Children's Home run by Hennessy Living Group Limited in Hartlepool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 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

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted registered this home in December 2020. The registered manager left the home in April 2021. There is a new manager in post who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit and on 5 May 2021 to carry out a full inspection. These reports are published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out because of concerns about practice in the home. Ofsted received notifications that raised questions about the ability of staff to manage some aspects of children’s behaviour. In addition, the manager failed to provide a full account of these significant incidents. There were concerns about the quality of the manager’s review and oversight of these events, to inform the changes to staff practice needed to protect children from further harm.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not routinely review risk assessments, and these are not updated following significant incidents. Risks to children’s safety and protection currently include children taking weapons into the local community, children using illegal substances and children going missing from the home. This means that children are not effectively safeguarded and are at risk of serious harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 2 Self-harm risk assessments do not include strategies for staff to follow to help them to manage and reduce the risks to children’s safety and well-being. Although there are no formal strategies in place for staff to follow, staff spoke about how they would protect a child in these situations. However, this approach is inconsistent, and this is detrimental when a child is in crisis.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s health is deteriorating. The staff are carrying out key-work sessions with the child; however, these are ineffective. The child has specific dietary plans in place which are not followed, and important appointments are being missed. Concerns have been raised by the child’s social worker with regard to the child not engaging with their specialist nurse and the wider impact of this on the child’s long-term health.

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This monitoring visit

One child is not making progress in education because there are no suitable learning plans in place, and the child does not attend school. The manager and staff are unsuccessful in their approaches to overcoming the barriers to learning that the child faces. Consequently, the child is not gaining any academic achievements to support their development or future aspirations.

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This monitoring visit

Inconsistent management and practice from the manager mean that staff doubt his judgement and leadership. Staff told the inspector during the monitoring visit that they often seek advice and guidance from other managers and the responsible individual. This poor leadership means that children do not receive consistent care and support. This prevents them from reaching their full potential.

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This monitoring visit

The manager continually fails to ensure that all relevant and pertinent information is included in the safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted. This lack of transparency is of concern and prevents Ofsted from fully assessing the effectiveness of the actions taken by the provider to protect children from harm.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring visit, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation to this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (2)(a)(v)) 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 staff— 6 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 4 assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation must include details of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)) 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 5

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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: Rickleton 1B, Bowes Offices, Lambton Park, Chester le Street DH3 4AN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Goundry

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2613032 6 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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