cover shifts with appropriate staffing ratios has taken precedence. The inspector is satisfied that staffing levels are suitable for the management of risk and harm. A specialist child and adolescent service has been commissioned to provide therapeutic intervention and consultation, and this has resulted in some reduction in the severity of incidents involving self-harm and physical intervention.

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This monitoring visit

The recording of physical interventions and significant incidents is inconsistent in quality. Some records are partially completed or blank. This does not give the inspector confidence that the use of restraint is proportionate and there is proper oversight and evaluation. The deputy manager is mindful of this breach in regulation and is taking steps to rectify this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

More recently, risk assessments, behaviour management plans and more specialised assessments are well documented and updated. This has informed staff of the strategies needed in their attempts to minimise risk and reduce harm to self and others. Efforts by the local authority to identify more suitable long-term placements are ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

The design of the home and the environment does not promote a warm and nurturing environment. It is equipped with aids and adaptions befitting a home for children with physical and learning disabilities. This temporary arrangement has caused additional anxieties for the children. They understandably do not want to invest in this home and to build relationships with staff. It has, however, enabled the staff to focus on the children’s individual and very differing needs separately and provide more consistent care.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has been absent from work for more than 28 days. The provider has failed to notify the regulator of this absence and is in breach of regulatory requirements. The inspector has been reassured that management cover arrangements are in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 3 Ofsted has not been notified of serious events in a timely manner. This hinders the regulator’s ability to effectively carry out their safeguarding responsibilities to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2020 Full Good 16/05/2018 Full Good 24/10/2017 Full Good 13/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 4

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager needs to ensure that there is sufficient information to ascertain whether needs and risks can be met and to inform compatibility. 03/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 5 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 6 If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence. (Regulation 48 (1)) 03/07/2020

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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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: Kirklees Metropolitan Council, Civic Centre 3, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 2EY

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 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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