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

Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited Full inspection 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 provider. It provides care for up to five children with emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following the last inspection, two compliance notices under regulation 12 and 13 were issued. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Inadequate 28/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The experiences of children in this home have improved significantly. Children said that they are happy and feel cared for by the staff team. The deputy manager, who is leading the home in the absence of a manager, is described by one child as ‘sound’, another said that they felt that living in the home was ‘as good as it could be’. This change has led to the children making progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been decorated and, where appropriate, has had new fixtures and fittings. New daily routines are in place for the staff, which include ensuring that the children’s bedrooms stay clean and are welcoming places for the children. Children’s achievements are recognised by the staff in daily recordings and by photographs around the home. Children’s artwork decorates the walls of the living spaces, ensuring a sense of ownership and belonging for the children. Children commented that this is a much nicer place to live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaging in work or education, depending on their individual plans, and they are proud of their achievements. During the day, if they have free time, children engage in activities with the staff such as ‘jump 360’, going to the beach or going shopping. This has strengthened the relationships that the children have with the staff. The change has led to the children being able to trust the adults who care for them enough to begin to talk about how they are feeling and what help they may need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children actively engage in key-work sessions. These are now planned by staff and link with the needs of the children rather than being reactive to incidents that occur. This means that children are receiving effective support, and this has resulted in a reduction in incidents and behaviours of concern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Children are supported by the staff to attend appointments. Children are encouraged to take control of their own health by being given information related to nutrition and good health. They are engaged in sporting activities such as attending the gym and boxing. This helps the children to develop healthy routines and maintain good health as they develop into adulthood.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s risk assessments have been reviewed. These now include strategies to guide the staff’s practice to lessen the risks to children. These risk assessments continue to need work to remain relevant to the individual child, rather than including all potential risks, regardless of whether the child is at risk or not.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are increasingly able to manage their emotions and regulate their behaviour. Most of the staff have followed the nurturing approach role modelled by the deputy manager. This has been supported by a wide range of training in Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 4 subjects relevant to the children’s needs. This has been strengthened by the deputy manager’s stringent approach to monitoring and guiding the staff’s practice. She evaluates all recordings and adds comments to improve practice across the staff team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from home, misusing drugs and self-harming as children feel better able to approach the staff for help and support. When children do go missing from home, staff have followed the correct protocols and actively searched for the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment practice has improved. Staff files and rotas now accurately reflect who works in the home and that all the relevant checks have been carried out. This ensures the safety of the children. The staff team is still small, but adequate to offer care to the children who live in the home. However, gaps in the staffing arrangements may have a detrimental effect if other children were to move into the home at this time.

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good

The registered manager left the home following the earlier inspection. The deputy manager, who had only just started her employment at the last inspection, has made significant progress. This is recognised by the staff, leaders, other professionals and the children. A social worker said, ‘I think there have been many positive changes since the last inspection, and at this time I cannot think of anything which can be done better. I feel the changes implemented so far have been good and I hope to see this continue in the future.’

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good

Supervision for the staff now takes place regularly. It is well recorded and includes action plans for the staff’s development. Some of the staff have been supported by the deputy manager to make the necessary changes to improve their knowledge base and practice. Further development of the staff is needed to ensure that the positive changes made are sustained.

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good

The staff have improved their recording of the children’s experiences in the children’s files and the daily records, but in some cases this still needs continued direction from the deputy manager. However, the deputy manager uses her monitoring systems to ensure that the recording completed by the staff is appropriate, and that it tracks the children’s progress.

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good

The deputy manager is supported by the registered individual with regular meetings and comprehensive supervisions. This enables her to continue her own induction while making changes in the care practice. Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 5

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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, the 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— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— protect and promote each child’s welfare; treat each child with dignity and respect; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ix)) 10 December

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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— 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; 10 December Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(e)(f))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); rooms and outside areas need to be decorated and maintained to ensure that the home remains warm and welcoming and is not institutionalised. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including

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Recommendations

the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1216505 7

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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

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1216505 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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