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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home now provides long-term, planned placements, which concludes the local authority residential review. The manager has retained her position as the registered manager. She ensures consistent leadership and stability for the young people and staff. New and existing staff provide a positive workforce that keeps its knowledge up to date with mandatory and bespoke training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The supportive team ensures that current staff sickness is managed in-house, thus providing consistent staffing that can meet the young people’s needs. Staff speak favourably about the registered manager’s decisive attitude to not admit young people whose needs do not meet the statement of purpose. The positive staff morale is helping staff and young people to develop mutually sound relationships. This has improved most young people’s investment in life at the home. Trips away to the seaside and activities over the Halloween and Christmas period provided fun times and good memories for all.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has left. Another young person’s place at the home remains open. This is pending his decision to return or move out into the community. One new placement is working well and is having a positive impact on promoting the experiences of a compatible group of young people at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s progress fluctuates. For instance, some young people are enjoying excellent education attendance and attainment, while other young people’s educational attendance and outcomes have regressed. Health concerns relating to some young people’s misuse of drugs, lifestyle and family contact issues have tested young people’s resilience. Despite the setbacks, the staff remain supportive and help young people to overcome individual barriers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are safe. They present as comfortable in the home and appear more settled than they have done previously. The registered manager said that a young person in her care ‘knows that he is safe here’. Young people’s engagement in high-risk activities has reduced. Staff follow the agreed protocols and work with the police and social care professionals to protect young people who go missing. Although the police carry out safe and well visits, the return home interviews have not been offered to the young people. This does not provide them with an opportunity to speak to an independent person about their reasons for not returning home and does not assist the staff in preventing further missing episodes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The positive incentives and rewards in place motivate young people to behave in socially acceptable ways. Challenging behaviour is responded to through staff using de-escalation techniques, restorative practice and consequences. Young people who previously displayed verbal and physical aggression are learning to self- regulate. They show remorse when they have presented with negative behaviours. Physical intervention is rarely used. This supports the home's ethos and approach in managing young people’s challenging behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team’s good partnerships with a range of services, such as health, education, drug and alcohol, sexual health and the police services are well established. This helps the staff to support the progress of and improve the experiences of the young people through their individual journeys. A recent presentation delivered by an independent reviewing officer provided clarity of their role to the team. The registered manager spoke positively about her successful presentation to social workers in which she reinforced the role of the registered manager and the importance of complying with her registration. This helps professionals to have an improved understanding of the regulatory framework and the level of accountability and responsibility that registered managers carry in their role.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all of the previous requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. The young people’s personalised bedrooms provide them with private space. However, one bedroom door does not have a secure lock and one of the window locks is broken, which prevents it from opening. One of the ground floor bathrooms is not clean. The damaged lighting pull cord and faulty door in the bathroom does not promote a well-maintained home environment. A full refurbishment of the home is planned once new temporary premises are found and registered with the regulatory body.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The help provided to young people to acquire independence skills needs further development to ensure that they are fully prepared for the outside world. Young people do not have a key to their bedroom. This restrictive measure undermines young people’s free movement in their own home and it does not promote their independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The support provided to the young people by staff and other professionals is helping young people to understand how personal and social relationships can be supportive or harmful. This has resulted in some young people recognising the dangers that smoking and drinking can have on their lifestyle. They are specifically reducing their intake of substances, which minimises their vulnerability to risky situations.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular and recorded supervision supports the staff to exercise their role and develop their practice. The registered manager remains within the timescales to submit the quality of care review to the regulator. This requirement is therefore not assessed yet.

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people, irrespective of gender who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 15/07/2016 Full Inadequate 19/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Requires improvement

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to fixing the fascia, carrying out works to the roof, and maintaining the home to a high standard of repair and cleanliness, the registered person must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that – children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that young people are given a key to their room, unless there is an identified reason that is outlined within a risk assessment. 03/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered manager must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b) that arrangements are in place to- (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating – any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 28/02/2017 (Regulation 45 (2)(c)(5))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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 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 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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