Children's home run by Horton Establishments Ltd in Kingston upon Hull, City of

Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 1 SC413987 Registered provider: Horton Establishments Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home which provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people who have complex learning, emotional and behavioural needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/04/2016 Full Good 27/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on–

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– that staff– are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(a)(x)) 01/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– that staff manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(iv)) 01/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that–

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to– ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 01/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 4 each child. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(c)(d))

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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)

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the young people well. All but a very recent admission have lived here since the last inspection. All of the young people apply themselves well to education. They learn core skills, and the integration of alternative learning and training opportunities helps to sustain interest and commitment to ongoing learning. Care plans are up to date and reflect the young people’s needs. Family members/carers feel that staff are supportive of them as well as the young people. One family carer spoken with explained how they have seen a significant improvement in the behaviours of their young person since he started to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young people to maintain their relationships, be this with family members or other carers. They understand the impact for the young people of living some distance from home. Contact is maintained with social workers and plans are made to ensure that information is shared with the young people in a timely way. The young people reported that they relate well to the manager and trust him to sort things out for them. This was also observed during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Physical and emotional health needs are met. The importance of specialist support services is fully understood, and referrals are made. The use of needs-led, on-site therapeutic support ensures that the young people’s overall well-being continues to be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy time with the independent advocate. The young people are offered the opportunity to attend the organised young people’s meetings, but choose not to. Observation of the young people in their relationships with staff left no doubt that they Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 5 are able to share their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have choices about activities and menus; friends visit, and they use the home as any young person would use a family home. Staff and the manager work hard to accommodate the wishes of the young people and explain to them why they may not be able to have what they want.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people engage in group or individual activities with staff who support them. These can at times be limited due to staffing issues, which can frustrate the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are encouraged and supported by staff to undertake age-appropriate independence tasks, and to develop skills for safe decision-making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a large home with care provided in two properties. The company’s head office is based in one of the rooms. Doors are generally kept unlocked, but staff walk around with large bunches of keys. These conditions do not encourage a family-style home environment. There are some areas of the home that look tired and are in need of redecoration.

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improvement to be good

There are currently seven young people living across two properties. At times, the behaviours of the young people towards each other can be extremely aggressive and staff members have to physically intervene to ensure safety. Some staff members have been assaulted by some young people. This has been witnessed by other young people, which creates an unstable and insecure environment.

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improvement to be good

Some of the young people are fearful of the aggression of others. On a few occasions, the police have been needed to support staff in controlling young people’s behaviour, but this is a last resort. The current staffing arrangements do not provide for one-to-one care of the young people. Not all members of staff feel safe if they are alone with the young people.

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improvement to be good

Changes to the staffing arrangements allow for the young people with a higher level of need to have increased support. The other young people feel a sense of injustice that their access to the staff is reduced as a result of this.

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improvement to be good

The young people’s risk assessments are individualised and up to date. Behaviour management plans indicate clear paths to reduce some behaviours. Young people have at times needed physical interventions to ensure that they or others are kept safe. De- briefings are recorded effectively. This means that staff learn from these incidents and physical interventions have reduced in recent months. Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered home’s manager has the necessary qualifications and experience to fulfil his responsibilities. Senior practitioners provide on-site practice management and supervision of the care staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A recent development plan demonstrates changes to the staff teams and structure and this has resulted in a reduction in staff numbers. The young people have lost staff members that they were familiar with. In addition, staff’s working patterns mean that staff and young people are unable to go out for a full day on activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision is not always regular and does not cover the issues that staff face on a daily basis. It is not reflective, and at times is not even task-based. Group supervision does take place, but mainly to share information. This prevents the staff from having the opportunity to provide the young people with fully informed care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff training has primarily been online. Gaps identified include, but are not limited to, whistleblowing, child sexual exploitation, updated safeguarding training and attachment training.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out 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: SC413987 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horton Establishments Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 372 Chanterlands Avenue, Hull HU5 4ED

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Inspectors

Angela Norrie, social care inspector Rachel Holden, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC413987 8 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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