Children's home run by Care Management Solutions Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 1 SC423442 Registered provider: Care Management Solutions 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 privately owned company. It provides care for up to four children and young people who have social and emotional difficulties. There are currently four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 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 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Full Good 22/05/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home where they experience good relationships with staff. Staff and managers support good transitions into the home. They take time to get to know children before they move in and start to personalise their bedrooms. One child had a vanity desk, mirror and surrounding lights in place with only a few days’ notice. This shows children, from the start, that staff listen to and value their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a variety of activities and staff consult them about their interests. Staff listen to their views, and they are supported to take part in their chosen activities. One child enjoys walks in natural beauty spots and regularly takes part in them with staff. One child attends a fitness class which is a one-to-one lesson based on their individual needs. Achievements in children’s chosen activities are celebrated. As a result, children are developing self-confidence with encouragement and support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff recognise children’s cultural needs. They show an active interest in children’s culture and family heritage. Staff incorporate children’s culture into everyday life through activities such as jigsaws and arts and craft. In addition, children are provided with age-appropriate books and online research to increase knowledge of their family history. The staff also work in partnership to ensure that children’s cultural needs are consistently met, for example in education. One child has a weekly one-to-one tutor who is providing the child an opportunity to continue to develop and use her first language. Children show understanding of their own identity and talk about this with pride and enthusiasm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with those important to them. Staff carry out appropriate checks to ensure that children are safeguarded and regularly transport children to see family and friends. Staff are supporting one child with the practicalities of getting ready to go on holiday abroad with their family. They have advocated when other services had not actioned what was needed to enable the trip to take place. This ensures that children maintain positive relationships and have good experiences with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Children are registered with medical services, including the GP, dentist and optician. Staff support children to attend regular appointments and have good systems in place to ensure that children’s medication is administered as directed. Children are provided a balanced diet and are able contribute to their own meal planning. Staff facilitate individual choice, including requests for speciality meals. This encourages children to experience a varied diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend and engage in education. When a provision is not meeting the child’s needs, staff advocate for improved services. The manager has worked closely with the local authority to challenge education decisions when these are not in a child’s best interest. On another occasion, direct feedback has been Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 4 given to one provider, including how their shortfall in provision was affecting the child. This challenge led to positive change and a better education experience for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is appropriate for meeting the needs of the children. There is space for children to relax, complete homework or activities, and bedrooms are personalised. However, the manager has not always been proactive in responding to repairs or redecoration. In one case, the manager identified that an area in the home needed redecorating; this was not actioned for several months. This can lead to children not feeling valued.

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

Children’s risk assessments are clear and contain up-to-date information on known risks. Staff ratios are in line with children’s assessed needs, which helps to minimise risks. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs, including how to minimise and respond to individual risks. Where restrictions are in place to protect a child, staff are considerate as to how this affects the other children in the home. Discussions take place with professionals, and if appropriate children, to ensure that the impact on other children is minimised.

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

Staff are supporting children to keep safe and minimise risks. Staff are consistent in their approach and provide a safe environment for children to flourish. One social worker said: ‘[the child] has made so much progress in placement in terms of developing positive, healthy relationships with adults, who are putting in boundaries.’ One parent has built up a good relationship with the staff team, which has supported her to understand the care her child is receiving and be confident that her child is well cared for. The parent stated: ‘My child is happy, which is more important than anything. The home is doing marvellous, I am not as worried like I used to be.’

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

Children do not often go missing from home. When this has occurred, attempts are made to locate the child and the missing procedure is followed. This includes return home interviews being offered and effective communication with professionals and family. On one occasion, staff did not go looking for a child before reporting them missing. However, this was identified by the manager and subsequent incidents evidenced learning and improved practice.

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

Children’s behaviour is well managed. Physical interventions are rare. When used, these have been proportionate and necessary to prevent harm. Staff and children receive debriefs, which supports reflection and learning following any incident of physical intervention. Staff use de-escalation techniques and incentives to reduce the need for physical intervention. This supports effective behaviour management. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have good knowledge of the children in the home and understand their needs. This enables managers to provide guidance and support to staff in how best to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment of new staff is in line with safer recruitment processes. Detailed inductions are in place for staff and reviewed in line with procedures. Staff feel well supported through their induction and are confident in being able to fulfil their role with support from managers and colleagues. As a result, managers support staff to fulfil their roles and meet the needs of children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The members of the staff team feel well supported by managers and their colleagues. Staff receive regular supervision and use the opportunity to seek appropriate support from managers. Supervision is reflective and the children’s needs are discussed. Staff performance and development constitute a priority and are regularly reviewed. Regular communication from managers also take place outside supervision through weekly updates and monthly team meetings. This ensures that children are cared for by suitably experienced and knowledgeable staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring in the home is not always effective. The independent person’s report does not always reflect what is happening in the home and therefore does not accurately identify good practice or areas for improvement. On more than one occasion, the report did not reflect the work undertaken by staff to meet a child’s identity. This was not challenged by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a good understanding of the impact on children when plans for their future are not clear. In those cases, managers regularly communicate with the local authority to advocate for children. The manager’s escalation has resulted in services responding more promptly and putting in place plans for children. This shows children that they are valued by staff and that their needs are prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The location risk assessment is updated by the manager. However, these updates are included alongside old information. The risk assessment does not provide a clear record of what risks are associated with all the children in the home and strategies for managing these. This makes it difficult to understand what the current risks are and how the children are safeguarded effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is up to date and accurately reflects practice. However, the provider has not shared this with Ofsted. This does not enable the regulator to have up-to-date knowledge of the home’s function. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 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 independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person must provide an accurate overview of children’s experiences. The report must be a true reflection of the care provided. 18 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 18 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that repairs and redecoration are undertaken in the home. Work identified should be a priority and the manager should be proactive. Doing this is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for and value children as individuals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered provider should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 7

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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: SC423442 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Lydgate, Lepton, Huddersfield HD8 0LT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Halliwell

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Inspectors

Sadie Mulkeen, Social Care Inspector Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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