Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 1 SC034441 Registered provider: Kirklees Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a local authority. It is registered to provide medium- to long-term care for up to six children with profound and multiple learning disabilities and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023. She is suitably experienced and qualified for the role. At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2023 Full Outstanding 11/05/2021 Full Outstanding 04/02/2020 Full Good 24/10/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 3

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outstanding

The children receive exceptional care from a dedicated staff team that has embedded high standards of practice. The staff unapologetically strive to put the children’s needs first and foremost. The shared vision across the team has helped the children make remarkable progress.

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outstanding

The children clearly take centre stage in the home. The interior of the home projects the children’s personalities through framed photos and personalised activity boards. Communal areas and the children’s bedrooms are often renovated to a high standard. The children’s parents and professionals say how they are always made to feel welcome in the home. These efforts show the pride that the staff have for the role they play in the children’s lives in this home.

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outstanding

The inspector observed loving bonds between the staff and the children. This is reflected in how the staff lovingly talk and write about the children throughout the children’s written records. The parents and professionals have long recognised these sentiments.

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outstanding

The staff use an array of skills, apply their learning from training and use resources to communicate effectively with the children. Additionally, the staff are creative in their pursuit of maximising the children’s ability to express their wishes and feelings. This is often done with an element of fun, which brings joy and laughter into the children’s lives.

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outstanding

The manager has established professional relationships with the children’s respective schools. This has ensured that the children experience consistency, which has helped to develop their learning and independence skills. Additionally, the manager raises challenge to headteachers effectively if there are concerns about the children in the school setting. This shows the manager’s focus is fundamentally fixed on the child’s welfare and learning.

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outstanding

There is innovation and flexibility around enhancing the children’s visits from family members. A social worker said that the staff are always willing to make visits a positive experience for the children. A child’s extended family member said that they felt relieved and reassured about the level of care that the family has around the child’s care. The manager uses technology to involve and inform the children’s parents and families in their children’s lives. These endeavours show the respect and value that the team has for the children and their respective families. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 4

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outstanding

The manager and staff continually strive to give the children the best quality of life. When the children are in a prolonged state of acute distress, the manager has a forensic approach to learning about the root cause. The quality of the children’s written records enables the manager to go through a process of elimination. In doing so, the manager implements effective strategies to better support the child to regain positive mental health.

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outstanding

Practitioners from the local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) speak highly of the care and support that the children receive in the home. Additionally, these practitioners trust and value the staff’s input. This has enabled CAMHS practitioners to act on information, give informed advice and make decisions that are in the children’s best interests.

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outstanding

Excellent links and working relationships are established with various healthcare professionals, such as the epilepsy nurse. The children’s healthcare plans are developed in collaboration with healthcare practitioners. This has given the staff confidence and knowledge to care for the children, who have complex healthcare needs. Additionally, the staff know and understand the limitations of their role. Therefore, expert medical intervention is sought for the children in a timely manner when it is required.

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outstanding

The staff respond consistently and calmly when the children inadvertently pose a significant risk to themselves or others. The written records concerning physical interventions show the compassion that the staff have for the children during and after such incidents. The team is curious and critical around how to better support the child in future instances. The quality of reflective practice in the team, and the team’s collective desire to learn better support techniques, is unwavering.

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outstanding

The manager ensures that the children’s social workers, other professionals and the children’s parents are aware of all significant incidents. This has resulted in a seamless joined-up approach to the children’s care. Importantly, the children have immediate emotional and practical intervention during periods of crisis. In doing so, the home avoids working in isolation when the children need more help.

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outstanding

Some of the children have complex medication plans. The children’s medication profiles use relevant language to explain why the medication has been prescribed, how it should be administered and what side effects the staff should be looking out for. Additionally, the staff consistently attend the children’s medication reviews. The prescribing doctor from CAMHS said the input from the staff gives her confidence to undertake the child’s medication review effectively. These practices show that the staff understand the importance that medication has in the children’s lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Several staff have worked at the home for many years. Therefore, there is a valuable level of experience and knowledge in the team. This assisted greatly when there was a change in the home’s manager. Furthermore, the previous manager ensured that the handover with the new manager was meticulously planned. This reduced the potential disruption to the team and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Successive managers have embedded a culture of learning in the team. All the staff are qualified for their role. Some of the staff have gone on to undertake the higher level diploma. This appetite for continued learning and development has ensured that the staff team remains outward looking. This prevents stagnation and significantly reduces the risk of an emerging closed culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are well versed in planning and organising the children’s care on a day-to- day basis. The staff are adept at using crucial systems that aid the passage of communication in, around and out of the home. This brings a fluidity to the children’s care that minimises periods of discomfort or frustration for the children as the staff are prepared and responsive to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children’s written records are meaningful to the child, their parents and professionals. The manager informs and involves all relevant individuals that have a role to play in the child’s life effectively. A practitioner from CAMHS said, ‘They are the gold standard when it comes to networking.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager delegates tasks effectively to the staff, who have specific skillsets. These tasks focus on effective communication with the children and their families. The communication resources equip all the staff to better elicit the children’s views. Children’s journals, and some of the children’s written records, provide a tangible keepsake for the children and their families. The standard of this work in these documents is exceptional.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a meaningful workforce development plan that she uses to continually evolve the service. This encompasses all important aspects associated with the functioning of the home. The manager’s findings subsequently filter into the staff team meetings and individually into staff supervision sessions. This promotes a whole-team approach and has contributed to the team’s shared vision for the future of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC034441 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034441 8 regulates and inspects 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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