Children's home run by Hull City Council in Kingston upon Hull, City of

The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

children and young people since the most recent full inspection. This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . Since the last inspection, the registered manager has tendered her resignation following a period away on secondment. The acting manager remains motivated, proactive and provides effective leadership and management in the home. He intends to submit his application to register with Ofsted as manager of this home once he is in receipt of all the required documentation. Some young people have successfully moved to placements that support the next stage of their journey towards independence. The implementation of written impact risk assessments strengthens the compatible matching of new young people with the existing group. The acting manager said, ‘The dynamics have been lovely.’ Consequently, new young people comfortably settle into home life and

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

adapt to the routines and boundaries that intend to keep them safe. Help and support from the staff team enable young people to access services that promote their cultural, dietary, language and spiritual needs. This is highly respected and means that those young people from other cultural backgrounds can attend a mosque, shop for and follow a Halal diet and get help with communicating their wishes and feelings. Supporting young people who are observing Ramadan positively enlightens everyone with staff actively fulfilling the routines of young people who are fasting. Furthermore, they have risen to the challenge of ensuring the provision of meals outside of their normal shift patterns. This ensures a tailor made service that bears no detriment to the young people. A staff member said, ‘What I love is the children are learning from them.’ Staff are very responsive to young people during times of need and crisis,

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

providing them with good emotional support and guidance. The strong, trusting mutual relationships have been particularly helpful to those young people who can now constructively manage their emotions. Where their behaviour has taken a retrograde step, they are able to reflect and apologise to those affected by them. One young person said that staff have helped him to overcome his problems and find a common ground with them. Recent staff training in behaviour management supports practice and helps staff to effectively de-escalate situations. A staff member said, ‘In being able to manage a situation this helps to stop the young person going into a crisis.’ As a result, one physical intervention has taken place since the last inspection. It was solely used to prevent a physical altercation between two young people. Complaints made by young people have been suitably resolved in consultation with them. The good support provided to young people to engage in education and complete

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

exams, taking into account their variable levels of attendance and engagement, has secured college placements in September. One young person’s sporting achievements have led to his acceptance at a well-known boxing school. Listening to and acting on young people’s wishes is well integrated and evidenced in care practices at this home. Consequently, one young person has changed school, which is more suitable to his learning style and social needs. Young people’s participation in social activities gives them opportunities to broaden their experiences and socially integrate with others. Trips to watch football at Wembley and a holiday away in the remote countryside proved to be enjoyable for the young people. Good, proactive safeguarding practices promote young people’s safety and welfare. Issues of concern have resulted in prompt action, taken in partnership with other professionals. Effective risk management strategies and nurturing discussions with

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

young people about their risky behaviours have reduced and eliminated some aspects of risk. Young people still go missing. Staff know and understanding the procedures to follow when this occurs. Young people are offered an independent person to speak to about their reasons for absenting themselves from the home. A member of staff reported, ‘As a team we proactively search the city looking for the young people. We visit addresses [and] we ask other services for their support above and beyond just following our procedures. We have learned to work closely with many other agencies and this has enabled us to build up a good network of support for when our young people go missing. By being so proactive as a team this has shown the young people how much we care and want them to be safe. This has had a massive effect and our missing [from home] episodes have reduced.’ Specifically, where there are known risks of child sexual exploitation, regular multi-agency risk

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

management meetings review and monitor the risks. All professionals work effectively together to create as much disruption as possible to potential or actual offenders, such as issuing harbouring notices to prevent young people associating with unsuitable types of people. A staff member said, ‘The police are magnificent’ and ‘I don’t think we can do any more than we are actually doing or as much in other homes. No one else can do a good job.’ The acting manager and staff work hard to ensure that the young people make progress and succeed in life. They invest in the young people’s future plans in a calm and nurturing family environment. A staff member said, ‘We run our home like a family house, which is nurturing and caring to help the young people learn to develop positive relationships.’ Two of the three requirements with respect to management monitoring are suitably resolved. The acting manager’s evaluative review report of care practices

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

is informed by feedback from young people, parents, social care professionals and staff. However, the independent visitor still fails to give her explicit opinion that young people are safe and the home promotes their well-being. This inspection raises further recommendations. These relate to a minor recording omission in the restraint records and a recording error in one of the missing from care documents. Repairing the damage to one of the bedroom walls has also been raised with the acting manager for remedial action. The pulling through of all shortfalls in the independent monitoring reports as recommendations is not routine practice. However, the acting manager is noting and responding to them appropriately. None of these issues negatively impact on young people’s outcomes.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide a service for six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a) and (b)) 29/07/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Specifically, to repair the damage to the bedroom wall ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9).  Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful objective and clear recording. In particular, that the record of restraint makes clear how long the intervention lasted and the accurate risk level is recorded in the missing person action plan ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent

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Recommendations

person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. Specifically, that any recorded shortfalls in the independent visitor’s reports are pulled through as recommendations ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5). 

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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