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

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 speak positively about living at the home and feel happy and safe.  Staff have a good understanding of young people’s individual needs. They skilfully work with the young people to successfully meet their individual plans and positively move them onto their next placements.  Young people’s identity and cultural heritage are promoted and enable learning and celebration of their differences. Staff challenge discriminatory behaviour in a fair way.  Outcome-based care plans track young people’s progress. They monitor the difference that the care, support and protection delivered to them make to their lives.  Effective multi-agency partnerships are a strength of the home. They secure good outcomes for young people and keep them safer. Consequently, the risks associated with missing from care and high-risk child sexual exploitation have significantly reduced.  Good management and strong staff support mechanisms enable staff to

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The children’s home provision is good because:

remain child focused and aspirational for the young people to succeed in everything that they do.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). Specifically, the damage to the bedroom wall should be repaired.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). In particular, impact risk assessments should include all of the identified risks.  The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care and protection of each child, including their social worker, independent

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Recommendations

reviewing officer (IRO), teachers, clinicians and other health professionals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23). Specifically, the registered person should consult with staff, social workers and families to inform the management review of service improvements.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide a service for up to six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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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Good

Young people live in a good home that provides them with care that is highly bespoke. This is due to the supportive and nurturing staff who have a good understanding of the young people’s needs and skilfully work with them to meet their individual plans. These include the needs arising from young people’s identity and cultural heritage, which enable learning and celebration of their differences. Young people seeking asylum receive good support that accords with their identity, cultural, religious, linguistic and nutritional needs. Staff challenge any discriminatory behaviours in a fair way. Good, well-facilitated contact arrangements support young people to keep in touch with their families and friends. This helps them to remain connected to their roots. The help, protection and encouragement from the motivated staff help the young people to work through their difficulties, which enables them to develop trusting

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Good

bonds. Staff invest in the young people by talking to them about the things that are important to them, for example, family, education and risks to their welfare. This shows young people that staff are genuinely fond of them and show unconditional positive regard, even when their behaviours have been risky and challenging. Consequently, most young people are happy and have made demonstrably good progress from their starting points. An independent reviewing officer said about the care of young person, ‘She is very much valued and very much cared for.’ There is a clear acknowledgement from staff and professionals that issues in the lives of some young people continue to present elements of risk and concern. However, the exceptionally good relationships and engagement between staff and professionals provide a strong and well-integrated service around the young people. An IRO described the working together practices as, ‘an absolutely great

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Good

example of people pulling together to help a young person.’ This caring and positive approach to childcare resonates well with new young people in the home. One confirmed that living in the home bore no resemblance to the television drama, ‘Tracey Beaker.’ New admissions are planned appropriately. Suitable matching and introduction processes, when possible, underpin a generally settled environment. Young people moving on from the home experience a positive transition into their chosen placements. They acquire and further develop useful independence skills. Some young people remain in contact with the staff through outreach support or planned short breaks. This models good parenting and helps to keep young people and their families together. Most young people attend an education provision. Arrangements to secure an appropriate education provision for one young person promote their academic inclusion and prevent drift. Young people’s achievements are recognised and

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Good

celebrated. Specifically, they engage in a well-established project, set up by the police to encourage young people to make a difference in their communities. The young people were involved in activities, such as coffee mornings and summer fairs, and they were awarded with certificates at a presentation ceremony for their valuable contributions. This provides them with a strong sense of pride, raises their self-esteem and teaches them empathy for others. Young people have access to a range of enjoyable activities that promote their social integration and stimulate new experiences. These include bowling, day trips to places of interest, horse riding, watching and playing sports and attending clubs. Young people’s registration with local health services provide them with access to the help that they need. Urgent health concerns are met through emergency health services, to ensure that young people receive the appropriate treatment and care.

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Good

The partnership working with external professional agencies is effective. For example, drug and alcohol workers and advocacy services provide young people with the independent support and advice to help them to overcome addictive behaviours. Staff show that they value and respect young people’s wishes and feelings through their affirmative actions. Young people’s sense of belonging increases, due to their involvement in their own plans and the running of the home. Complaints made by young people are resolved and help the staff to improve through lessons learned.

