Children's Home run by St Hill Establishments Ltd in Kingston upon Hull

Unique reference number SC385633 Inspection date 10/09/2012 Inspector Simon Morley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 04/01/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is run by a private company. The home is registered to provide a service for up to five children or young people, male or female, with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Brief description of the service

The home mainly provides placements for the local authority it is situated in. Young people receive care until such a time they can return to family, move to alternative specialist placements or can live independently.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy living in a homely and friendly environment. Good quality support from staff helps young people achieve a range of positive outcomes in their lives. However since the last inspection the mix of young people living in the home has had a negative impact, particularly on school attendance. As a result young people are only achieving adequate outcomes overall in their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager of the home worked hard with the placing authority to resolve this issue shortly before the inspection. This has led to a recent improvement in outcomes but it is too early to judge how significant this is and whether it will be sustained.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe in the home. Strong and effective care practice also promotes young people's personal safety out of the home. Disciplinary measures are not always in line with regulatory requirements, in particular the use of financial penalties for other than reparation. Young people's lifestyles are suitably healthy. However, good diets, regular exercise and engaging with mental health services is particularly challenging to achieve.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is well managed with staff who are competent and experienced in looking after young people. There is a good commitment to improving the service for young people. The manager and staff can demonstrate the positive difference they have made in young people's lives. However there are shortfalls in the rigour of quality assurance systems. Detailed, regular monitoring of the quality of care does take place, however information is not put to best use to plan for more challenging improvements for outcomes for young people. Consultation with young people, their parents and placing authorities is not effectively used to improve the quality of care.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that staff do not use any financial penalty other than the payment of a reasonable sum by way of reparation (Regulation 17 (2) (g)) 31/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure monitoring required by this regulation is used to improve the quality of care (Regulation 34 (1) (b)) 31/12/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure systems for improving the quality of care provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (3)) 31/12/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure all children live in a healthy environment where their physical and psychological health is promoted and they access the services to meet their health needs (NMS 6.1 and NMS 6.2)  ensure that Regulation 33 reports scrutinise how well the home is supporting children to enjoy and achieve. (Statutory Guidance, Volume 5, paragraph 3.12)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are adequate .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people resident at the last inspection continue to have good attendance at college and achieve well. This is part of their plans to move out of the home into placements where they can develop their independence further. For other young people moving into the home, attendance levels at school last term were poor. Young people have made substantial improvements in the first week of this term also bringing home achievement certificates.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy themselves from their involvement in activities in the community. They enjoy regular horse riding, some pursue their individual interests with local youth clubs and the St John's Ambulance. Some young people are less involved in activities, enjoying frequent contact with their relatives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are quite able to share their views, wishes and feelings. Young people are confident in talking to staff and asking for what they want, negotiating boundaries and making decisions about their care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people learn about healthy lifestyles and the importance of looking after their health. While young people avoid risks to their health from smoking and alcohol, progress with healthy eating and regular exercise is slow. Young people also struggle to engage with services that can promote their emotional well-being. This compromises the progress young people make in developing their emotional resilience and understanding of their background.

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Quality of care

Staff provide a good quality of care to young people regardless of their individual care needs and challenging behaviour. This is evident in the warm, caring relationships staff develop with young people based on openness, honesty and respect. Young people said, 'staff are nice and look after me well'. Staff also provide young people with consistent structure, routines and boundaries, helping promote good behaviour and personal safety. For example, reducing the occasions that young people are missing from the home.

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Quality of care

Staff ensure young people are supported in line with their individual care plans. As a result young people's diverse needs such as age, gender, disability and vulnerability are generally promoted well. Young people commented the care and support is, 'very good'. Stakeholders said, 'equality and diversity is central to everything staff do'.

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Quality of care

Admissions to the home are planned and generally take into account the needs of young people already at the home. However since the last inspection the manager in conjunction with the placing authority did admit young people whose needs were not compatible. Although this impacted on outcomes in particular with education for some young people, the manager has worked hard with the placing authority to resolve this.

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Quality of care

In the meantime, personalised care young people receive ensures outcomes for them are satisfactory. The views of young people are central to the good quality of care practice, helping young people develop strong relationships with staff. Staff work hard to motivate young people to make responsible decisions and explain to them why it is not always possible to do what they want. This helps limit the amount of anti-social behaviour and protects young people from harm. The manager advocates well with the placing authority for the services and support young people require. Young people know how to complain and there is always someone to talk to about any concerns they have. Young people benefit from staff that care about them and are committed to promoting their welfare.

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Quality of care

The whole staff team are proactive and committed to ensuring all young people are able to progress with their education and have access to the services they need. Staff have developed working relationships with a range of other agencies to help support young people. For example when young people move into the home they are able to start school or college straight away. Health services are also found to meet individual young people's needs. Stakeholders commented, 'staff are very active in seeking appropriate health care support.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff work hard to provide young people with a safe, homely environment in which young people can feel comfortable with their surroundings. Young people commented that they, 'feel safe at the home and get help to look after themselves'. As well as being protected, young people benefit from opportunities to take age appropriate risks as part of their growth and developing their independence. For example being trusted to go to the bank on their own.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are effective in using individual behaviour management strategies to help young people behave appropriately. This also limits the amount of challenging and risky behaviours. Young people respond well to any sanctions used as a result of inappropriate behaviour. Staff are reflective on whether these measures work or not. However they do not always comply with regulations. For example reductions in pocket money have occurred for other than reparation.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is good practice at avoiding physical intervention as a means of behaviour management. This has been used once in the last 18 months and was a last resort to protect the safety of young people. This helps promote a safe and caring environment for young people to live in.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Risk management is thorough and staff are effective in keeping young people safe. Staff work closely with other safeguarding agencies to protect young people when they are missing from the home. Good quality safeguarding practice ensures young people return home safely. Stakeholders comment, 'staff make every effort to maintain young people's safety, they go above and beyond in ensuring young people return home.' Effective care practice helps to reduce the frequency young people put themselves at risk with their absences from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are confident in using correct safeguarding procedures and any concerns about young people's welfare are notified to the appropriate authorities. Staff also ensure relevant action is taken to protect young people from harm. There are thorough recruitment procedures ensuring staff employed to work in the home are suitable people to be working with vulnerable young people.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home is well managed with the aim of securing positive outcomes for young people. Staff receive regular, effective supervision and training including induction, basic training, training to achieve qualifications and further training as required. As a result young people benefit from staff that are trained and competent to meet their needs.

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Leadership and management

There is regular monitoring of care practice, aimed at keeping young people's standards of care high. The manager has improved the scope of quality assurance systems as required at the past inspection. However quality monitoring reports do not yet have a strong focus on outcomes for young people in particular how well they enjoy and achieve. Plans to improve the service are not rigorously based on outcomes and views of young people, their parents and placing authorities. However this does not stop staff from being able to highlight how their practice makes a positive difference to the lives of young people.

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Leadership and management

The manager also takes necessary action to tackle weaknesses and make improvements. For example, supporting young people to complain about the placing authority's leaving care services. Required improvements from the last inspection have been addressed. The manager has challenged the placing authority to fulfil its duty with regard to young people's care plans. This has supported young people to move out into more independent living in line with their needs. Similarly the manager has ensured appropriate steps have been taken to reduce the impact of young people who have incompatible needs. As a result he has secured better outcomes for young people living at the home.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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