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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 1

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages this home. The home provides care for up to five children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager. A manager was appointed on 27 June 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

During a monitoring visit on 14 February 2022, inspectors found several regulatory breaches in the management and leadership arrangements. These shortfalls impacted on the children’s safety, protection and welfare. In response, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 13.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider made the decision to temporarily close the home on 18 February 2022. As such, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to impose the three-month condition on the provider’s registration. This means that the provider must give Ofsted three- month’s notice of their intention to admit any child into the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A monitoring visit was carried out on 12 May 2022 to monitor the provider’s response to the compliance notice. The home was closed. Therefore, Ofsted reissued the compliance notice under regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The home remains closed and there are no children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s response to the compliance notice. During this visit, the inspectors identified that one of the five steps identified in the compliance notice had been met. A new manager has been appointed. However, this person has yet to submit their application to register with Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 2 Four members of staff have been appointed. Some staff have commenced the induction process and mandatory training. A recruitment campaign is ongoing as the current staffing levels are insufficient to reopen the home. Therefore, this step of the compliance notice has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

As the home remains closed, the provider has been unable to demonstrate that they have sufficient staff who are suitably trained to care for children. As a result of this, the provider has been unable to provide accurate and up-to-date rotas, and demonstrate that their staff will receive supervision as identified in their policy. As such, these steps of the compliance notice have been reissued under regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken action to improve the home’s condition. A full refurbishment is underway. Rooms are being repainted, a new kitchen has been installed and repairs to the exterior are being addressed.

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This monitoring visit

The eight further requirements and the two recommendations made following the monitoring visit in February 2022 have also been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, the provider notified Ofsted of their intention to reopen the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/10/2021 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Inadequate 28/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 4

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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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Statutory Requirements

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Statutory Requirements

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Statutory Requirements

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Statutory Requirements

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Statutory Requirements

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Statutory Requirements

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Statutory Requirements

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Statutory Requirements

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Statutory Requirements

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)) 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 5 This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated.

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Statutory Requirements

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

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Statutory Requirements

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Statutory Requirements

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

*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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Statutory Requirements

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Statutory Requirements

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Statutory Requirements

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;

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Statutory Requirements

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Statutory Requirements

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Statutory Requirements

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(e))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

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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Statutory Requirements

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Statutory Requirements

promotes their welfare. 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Statutory Requirements

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated.

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Statutory Requirements

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Statutory Requirements

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Statutory Requirements

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Statutory Requirements

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Statutory Requirements

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation. (Regulation 39 (3) (4))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 7 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Statutory Requirements

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Statutory Requirements

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Statutory Requirements

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Statutory Requirements

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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Statutory Requirements

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 October 2022

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Statutory Requirements

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the 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

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: 1216505 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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Inspectors

Catherine Heron, Social Care Inspector Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 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 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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