Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 1 SC033387

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides residential short breaks and emergency support for children aged up to 18 years old, who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairments.

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority applied to vary the condition of registration to provide care and support for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties. The variation was approved on 17 August 2021. The variation was approved in order to assist the local authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at this home who required care and support due to emotional and behavioural difficulties. There were no children accessing the short-break service.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 7 September 2022. The interim manager has recently been appointed and is in the process of applying for registration.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection on 18 and 19 October 2022, the service was judged inadequate. The inspection found significant breaches in regulations relating to the safety and protection of children and the management oversight of the service.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider has updated the children’s risk assessments that are in place to assess and manage individual risks to children. Positively, staff and external professionals have been and continue to be consulted in the risk Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 2 assessment process. However, not all of the children’s known risks have been identified. This means that children are not always protected from all known risks.

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This monitoring visit

The risk assessments provide clear strategies and processes for staff to follow to improve consistency and manage and mitigate risks better. However, to date, the impact of this is variable. This has been recognised by the provider and further work is being undertaken by the manager to help staff embed improved practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight has improved and increased in the day-to-day running of the home. New audits are in place and the incident reports are more comprehensive in quality and content of information. Managers review incidents responsively. This means that action is taken quicker, and lessons are learned.

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This monitoring visit

Significant safeguarding incidents continue to occur. Children’s behaviour can escalate, often as a result of concerns, including substance misuse and bullying. The provider has not notified Ofsted of all the serious events that have happened, in line with regulations. This does not give the regulator confidence that the provider is being open and transparent. A requirement under regulation 40 has been issued.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed additional training in child exploitation, county lines and adverse childhood experiences. This is helping to develop their knowledge and skills to keep children better protected. Managers are working with external agencies to increase the support and advice available to staff and share relevant resources.

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This monitoring visit

A detailed form will be implemented to improve the way that managers ensure that agency staff are suitable to work with children. However, there continue to be issues with ensuring that all staff have the valid checks needed, and the identity of agency staff is not always verified. This does not reassure the regulator that the provider is taking reasonable steps to ensure that all individuals are safe to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

The steps in the compliance notices have been met. However, further improvements are required in order to be compliant with regulation 12, and one requirement has been reissued. Requirements made at the full inspection have not been evaluated and will be checked at the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/10/2022 Full Inadequate 18/10/2021 Full Good 11/02/2020 Full Good 16/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 3

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b)(d)) 13 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 13 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 4 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, 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)(b) (3)(d))

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 13 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 13 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 5 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

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

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 13 January 2023

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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: SC033387 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kirklees Metropolitan Council, Civic Centre 3, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 2EY

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Honor Hamshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033387 7 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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