Children's Home run by Kingston upon Hull City Council in Kingston upon Hull

Unique reference number SC034495 Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Kingston Upon Hull City Council Registered person address The Guildhall Alfred Gelder Street HULL HU1 2AA

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Responsible individual Jon Plant Registered manager Stephen James Houghton Date of last inspection 06/11/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 17/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

This home was judged as good overall with outstanding features at the previous inspection in November 2014. At that visit one requirement and one recommendation was made. These have been successfully met. This means that all staff, without exception are formally supported to carry out their care role due to their regular supervision. Young people benefit from robust risk management practices as a result of them having up to date risk assessments.

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This inspection

This inspection raises one requirement with respect to the wedging open of fire doors in various places around the home. This compromises young people’s safety in the event of a fire. Despite this shortfall, the overall ability of the home to improve the quality of care, outcomes and safeguarding for young people has sustained effectiveness.

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This inspection

Young people are happy and settled during both their short breaks and longer stays in this safe and caring environment. Parents and professionals make highly complementary remarks about the quality of care in the home and the progress young people make. For example one parent said 'its brilliant to be honest, she loves going there, all her needs are met.’

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This inspection

Young people enjoy good health. Staff are proactive in securing medical appointments when concerns are raised about young people’s health. This promotes young people’s welfare and ensures good oversight of their health needs. Young people eat a healthy and balanced diet. They are encouraged to take part in activities that promote movement and exercise, such as walking and dancing. This improves their mobility and to some degree, their independence.

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This inspection

Young people benefit from their good participation in a number of fun activities. For example, they go bowling, visit the cinema and regularly attend the disco. Young 3 of 5 people continue to get involved in the regular theme nights that staff put a lot of effort into preparing. They recently enjoyed an evening of South Asian culture and cuisine, which helps young people to learn about diversity. At this event, young people and staff dressed up in traditional clothing. The photographs displayed in the home depict a very positive occasion. Ample resources both inside the home and in the grounds provide young people with hours of stimulation and prevents boredom. Positive friendships between young people are actively encouraged and promoted. Their compatibility is considered when planning visits to help make their stays as enjoyable as possible.

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This inspection

Young people are well looked after and protected by a consistent team of competent and caring staff. Staff have exceptionally good relationships with the young people, which is evident in their positive interactions with each other. Staff member’s detailed knowledge of young people's diverse and complex needs enables them to read their emotions and keep them safe. Effective communication methods continue to be developed to ensure young people’s wishes and feelings are understood and acted on. Good staffing levels ensure that young people are appropriately supervised at all times. This reduces the likelihood of them going missing from home. There are no child sexual exploitation concerns.

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This inspection

Management oversight is child focussed, progressive and aspirational for all young people and this maximises their positive experiences during stays. This results in an effectively managed home. The Registered Manager promotes and maintains excellent communication with professional partners and parents. This ensures regular consultation and a strong dialogue between all interested parties. A parent said about the home, ‘it’s good, would probably give it ten out of ten. It’s just everything together; communication, safety and they make me aware about activities.’ Since the last inspection, the appointment of an additional senior care worker further strengthens the management team. A part-time vacancy is due to be filled. This will ensure a strong workforce that continues to place the needs of the young people at the centre of their practice. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to care for and accommodate up to eight children and young people at any one time, of either gender, with learning disabilities. Some children also have physical disabilities and complex health needs. The vast majority of children and young people have short breaks at the home. Occasionally a child or young person is accommodated on a long-term basis.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2014 Full good 03/03/2014 Interim good progress 03/12/2013 Full good 15/01/2013 Interim good progress

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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 the registered person after consultation with the fire and rescue authority about the use of door wedges takes adequate precautions against the risk of fire. (Regulation 32(1)(a)) 31/03/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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