Children's home run by Care Management Solutions Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 1 SC423442 Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

An assurance inspection was carried out on 27 November 2023. Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in respect of the leadership and management arrangements in the home, meaning that the help and protection of children were compromised. Requirements were made under regulation 5, engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met, regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 2 A monitoring visit was carried out on 19 March 2024, after Ofsted received a whistle- blowing complaint. The provider had taken sufficient action to ensure that improvements and positive developments had been made since the assurance inspection. The requirement under regulation 12 was met. Requirements under regulations and 5 and 13 were restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Good 22/06/2022 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children were spoken to during the inspection. All children said that they like living in the home. They said that they are happy and that they ‘love’ the staff. The children and staff come together for their evening meal in the dining room. This creates a family-like environment. This shared time encourages open communication, positive relationships and a sense of belonging for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children living in this home are making progress in education, and their attendance has increased. One child has completed their GCSE’s and has started college. One education professional said, ‘Since moving into the home, [name of child] is more able to focus on lessons. The change is amazing.’ When children are struggling to attend education, the staff put appropriate incentives in place to encourage them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements and developments are starting to be visible in the language used in children’s records. Specialist training has been provided to the staff, emphasising the importance of using child-friendly language that is sensitive to the children’s individual needs. The staff write records directly to the children in a story-like manner. This approach is helpful to children. It provides an insight into their day that is easy for them to understand.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and people who are important to them. The staff build positive relationships with the children’s families, ensuring that the children are supported to spend quality time with them. Children are also supported to spend meaningful time with their friends, such as by going to youth clubs. This strengthens the children’s support networks away from the home and increases their overall well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While there is a warm and homely feel to the home, the kitchen and lounge area are locked at night. At these times, the children are required to ask the staff for access. The staff leave food and drinks in the dining room for the children to snack on if they wish. This creates an unhomely feel and is not in keeping with the overall ethos of the home.

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

Staff have supported children with overcoming significant incidents in their lives, such as bereavement, loss and past trauma. The staff provide the children with appropriate care and guidance. The children are encouraged to access support from external services, such as mental health workers and therapeutic social workers. This is helping to build children’s resilience and improve their self-esteem.

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

Children are supported to take safe, age-appropriate risks, such as spending time away from the home with friends, using their mobile phones and navigating the internet. The staff complete regular safety checks to ensure that children continue to engage in these Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 5 activities safely. This is helping the children to build their independence skills while maintaining their safety.

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

Missing-from-home episodes have decreased in this home. This is because the staff know the children well. If a child does not come home, staff know where to find them. The staff are proactive in looking for missing children, and they are successful in supporting the children to come back to the home. Appropriate incentives are in place to encourage the children to return home on time. These positive reinforcement strategies help to promote responsibility, routine and a sense of achievement for the children.

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

It is not always evident that children have been spoken to following a negative consequence. While there have been improvements and efforts made to implement restorative approaches, this practice is still in the early stages of development within the home and requires further embedding. Restorative approaches are beneficial in helping children to learn from their actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been noticeable improvements in the leadership and management of the home. The manager has taken effective action to address the previous requirements, and has implemented effective monitoring systems. This ensures that any shortfalls are promptly identified and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is open, honest and transparent in her approach. She demonstrates an understanding of the team’s strengths and the areas in need of improvement. She takes a proactive stance to staff development. Her management of the home ensures that any challenges are swifty addressed, with a continuous emphasis on enhancing the children’s quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff speak positively about both the manager and deputy manager. The staff say that the managers make them feel valued and appreciated in their roles. The staff are encouraged to share their ideas. They have faith that the managers will consider their views, with the children’s best interests in mind. As a result, the children live in a home that has a positive and happy atmosphere, adding to the family-like feel of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals say that communication is a strength of this home. They report that the manager appropriately challenges external services to ensure that children receive the right support. The manager is seen as a strong advocate for the children, and the children are aware of this support from her. This reinforces the children’s sense of being supported and cared for. One child said, ‘[Name of manager] is a great manager.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff are aware of the policy regarding personal relationships in the home, such as family members working together. While a policy is in place, it lacks clarity on the procedure for raising concerns about staff members who have a personal relationship with more-senior colleagues. Implementing clear guidance on managing personal relationships would ensure that professional boundaries are maintained.. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 6

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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, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person 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

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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(b) (2)(ii)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children can access the home’s lounge and kitchen appropriately. 13 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 13 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 7 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s consequence records are up to date and comply with regulations and associated guidance.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice. In particular, they should ensure that all staff are aware of the policy that is in place for relatives working together, and consider the safety and welfare of children in these circumstances. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 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: SC423442 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Lydgate, Lepton, Huddersfield HD8 0LT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Halliwell

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Inspectors

Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Rachel Moore, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC423442 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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