Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 1 SC033326 Registered provider: Kirklees Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of the inspection, and both children were spoken with.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since 16 September 2025. There is an interim manager in charge of the day-to-day running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/10/2023 Full Inadequate 03/07/2023 Full Inadequate 30/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 3

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improvement to be good

The home has undergone an extensive refurbishment and changes to the layout have achieved a space that better meets children's needs. However, some areas of the home are in need of attention. This does not provide children with a welcoming and nurturing environment in their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand most children's needs and are prepared prior to them moving in. Staff promote positive beginnings for children. This helps children to begin to build trusting relationships with staff. However, staff were not suitably equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience to meet the needs of one child and keep them safe. This led to the child's placement ending and significant damage was caused to the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff work well alongside education professionals to identify how best to meet children's needs. For some children, this has led to a return to a full school timetable and improved behaviour at school. This helps children to attend their learning and have positive experiences of their education.

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improvement to be good

Staff prioritise children's health needs and promote positive choices with children. This has resulted in an increase in children understanding how to address their own needs. Children have experienced improvements in their hygiene and self-esteem as a result.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children's risks and individual vulnerabilities and how to respond and liaise with relevant professionals to keep them safe. However, one serious incident, requiring police involvement, was not notified to Ofsted, this prevents the regulator having effective oversight of safeguarding practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake room searches appropriately. However, records are brief and there is no evidence that children have been informed of the search or spoken with either before or afterwards. This limits children's understanding why each search was necessary. It also prevents children from discussing concerns relating to their safety, and from maintaining trusting relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical interventions as a last resort and have appropriate training to do so. Children are supported to repair relationships after holds have taken place However, records lack detail of the interventions used and some have not been evaluated by a manager, this prevents analysis and limits any learning being gleaned from these incidents. Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 4 When children go missing from the home, staff are prepared and respond effectively, following established protocols. They attempt to contact and locate children in the community and liaise with relevant professionals to keep them safe. Children are consistently offered return home interviews following their return.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has not been a consistent manager present in the home. This has led to gaps in the management oversight of the home. Recently, management arrangements in the home have been strengthened and this has improved the level of support for staff and oversight of the home. The interim manager is keen to make necessary improvements to the home. He understands the needs of the children and has a visible managerial presence, offering support to staff. Staff say the support they receive from leaders and managers has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that local authority care planning documents are complete and accessible for staff. Furthermore, there is a lack of escalation from the manager relating to these documents. This prevents the manager and staff from being able to effectively plan and monitor children's care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say that team meetings take place regularly and allow them to discuss their practice. However, the manager could not provide minutes from these meetings. Furthermore, there is currently no workforce development plan in place. These shortfalls prevent the manager from being able to identify improvements needed. They also prevent the regulator from monitoring important aspects of the management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager ensures that safe recruitment practices are in place. This ensures that staff are appropriately vetted prior to working at the home. The manager is addressing current vacancies in the team. Staff report that there are enough team members to meet the needs of the children currently living in the home. However, they state that staffing levels would need to increase before they would feel confident supporting any additional children moving in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular practice related supervision sessions. These give staff the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the care they give to children. However, staff have not had their performance appraised annually. This prevents the manager from identifying and addressing any development needs of staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 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, 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 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;

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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

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)(f)(h)) 18 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(d)) 18 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 6 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 18 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides children with a nurturing environment that is welcoming. Staff should seek to meet the child's basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that a child's bedroom is only searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child's or another person's safety or well-being. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure the home has a workforce development plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 7 ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home's manager. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness

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Recommendations

to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: SC033326 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Civic 3, Market Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD1 2EY

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC033326 9 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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