Children's home run by Hennessy Living Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 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

The home provides care for up to six children who may have social, emotional or mental health difficulties. It is owned and managed by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

There are six children currently living in the home. The inspector spoke to all children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 9 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they feel cared for, and staff are always there to listen and support them. Children enjoy warm and trusting relationships with the staff and make progress in a nurturing and supportive environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their achievements at school, and they develop a sense of pride in the progress they are making from their starting points. When the children experience difficulties with their motivation and are reluctant to attend school, the staff work tirelessly with partner agencies to find alternative educational solutions. A professional commented on how well the children’s transitions into education are managed. They described this as ‘amazingly well’ and ‘Everyone works together. A great care team’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social work professionals speak positively about how well the staff support and supervise the children’s family time. Staff arrange and facilitate family time in the home. Children and their families enjoy this time together. They take part in a range of family-based activities, such as cooking and baking. One professional said: ‘The staff are really good with family time, and for children’s siblings, it is like going to a friend’s house for tea.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to tidy and manage their bedrooms through clear expectations and boundaries. Children respond positively to praise and reward. Staff will sit down and agree ‘priority areas’ with the children. These are agreed goals that the children aim towards, which help them to learn and often to focus on developing independence skills. As a result, children take pride in their living environment, in their personal appearance and in gaining new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of activities inside the home and out in the community. They participate in after-school clubs and local community groups with other children. They are encouraged and supported by the staff to engage in their personal interests, such as dancing and playing football. This ensures that they have opportunities to develop their confidence, and it also promotes their physical and mental well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and professionals work together consistently well. The effective communication between them has improved through the sharing of weekly and monthly summary reports. These reports highlight the progress that the children make. However, it is not always clear who has completed these records as some are not signed and dated by the staff. The manager is aware of this shortfall and has a system in place to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 4

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

Children say they feel safe and that they enjoy spending time with the staff and their peers in a safe and homely environment.

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

Staff record and maintain the children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans. Any incidents that occur are recorded, and the risk management strategies are amended to support the reduction of risk to children. Although the staff identify the risks for the children, the staff’s evaluation of the risk does not always represent an accurate reflection. For example, a potential risk may be identified as a low risk in one risk assessment plan, but in another risk management document, the level is categorised as a medium or high risk. This shortfall means that the staff are not provided with a clear understanding on the true level of risk that the children are exposed too, so that they can provide a consistent response.

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

Staff are proactive and respond when the children go missing from the home. Staff carry out welfare calls, search known areas and contact friends and families of the children. Staff work closely with other professionals and the children to reach and agree on alternative strategies that support safe care, for example overnight stays with families and friends. This has helped to reduce the risk to some children who go missing from the home.

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

Children’s behaviours are managed well. Consistently high staffing levels and clear boundaries contribute to children feeling safe, and this supports their sense of security in the home. Professionals said that children feel safe, and one referred to a child finding his ‘secure base’. As a result, children are settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and her deputies show a passion and an enthusiasm for providing good outcomes for children. There is a mix of experience and diversity in the management and staff team, which provides the children with a positive environment and helps them to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has introduced a recording system that monitors the children’s progress. Children have individual files which are personalised to them, and which capture their development through a mix of evaluative statements, supported by graphs and data. This focused monitoring and overview by the management team help the staff to be proactive and responsive to the children’s emerging needs. As a result, children’s positive development is known and shared with professionals, and is celebrated with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are either qualified or working towards the required childcare qualification. However, the staff’s knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures is inconsistent. For example, not all staff understand what additional steps they must take if an allegation against a member of staff is made. Although this has not Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 5 affected the care that the children receive, this indicates a gap in the staff’s knowledge. The manager recognises this as an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team ensures that the staff receive regular support through monthly team meetings and regular supervision. However, the manager has failed to ensure that full and complete records of these sessions are maintained. This oversight limits the manager’s ability to hold the staff to account if agreed actions are not followed up. This was an error that has been recognised by the manager, and is an area for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The internal monitoring systems are thorough. The daily and weekly management audits ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard. Staff complete regular health and safety checks and administrative duties, which are associated with updating the children’s records. The manager also completes a monthly environmental audit and assessment that covers all areas of the home. This helps with the early identification of any potential hazards, and also supports the manager to improve the living environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly external monitoring takes place. The manager uses this process to support the development of the home. However, scrutiny by Ofsted occasionally identifies additional areas for improvement that the independent visitor has not recorded as a recommendation to improve practice. While the manager said that these areas are discussed, they accepted that these are not always recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 6

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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 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

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

This relates to staff understanding and the identification of potential risk, ensuring that strategies to support the reduction of risk are recorded and cross referenced in behaviour support plans and other relevant documentation. 9 March 2022

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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

understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the staff being aware of and understanding the child protection protocols and steps that they must take in order to safeguard the children. 9 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent scrutiny of the home (under regulation 44) consistently challenges the practice in the home and raises, when necessary, any relevant recommendations to improve this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is stored effectively for all of the staff, including the manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  The registered person should ensure that the staff ensure that the children’s records are kept up to date and signed by the author. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 for children’s home: 2520922 8

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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

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2520922 9 regulates and inspects 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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