Children's Home run by St Hill Establishments Ltd in Kingston upon Hull

Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 1 SC385633 Registered provider: St. Hill Establishments Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home which may provide care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 9 November 2016

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The children and young people live in a homely environment with staff who are committed to and prioritise their care. Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 2  The young people are able to repair some of the trauma associated with the loss of family life and foster care by building relationships with a consistent, experienced and qualified staff group.  The home’s manager robustly challenges the local authority to ensure that the ongoing needs of young people who are undergoing transition are fully met in the planning process and beyond.  Previous residents are able to contact the home, where they will be listened to, be supported and receive varying levels of outreach support.  The home has the capacity to care for five young people, but the home’s manager recognises that the benefits of caring for fewer numbers improves the environment and subsequent life chances for young people.  Young people’s security and stability in the home are protected by robust risk

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

assessment by the home’s manager.  Young people are protected effectively from harm. They do not routinely go missing from the home, but clear individual protocols are on the young people’s files to protect them in the event that this happens.  All recommendations made by the independent visitor are responded to promptly.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/11/2016 Full Good 17/05/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/02/2016 Full Good 12/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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.

p.3

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. (Regulation 45(2)(c)) 20/04/2018

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy living in a spacious, well maintained, terraced property with good access to opportunities within the locality. It is decorated to a good standard throughout, with some very unique touches that give a lovely character to the home. There are a number of shared rooms for young people to spend time together, which promotes their sense of belonging. The laughter coming from these areas during inspection suggests that this allows for very positive experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s bedrooms have their own belongings in; for one young person this includes his pet lobster. The rooms are clean and well decorated with the young people’s choices, but they are not expected to keep them pristine. These are rooms that are lived in and enjoyed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Photographs of young people past and present adorn the walls. Young people no longer living at the home maintain contact. One young person, now an adult, maintains regular contact with the home. When speaking with the inspector she said, ‘It was brilliant being there; it changed my life, they sorted me out, and when I got led astray they pulled me back in.’ This promotes an ongoing feeling of belonging. For the current young people it reinforces that it is worth taking the emotional risks and building confidence in people. They also know that they will continue to have support and be part of the home’s family even when they have moved on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful consideration is given to the individual needs of the young people in the home when matching future placements. The current young people live well together, assuming roles reflective of siblings. They have learned or are learning to accept nurture Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 4 and show consideration and nurturing to others. Relationships with staff are also very positive. One young person during my discussion with him chose to type his views for inclusion in the evidence rather than speak them. He recorded, ‘The staff love us like there (sic) own kids… if I am worried I talk to staff… it is a good place to live and I feel safe living here.’ For the young people living here, the lack of safe and stable adult relationships within their birth families and foster care has resulted in emotional insecurity. The fact that the young people can recognise the care being provided to them