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Good

Staff have a sound and coherent understanding of the individual threats to young people’s vulnerabilities and welfare. This enables them to manage the risks safely and effectively. Good safeguarding practice, risk management and effective partnerships with professionals have been instrumental in reducing risk. A staff member said, ‘We are making sure that they are safe and keeping them safe.’ Safeguarding training forms part of the mandatory training, which enables staff to understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard the young people from a range of threats to their welfare. Young people said that they can talk to staff about any worries, and a safeguarding concern raised with staff has been referred to children’s social care services. Young people who go missing from home are protected by the agreed protocols that are implemented to keep them safe. Staff are proactive when they do not return at the agreed time. They contact young people on their mobile phones to

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Good

encourage their safe return home. They have been known to visit unsafe addresses, and support from the police has helped to establish young people’s whereabouts and disrupt inappropriate, potentially exploitative and abusive relationships. Independent return home interviews provide additional information about the reasons for young people going missing. There is a significant reduction of missing from care incidents, and a young person’s child sexual exploitation status, which was previously classed as high risk on the multi-agency child sexual exploitation matrix, has been removed. One staff member said, ‘She is doing well. We always know where she is, and she is coming in.’ Bullying behaviour is not tolerated at the home, and young people are very much involved in disseminating this message. A young person’s work, which consisted of their devising an anti-bullying poster, won second place at school. Their work on

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Good

bullying is displayed in the home for all to see. Good individualised behaviour management strategies have a strong focus on de- escalation. The good use of the consultations with the psychologist helps the staff to discuss individual strategies to help young people to overcome a range of barriers. The minimal use of restraint shows that staff only use physical intervention as a last resort. Close monitoring ensures its appropriate and transparent use. The suitable vetting of new staff protects young people from unsuitable adults. Visitors to the home are required to show proof of identity and to sign the visitors’ book. The regular checks on health and safety appliances, such as fire equipment, gas and electrical checks, reduce the risk of harm to young people, staff and visitors in the home.

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Good

The manager’s registration with Ofsted took place in October 2016. He has 16 years’ childcare experience, a number of which have been in senior and acting management roles. He holds a social work degree and management qualification, which support his suitability to manage the home. The registered manager is positively motivated and insightful into how the home operates. He has a clear child focus that enables him to listen to the views of young people and staff, which helps him to competently manage the home and aspire to achieve the best outcomes for young people. He can demonstrate the difference that the team’s support and protection make to the lives of young people. A strong, child-centred and resilient staff team takes pride in its work with children and young people. However, the making of an inappropriate placement several months ago tested the staff team. The young person has since moved on. The

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Good

registered manager is aware of his responsibility to accept only appropriate placements that ensure a safe and harmonious group dynamic, which complies with the home’s statement of purpose. A sufficient number of staff care for the young people. Increased staffing and arrangements for waking night staff are available, to ensure the monitoring of young people who present with risky and sexualised behaviours. This promotes young people’s safety and welfare. Staff feel supported and are responsive to the empowering leadership from the management team. The good communication, through reflective discussions, supervision and daily handovers, ensures that staff are up to date with the young people’s developments and they are aware of how their own practice impacts on young people’s outcomes. A staff member said, ‘We all do a good job.’ The staff team praised the recent in-house course that has raised their awareness about difference, power and influence in its different forms

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Good

and from the young person’s perspective. One member of staff said, ‘It was really good. It made me question aspects of my practice as a social worker.’ Staff speak positively about the home’s new remit, as the forthcoming restructure of children’s homes in the local authority approaches. Working together practices are highly effective, and this is considered to be a strength of the team. Professionals and parents speak highly about their good working relationship with the staff team. One professional said, ‘This is the best home I’ve ever worked with.’ An IRO spoke highly about the team’s excellent working together practices, which they consider to be worthy of dissemination. A parent said that their child had ‘good memories of Christmas when he lived there.’ The registered manager notifies Ofsted about significant events, which enables Ofsted to carry out its regulatory duties. The strengths and weaknesses of the service are understood by the registered

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Good

manager and are demonstrated in the recent six-monthly review. However, the views of staff, placing authority representatives and parents are not included in the review. It is, therefore, unclear how their views influence service developments. The registered manager has undertaken to ensure that the quality standards match the regulations in this document, and that impact risk assessments contain full information. Clear action plans address shortfalls, and the improved independent visitor monitoring reports provide a ‘critical friend’ to drive forward improvement. The requirement and most of the recommendations raised at the last inspection are resolved, but the recommendation that relates to attending to repairs in the home remains unmet, even though the damage has been creatively covered using pictures and emojis.

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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’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that 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 that 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 whom 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 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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