Children's home run by Hennessy Living Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 1 Registered provider: Hennessy Living Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in June 2025. There is no registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 29 January 2026, Ofsted completed an assurance inspection in response to significant concerns for the children’s safety and welfare. Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at the inspection. An emergency case review was held, and a decision was made to suspend the home’s registration. In addition, a compliance notice was issued under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’.

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This monitoring visit

On 26 March 2026, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the compliance notice under Regulation 12. The visit identified that the compliance notice had been met. However, there was further work required and a requirement under Regulation 12 was issued. The suspension notice was re-issued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the suspension notice and actions to address the requirements under Regulation 12 and Regulation 35, ‘Behaviour management policies and records’.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has continued to comply with the suspension notice, and no children have lived at the home since this was issued. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 2 The provider has taken positive steps to start recruiting new staff to address vacancies within the home. However, there is currently insufficient numbers of staff to safely care for children. Furthermore, the staff team are relatively inexperienced, which leaves vulnerabilities for a new staff team. This may impact on the consistency of care and responses children receive.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed a new safeguarding training programme, and regular team meetings are taking place. This provides staff with the appropriate knowledge to support them in their role, including their responsibilities, professional boundaries and closed cultures. However, some training is in the early stages of taking place and not all staff recruited have completed this.

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This monitoring visit

A new manager has recently been recruited to work in the home. However, she has limited experience of managing a team and lacks knowledge of the regulations. Furthermore, the induction process and ongoing support arrangements are not sufficiently robust to equip the manager with the knowledge and skills to effectively lead and manage the home.

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This monitoring visit

Changes made to the recruitment process are not yet effective. Gaps in staff employment histories were not identified, and staff DBS certificates were not viewed to ensure their authenticity. This does not provide assurances that new processes are fully embedded to ensure that staff are safe to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress has been made since the last inspection. However, further work is needed. Therefore, a requirement under Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, has been issued, alongside Regulation 12 being restated. The requirement under Regulation 35 cannot be evidenced as no children are living at the home. Therefore, this has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 4

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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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff understand and know the home’s safeguarding procedures, including the duty to report all concerns about staff practice and escalate issues if no action is taken; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that leaders implement systems that will result in the effective safer recruitment of new staff, including viewing DBS certificates. 28 September 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 28 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 5 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

there are a sufficient number of staff who have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children;

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Requirement Due date

the person in day-to-day charge has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the regulations; and

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Requirement Due date

there is sufficient leadership and management oversight that is supportive of the new manager, including an appropriate induction for them.

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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—

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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; 28 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they keep detailed records on all individual incidents when children go missing from the home. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2835669 7

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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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Inspector

Natalie Clark, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2835669 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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