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

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people like living at the home and some are reluctant to leave. They make individual progress in line with expectations and their starting points.  Young people like the staff and enjoy good, trusting relationships with them. This helps staff to instil positive behaviour management strategies and avoid incidents that may lead to confrontations and restraint.  Most young people embrace their individual identities and feel proud of their differences, which the staff team actively celebrate and promote.  Young people say that they feel safe. The effective relationships between the staff team and safeguarding agencies promote safe practices that help to protect those at risk of significant harm.  Good education and health promotion engages most young people and helps to improve their life chances.  The acting manager’s debut to the team has been well received by the staff and young people. She comes with a wealth of childcare experience. She is

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The children’s home provision is good because:

prioritising the actions to be taken at the home to improve service delivery.  Good staff support and team communication enable staff to remain aspirational for young people’s success by executing their role to the best of their ability.

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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 registered person must: keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must: take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) Specifically, ensure that the appropriate fire prevention device is fitted on the lounge door. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees: undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) Specifically, consider a training needs analysis to capture any current or anticipated learning gaps, such as radicalisation. 30/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(3)(5)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard: (2) the registered person is required to ensure: (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 30/11/2016

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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

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Specifically, this is in relation to developing outcome-based care plans and risk assessments and showing how young people’s discriminatory behaviours are addressed with them.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a local authority and it is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home also offers an outreach service to young people who have left care and may need additional support.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/09/2015 Full Good 17/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/07/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people’s steady progress is influenced by the good quality of care and protection that is provided by staff who are committed to their success. Individualised care planning addresses how staff will meet young people’s needs arising from their race, culture, gender, sexuality and disability. This empowers young people to take pride in their identity, and it respects their differences. A parent said, ‘They learn a little bit everyday with [name of their child].’ Young people confirm that they like living at the home and some are reluctant to leave. Young people benefit from good, trusting relationships with staff, who have taken the time to get to know their personalities and moods. This helps staff to instil clear routines and boundaries, which some young people say that they welcome. Such mutually positive relationships attract their engagement, which exposes some to life-changing events. Friendships bind together those young people who share the

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Good

same cultural background and they plan to remain connected once they leave the home. Listening to young people’s views is an approach that is embedded in care practices, and any reasonable requests made by young people are acted on. For example, this includes personalisation of bedrooms, following one’s chosen religion and being included in the running of the home. This enhances their confidence that staff will listen to them. Young people know how to complain and staff are good at advocating on their behalf. Interpreting services are used when young people need them. Championing young people’s rights evolves from these nurturing and positive interventions. Close monitoring of young people’s health and well-being ensures that they can access the specialist and primary health services that they need. The staff team works effectively with a range of health professionals, who are responsive to individual health concerns and can offer advice and support without undue delay.

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Good

This includes the approachability of the clinical psychologist, who is a good resource for the staff team. Although smoking, misusing substances and drinking alcohol are discouraged, some young people choose to partake in these activities. Healthy, balanced, home-cooked, culturally appropriate meals promote healthy lifestyles. Staff make exceptionally good efforts to learn how to cook a range of culturally appropriate meals that provide nourishment and enjoyment, and educate young people about different foods. Education is a high priority, and young people are encouraged and supported to attend their respective mainstream and bespoke provision. Some young people fully immerse themselves in all learning opportunities. They attend school daily, making good progress that significantly improves their life chances. Access to learning through work-based training works well for those young people who are exploring employment opportunities. Communication between staff and other

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Good

professionals helps to counter barriers to young people’s access to education. While plans are underway, the staff implement education-based activities until professionals find a suitable educational placement. Young people’s experiences are heightened by their involvement in a range of leisure activities, such as swimming, football, visiting places of interest and associating with friendship groups. Good support from the police offers opportunities for young people to be involved in projects intended to divert them from criminal activities. Approved contact between young people and their families helps to maintain their blood ties. The very good relationships forged between the staff team, families and friends show young people that the people in their lives are valued and are working together in their best interests. A parent said, ‘It’s nice to know that there are other people looking out for his interests.’

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Good

Staff support young people to acquire independent skills that should aid their future survival when they move on from the home. This is irrespective of their age and ability. A young person consulted by the home said, ‘I get a lot of support from [name of the home], like money for independence and I have choices to buy what I want for food.’ Outreach work continues to provide young people with a lifeline of support, should they need it. However, not all young people’s complex needs and risk-taking behaviour can be fully met by the staff team in the long term. This is due to the making of an inappropriate placement several months ago. A search for an appropriate placement for this young person is currently underway. Despite the difficulties of staff sustaining the placement, a senior social worker said, ‘They have done a brilliant job and they keep me updated and informed.’

