Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 1 SC034441 Registered provider: Kirklees Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned and operated by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children or young people who may have sensory impairment, learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2018. He is suitably experienced and qualified for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on the 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2020 Full Good 24/10/2018 Full Outstanding 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding 30/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 3

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They benefit from the high quality of care provided by staff. Children identify that staff help them to achieve. As a result, they form strong, trusting bonds with staff, who want the best for them. Children benefit from living in a safe, stable and nurturing environment. This helps the children to progress and to feel settled. The progress that children make while living at this home will have a highly positive impact on their future life chances.

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outstanding

Children’s independence skills have increased. Focus is placed on helping children to progress through promoting experiences that enhance their social, emotional and physical development. For example, one child’s mobility and communication have significantly progressed. As such, the child is now more mobile and can access the school bus with limited support from staff.

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outstanding

The children develop trusted relationships with the staff, and staff are proactive in meeting the children’s holistic care needs. This includes setting the children achievable targets, and when they are achieved, they are well celebrated through positive rewards and praise.

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outstanding

Educational achievement is promoted and celebrated. All of the children access education provisions suited to their academic abilities. Staff work in partnership with schools and other professionals to ensure that the children have consistent support at home and school. The staff ensure that there is effective communication through the use of an electronic diary and at daily handovers with teachers at key points of the day.

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outstanding

The staff work in partnership with social workers, specialist health nurses, children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and the children’s families. This helps to ensure that the children receive the help and support that they require.

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outstanding

Staff demonstrate consistent practice, which promotes stability and dependability and enables children to develop a sense of belonging. With respect to children who have complex needs, small steps represent big improvements. It is clear that the progress made by some children is beyond expectations and that they are flourishing in all aspects of their lives.

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outstanding

There are robust risk assessments and behaviour support plans in place. Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 4 The regular evaluation of risk ensures that staff are aware of any changes to agreed risk management strategies. These measures promote children’s welfare and well- being.

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outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the risks to individual children associated with their disabilities, levels of understanding and communication, and health conditions. Staff work closely with the clinical psychologist and a specialist nurse to ensure that they are able meet the complex medical needs of children. This means that staff are vigilant and understand what action to take to help to better protect the children.

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outstanding

Behaviour is sensitively and effectively managed by staff. The whole staff team know the children well and consistently work in line with the agreed individual plans and incentives. Staff recognise children’s escalating anxieties and can intervene quickly to reduce distress. Staff are very skilled at helping children to keep calm. This means that children are less anxious and are happy and relaxed.

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outstanding

There are low levels of physical interventions. However, when incidents happen, the manager has a clear oversight and supports the staff and the children to debrief. The manager will liaise with CAMHS and the clinical psychologist to review interventions and update risk assessments. This supports the staff in managing any changes or patterns in the children’s behaviours.

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outstanding

Staff are highly skilled and well motivated to continually develop their practice through training opportunities. They have completed specialist training on attachment, understanding autism spectrum disorders, and the safe administration of medication. This helps to promote good practice. The manager adheres to safer recruitment practice. New staff have comprehensive inductions and complete a probationary period. Staff have opportunities to develop their practice. This helps to ensure that children benefit from being cared for by a competent and consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is managed by an ambitious, dedicated and aspirational leader who is committed to securing continual improvements for the benefit of children. The manager has invested in the team, and his enthusiasm and commitment have helped to inspire staff and shape the overall ethos of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is well supported by his deputies and his senior team. Together, they support the staff team to improve the outcomes for the children. Staff who spoke to the inspector said that they are well supported by the management team, who are accessible and provide staff with a high level of support and resources. As a result, staff are motivated to improve the outcomes for the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 5 The manager has implemented systems that help to capture the voice of the child. These include journey and praise books and a monthly newsletter. These records demonstrate how the children have enjoyed fun activities and celebrated events, such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Eid and Ramadan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent management oversight of the home. His monitoring tools are effective and this results in a home where there is ambition to provide outstanding care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff worked flexibly and supported the needs of the service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Professionals said that this flexibility has helped to ensure that children have been able to move on in supported way, despite some significant delays due to the pandemic. A professional said that the support offered by staff was ‘exceptional’ and showed ‘true dedication’ and ‘commitment’. Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC034441 7

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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

Noel Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034441 8 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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