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

demonstrates that with the right support the young people can develop trusting and, ultimately, secure relationships with others.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and encourage the educational attendance of young people. All three young people attend an education/training provision that has been identified as appropriate to their needs. A member of education staff said: Both [names of young people] have really settled since moving into St Hills. There is constant communication and St Hills will let them know of problems overnight or the weekend, and the home responds appropriately to support the young people if they face challenges or difficulties at school.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of careful transition planning is recognised by the staff group. One young person, who is still very vulnerable, is moving from the children’s home to an adult provision. Staff have supported the young person by challenging the local authority on its plan and escalating the lack of progress through the appropriate channels. For the young person this means that her transition will be at her pace, and the necessary assessment of needs is being undertaken and her service provision should afford her the support that she needs.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of family relationships is recognised and promoted. During the inspection, three family members contacted the home. They were able to be brought up to date with the progress of plans, or have direct contact. The sheer pleasure of this for one young person was undeniable, with the manager recognising how this telephone contact improves the young person’s demeanour and increases positivity. Family members who contact the home receive a positive response. This demonstrates to young people that the importance of their family to them is respected, and will help the young people to manage the separation from their families.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s daily events are recorded on daily logs, with any incident, positive or negative, that requires more information being recorded on a detailed record log. These are used in lieu of incident records sheets, or separate key-working sessions. There are obvious benefits of this collated information being held in one place on the young people’s files. The manager does, however, accept that they do not always include the positive work done with young people and they need to get better at this.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young people are safe living here. They are provided with consistent boundaries by appropriately vetted staff whom they are able to talk to and share concerns with. Sanctions are rarely used. The staff prefer to use rewards to reinforce positive Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 5 behaviours, with young people able to recover lost rewards through positive actions.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no restraints since the last inspection. This gives young people the confidence that staff have the skills to keep them safe without having to resort to physical intervention. For children and young people who have been exposed to high levels of violence in their families, this demonstrates to them that resolutions can be reached without physicality. Such an approach will help to reduce the risk of cyclical violence in their futures.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Robust care plans are regularly reviewed by the manager to ensure that they reflect the current situation. Risk assessments and individual care management plans are kept up to date. Young people do not routinely go missing from this home, but staff are aware of the steps to take in the event that this occurs. Monthly updates of the home’s missing persons action plan are sent to the police, and each young person has their own missing from home plan on their file. This ensures that any risks are more likely to be identified and shared, and protective measures taken.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The vulnerability of the young people in the home is recognised. Safeguarding training includes an element on child sexual exploitation, and staff have recently received training in respect of radicalisation. Staff report feeling fully equipped to do their jobs, and that training is always available as needed.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager has no hesitation in escalating matters and challenging the local authority as required to ensure that the local authority meets its duties and responsibilities. Such challenges ensure that young people’s vulnerabilities are understood and accepted. As a consequence, the appropriate level of help and protection for young people is provided.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Age-appropriate safe internet use is promoted and monitored effectively by the staff. There is an active alarm on the back door (for fire safety reasons). Bedroom doors are not alarmed, staff sleep on both floors that young people sleep on and are on hand to support young people as needed.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are aware that there are mechanisms for ‘whistle-blowing’. They informed the inspector that they would use the designated officer if they felt that there were safeguarding concerns for the young people, but had no doubt that the home’s manager would follow this path if the issues dictated. With regard to the line management structure for raising concerns, they felt able to take this route. For young people, this means that timely and effective safeguarding measures will be taken and their safety in the home is protected.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that there is a mix of staff to meet the social and emotional development of the young people effectively. All but one of the members of staff have the relevant qualifications, and all have received appropriate training. The manager creates a working environment which promotes a stable workforce. Supervisions, both for staff and managers, are reflective and always include discussion about the young Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 6 people and how staff can be supported in their caring roles. The manager ensures that staff do not overwork and become tired or emotionally unavailable. Any difficulties within the staff group are addressed. The benefits for the young people of this positive management is that the energised and emotionally robust staff group is cohesive and able to meet the fluctuating daily needs of each young person.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is registered to care for up to five young people. The manager, however, has the support of the provider in her view that at this time she considers the current number of young people in the home is right. This allows the young people to receive a high standard of individualised care, which improves the chances of positive outcomes for them.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Positive care is evident in the home and this is supported by comments from the professionals and young people. A social worker said that the home is ‘marvellous’ when looking after [name of young person], and ‘whatever the home is doing for him is working’. She states that she has placed a number of young people in the home and her experience has always been positive, and barring one all had positive transitions and maintain relationships with the staff team. Young people’s files evidence that the manager is not prepared to accept that young people should miss out on much-needed services because the service or the young person find it difficult to engage. ‘Out of the box’ thinking by the manager and good multi-agency working demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, improving life chances for young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a consistent independent person, which allows for reflective monthly monitoring and reviewing. Recommendations are actioned, which demonstrates that meeting the young people’s needs is the priority. There is no resistance to continuous improvement.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The most recent review of quality of care under regulation 45 has addressed most of the previously raised requirements at the last inspection. What remains outstanding, however, is the inclusion of the actions that the registered person intends to take as a result of the reviews.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 7 under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 8

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Hill Establishments Limited

p.8

Inspector:

Angela Norrie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC385633 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector:

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector:

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

p.9

Inspector:

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

p.9