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Good

Young people live in a safe home environment that promotes their welfare and protects their notable vulnerabilities. Their safety is embedded in staff’s safeguarding training and sound practices. Young people confirm that they feel safe in the home and they have identified adults whom they can approach, should they have any worries. Parents and professionals concur with this view and express no safeguarding concerns about the home. The implemented risk management strategies help to curb young people’s exposure to significant risk, while still ensuring realistic opportunities for them to progress in their daily lives. Sound partnership working with other professionals, such as the police, social care and other agencies, ensures close monitoring of those young people who present significant concerns and highly risky behaviours. Reducing opportunities to criminalise individuals while out in the community is of

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Good

key importance to the staff team. The police show support and understanding towards young people who present with risk-taking behaviours. Their work with the staff team serves to deter young people from associating with unsavoury characters and criminal activities.

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Good

Missing from care action plans are followed for individual young people, in the event of them going missing from home. Staff proactively contact young people on their mobile phones and go out searching for them in known places. Parents are alerted and will do the same to ensure their children’s safe return to the home. A social worker consulted by the home said, ‘When he has gone missing, the staff have put a great deal of effort into looking for [name of the young person] to try to ensure his safety.’ There are no known concerns about child sexual exploitation. Although there are no concerns about radicalisation, staff have not received training to ensure that they understand its signs and symptoms and act on such concerns.

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Good

Staff positively model relationships built on trust and respect, and they talk to young people about their negative and disruptive behaviours. This has helped to de-escalate a number of situations and avoid restraint, which is good for those young people who have experienced this measure of control in other environments.

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Good

Young people’s health and safety are monitored in the home through the checks on visitors, appliances and fire equipment. This helps to promote their well-being further.

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Requires improvement

A new acting manager has taken up post since the last inspection. She took over the position in late September 2016 and she is in the process of completing an application to register with Ofsted. She has over 14 years’ experience of residential childcare. She holds the diploma in social work, a psychology degree and a registered managers award at level 4. A comprehensive handover and introductions to the young people and the staff team have resulted in a smooth transition.

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Requires improvement

Some progress has been made to address the previous requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. These relate to the improved independent visitor reports, which are helping to enhance services to young people. The six-monthly internal monitoring report requires improvement to ensure a quality review of services that fully meets the regulations. It needs to include parents’, professionals’ and staff’s feedback about the service and an action plan, and to ensure that the quality standards match numerically. The fire door in the lounge does not have the required device to allow it to close, in the event of a fire. These actions are repeated.

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Requires improvement

The statement of purpose is out of date with respect to the current management arrangements. An existing placement is incompatible with the statement of purpose following a management directive. This concern has since been recognised as part of a wider strategic management failure, with lessons learned to prevent further unsafe practice. However, this is yet to filter into the wider organisation fully, due to subsequent attempts to make inappropriate placements which the acting manager has refused. Liberating the acting manager’s autonomy in this way empowers her to take control of admissions to ensure safe and compatible group dynamics that comply with the statement of purpose. Staff training is not always timely in endorsing how staff deliver care to young people. A training needs analysis would benefit any learning gaps to counter such issues. Documentation, such as sanctions, risk assessments and care plans, is out of date

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Requires improvement

or does not evidence outcomes. Some inconsistencies with respect to how challenging discriminatory behaviours are recorded does not make clear how these matters are addressed. The acting manager has acknowledged these areas for development. She is taking positive steps to review the current recording systems to put right these matters. In spite of the shortfalls, the acting manager and staff team remain committed to improving the lives of the young people in their care. Despite some staffing changes, the staff have maintained a consistent and stabilising force. They have remained resilient through some very challenging times, which is a credit to their commitment to the young people. Parents and professionals speak highly about the care and support that staff deliver to their children. A parent confirmed good communication with the staff team. They said, ‘I ring them every day.’ A social care professional said, ‘They have done

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Requires improvement

a brilliant job and they keep me updated and informed.’ The staff support and communication mechanisms in place ensure that staff remain aspirational for young people’s success by carrying out their roles to the best of their ability.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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