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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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 social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

During a monitoring visit on 14 February 2022, inspectors found several regulatory breaches that 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 took the decision to close the home on 18 February 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

On 24 February 2022, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to vary the conditions of registration. This required the provider to inform Ofsted of their intention to accommodate children at least three months before they admitted any children into the home. This proposal was accepted by the provider. Therefore, Ofsted issued the notice of decision to this effect.

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Information about this children’s home

On 12 May 2022, a monitoring visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s response to addressing the steps identified in the compliance notice. Due to the home’s closure, the provider was unable to demonstrate that they had met the steps. Therefore, Ofsted reissued the compliance notice under regulation 13.

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Information about this children’s home

On 4 August 2022, the provider informed Ofsted that they intended to reopen the home on 4 November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

A further monitoring visit was carried out on 8 August 2022. The provider demonstrated some progress and met one of the steps identified in the compliance notice. A further compliance notice under regulation 13 was issued to address the steps that had not been met.

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Information about this children’s home

There are no children living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 2 The manager is not registered with Ofsted. On 20 October 2022, the proposed registered manager notified Ofsted that they wished to withdraw their application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s response to meeting the steps in the compliance notice, and to explore if the provider remained suitable to meet the requirements of their registration.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the inspectors found that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet all of the steps in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive practice-related supervision in accordance with the home’s policy. A written record is completed, which provides an overview of the discussion between the staff and the manager. This process has now been improved as this now includes staff development targets and areas to improve.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has ensured that the current staff are well prepared to care for children. Staff have progressed through the provider’s mandatory training programme. Further courses are scheduled to take place before the home reopens. Staff speak positively about the support that they have received during their probationary period of employment and the variety of training.

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This monitoring visit

The home is currently undergoing a refurbishment. The current conditions are not suitable for children. The responsible individual identified that the conditions must be improved before the home reopens and has a plan in place to achieve this.

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This monitoring visit

A recruitment campaign is underway and new staff have been appointed. However, the responsible individual confirmed that there are not enough staff to care for the number of registered places safely.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment processes are not thoroughly followed. The interim manager and senior management team have not ensured that the staff’s employment history is carefully reviewed. In two examples, gaps in the staff’s previous employment were not explored and a suitable reference was not obtained. This practice increases the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose is revised in a timely manner and sent to Ofsted. This means that information shared by the provider about the home may not be accurate and could mislead other agencies, such as commissioners, professionals and children’s parents. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 3 The eight requirements and the two recommendations made following the monitoring visit in February 2022 were not considered during this visit. Therefore, they have also been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has agreed to remove the three-month condition. However, due to the current home conditions, insufficient staffing arrangements and the lack of a suitably qualified manager, Ofsted is not satisfied that the provider can safely deliver the outcomes as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. As such, Ofsted has issued a notice of proposal to impose a change to the provider’s conditions. This will reduce the number of children that the provider can care for from five to two. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 4

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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 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, 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which 16 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 6 give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 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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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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)(d)(f)) 16 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 16 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— 16 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 7 employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the monitoring visit on 14 February 2022 and is restated. 16 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1216505 8 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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

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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 not institutionalised. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the 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 9

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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 10 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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