Children's Home run by Netheredge Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 1 SC489226 Netheredge Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at this home since April 2023. A manager was in post and had made an application to register with Ofsted. This application has been refused and the manager is no longer in post. This inspection was led by the acting deputy manager.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection was undertaken on 27 September 2023 after Ofsted received a whistle-blowing complaint. The findings from that inspection confirmed that leaders and managers had not been effective in managing this home. Due to ineffective management oversight, the children’s health and well-being were not prioritised, and children received inadequate care. These shortfalls resulted in Ofsted issuing two compliance notices under regulation 10 and 13, under section 22 of The Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, it was found that the quality of the food provided to the children has improved. Children now have a balanced, home-made evening meal most days. Children are encouraged to have healthier snacks, such as fruit and cereal. The provider has also enrolled all staff on additional training to support their understanding of nutrition. However, as yet, not all staff have completed this training.

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This monitoring visit

The staff and children meet once a week to discuss the home. This enables the children to be involved in their care. It allows the children to make decisions about their meals and for the staff to remind the children about the importance of healthy Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 2 eating and good hygiene. The manager, and now the acting deputy manager, have good oversight of these meetings and respond when children ask for things.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s bedrooms are warm and welcoming spaces where they can feel safe. They are appropriately furnished. Children are encouraged and supported to tidy and clean their own rooms, and the staff check the children’s bedrooms daily.

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This monitoring visit

The inside of the front door is damaged. This would have taken significant force, or a significant incident to create. Leaders and managers could not account for how and when this damage occurred. Furthermore, they, or the written records, could not clarify this, or when this damage would be repaired, as the maintenance log has not been updated since 2022.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments are now updated regularly and include management oversight. While one child’s risk assessment has been updated, this assessment failed to address the concerning language that relates to the child’s identity. This does not provide the child with positive messages about their identity.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have a clear understanding of how best to support the children with their chosen identity, or their specific emotional well-being needs in relation to this. The management team has missed an opportunity to aid the staff with their development as additional training and specific support services have not yet been secured.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not have clear processes in place for managing allegations. This led to a delay of six days in the manager speaking to a child about an allegation made during the last inspection. The manager did not form a clear understanding of the events or provide any analysis relating to his findings. The responsible individual had oversight of this investigation. He did not recognise the shortfalls identified during this inspection. As highlighted in the previous inspection, this further calls into question the responsible individual’s ability to provide scrutiny and challenge the provider and the manager.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the provider’s own action plan containing an action for the responsible individual to visit the home weekly, this has not occurred. When he does visit, he attends the downstairs office and does not enter the home. This hinders the responsible individual’s opportunity to have effective oversight of this home. In addition, there is no record of the responsible individual signing into the home since the initial record was started in July 2023.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of these shortfalls, a further compliance notice under regulation 13 has been issued.

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This monitoring visit

The steps in the compliance notice relating to regulation 10 are met. The other requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection were not explored Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 3 during this visit. Therefore, they have been carried forward to be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/09/2023 Full Inadequate 17/10/2022 Full Outstanding 17/05/2021 Full Outstanding 05/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the children’s risk assessments and missing-from-home protocols are regularly updated and individualised to each child, to ensure that the staff know how to keep children as safe as possible. 31 December 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; 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

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; 7 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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, and;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the managers and staff have the skills and knowledge to ensure that children’s individual identity needs are understood and met.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the managers and staff have the skills and knowledge to recognise safeguarding concerns, and take immediate and appropriate action to safeguard children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all complaints and allegations are taken seriously and acted on immediately and, when necessary, appropriate safeguarding agencies are informed. The registered person must then ensure that an appropriate person completes a thorough investigation, which demonstrates the rational for decision-making.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that senior leaders have effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place to ensure that any shortfalls and/or maintenance are identified and addressed quickly.

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 31 December 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

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). 31 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 7 The requirements are that—

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to obtain a verified reference from the employee’s most-recent previous employment.

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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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 (1) (2)(a) (4)(a)(b)) 31 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject of a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the registered person should repair the wear and tear in the home and redecorate the areas of the home that look tired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC489226 9

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC489226 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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