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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 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

A private provider owns and manages this home. The home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector observed and spoke to four of the five children during the inspection.

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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: 16 January 2023

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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: 1216505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/10/2021 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Inadequate 28/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children living in this home said that they are happy. The children identify this as a family home where they feel well cared for. Children’s presence is seen and heard throughout the home, and one child said, ‘I love living here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have formed strong relationships with staff, which are built on trust and affection. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the individual support needs of the children. This has helped the children to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move in to the home following well-planned introductions. This reduces any anxiety that they might feel about their new home. The new children help to choose items for their bedrooms, and meet the other children living at the home and members of staff. The children feel involved in their planning and this helps them to feel at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are having fun, building new skills and developing their social relationships. This is good for their self-esteem. When children are new to the home, these activities help them to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met, including when the children’s needs are complex. Staff use their positive relationships with children to encourage them to attend medical appointments. Children respond well, even when they are anxious. This means that children receive vital medical support when they need it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education experiences are mixed. Some children do exceptionally well and have high levels of attendance. When children do not attend education, staff do not always promote routine or structure. This limits learning opportunities and does not prepare or motivate children to engage in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is warm and comfortable. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms and communal areas. Repairs are undertaken quickly. However, some areas of the home are showing signs of wear and tear, and the standard of cleanliness throughout is inconsistent.

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

Children said that they feel safe living in this home. The children can identify adults who they can speak to should they have any worries or concerns. Children are confident that they will be listened to. The children said that staff are present in the home and there are good levels of supervision. Children therefore feel more comfortable in their surroundings. Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 4 Staff clearly understand their role when children go missing from the home. Children have a personalised missing-from-home protocol and the staff have developed good links with the local police force. The staff team is confident in challenging agencies to improve the coordinated response to children. As a result, the time that the children are away from the home has reduced significantly.

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

The home has effective links with other relevant agencies. The registered manager and her staff communicate well with other professionals. Information is shared so that the risks to children are further understood. The staff follow this up, completing direct intervention work with the children. This helps children to learn and understand the risks to themselves, and encourages children to make safer choices.

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

There is a significant improvement in the children’s emotional well-being since they moved in to the home. Staff help the children to recognise how they feel. Children have a better understanding of their own past trauma.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children and how their personal experiences affect them. Staff use de-escalation strategies, and engage creatively with the children to understand what has upset them. This has reduced the number of times that staff need to hold children, or for police involvement to support staff.

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

Children do not experience bullying in this home. The staff help the children to live together and develop mutual respect. Children are learning to enjoy each other’s company. This will be invaluable for them in the long term.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from the home’s positive journey since the last inspection. Last year the children and the staff team experienced a period of instability due to multiple changes within the management arrangements. The home now benefits from an experienced and committed registered manager, who is ambitious for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has taken time to ensure that positive changes are made in the home. The registered manager is enthusiastic about improving the children’s lives and future outcomes. As a result, staff now have a unified approach, and there is a renewed enthusiasm for providing the children with the best level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked hard to ensure that consistent care is provided to the children. She advocates well on their behalf, and she challenges other agencies when children do not receive the support that they require. The registered manager ensures that the children have a voice to express their views. This helps children feel valued and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is fully involved in the children’s lives, and has a good knowledge of the children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. She is clear about the progress that children are making. The registered manager is enthusiastic in her efforts to be a trusted person for the Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 5 children. Children recognise that the registered manager consistently acts on their behalf. This makes her a good role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and additional practice discussions when required. The registered manager is readily available to staff. This means that staff can talk about any concerns when they arise. When there are staff performance issues, the registered manager takes decisive action to prioritise children’s well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are realistic. They know what changes are needed, and are systematically overhauling and reviewing processes to ensure that the home runs as effectively as possible. The registered manager knows the strengths of the staff team. She also acknowledges areas that could be strengthened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children make good progress and their experiences are positive; however, records do not always reflect this. Furthermore, the records do not capture the good practice by staff, or all of the good work that they undertake with the children. As a result, the children do not have memorabilia of their achievements and experiences while living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 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 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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i) 28 August 2023

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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.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. 18 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 7 (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(f)(g)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vii)(ix)) 18 December 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. The registered manager should consider the use of photographs to ensure children have memories of their experiences and achievements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 1216505 8

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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: 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Goundry

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Inspector

Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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