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

Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 1 SC034706 Registered provider: Kingston upon Hull City Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for children and young people whose plan is to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The manager has been registered since January 2019.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/12/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that – 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 –

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(2)(d) and (e)) 31/10/2019

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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 – 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 –

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review processes to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are consistent staff practice and record-keeping in relation to implementing children and young people’s missing person action plans and their safety plans. 30/09/2019

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 4 supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). Specifically, ensure that recruitment records are available for inspection, that these include proof of identity and demonstrate that any gaps in the employment history of staff are explored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As the home and quality of care improve, the children and young people have nicer experiences and their outcomes are better. The children and young people benefit from the kind, caring and supportive staff. The staff are good role models for the children and young people, and consequently the young people mature well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two young people have experienced well-planned transitions from the home to new placements. One of these was to a supported-housing placement linked to the home, as part of the staying close arrangements. This is a positive move for a young person asking for more independence. He is developing his life skills, has gained employment and benefits from the continuity of staff support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children and young people have moved into the home. These admissions were planned well and carefully considered by the manager. This has ensured that there has been no adverse impact on the group of children and young people sharing the home. The staff are quick to respond to any falling out and promote positive relationships between the children and young people. The older young people are now acting as positive role models for the younger ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff actively promote the education of the children and young people. The attendance and achievements of the children and young people are good. They are sitting GCSE exams early and are in a position to achieve more. Two of the young people have gained employment, one as the result of a successful work placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people continue to see their families and friends. There is an inclusive ethos with friends and family being made welcome in the home, as long as this is safe and appropriate. The staff support the children and young people to develop and maintain safe, healthy relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff promote the health and well-being of the children and young people. This is through regular health checks, assessments and support with individual needs such as diet and sexual health. The regular clinical input provides a good focus on the children and young people’s emotional well-being, and there is access to individual counselling. Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 5

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

The children and young people feel safe. The improvements in the home since the last inspection help them to feel safer. They are able to complain, and they can see positive action taken as a result of communicating how they feel.

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

The relationships between the staff and the children and young people are good. This is a result of the individualised care that the children and young people receive, which makes them feel valued and cared for. Consequently, the children and young people feel settled, and there are far fewer incidents of missing from home and of challenging behaviour.

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

The staff consistently apply clear expectations and boundaries. They have good de- escalation skills and have adopted individualised incentives and strategies with the children and young people. This is having better results than a ‘one size fits all’ approach to house rules.

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

The manager and staff understand the risks to the children and young people. These are well documented, and staff are good at keeping the children and young people safe through the implementation of individualised safety plans. This includes limitations on accessing Wi-Fi and regular welfare checks when the children and young people go out. The staff will go out and look for the children and young people if they do not answer their mobile phones at set times.

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

The number of times that the children and young people are missing has significantly reduced. There are good arrangements for the completion of return home interviews, and successful partnership work is helping to keep the children and young people safe.

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

The staff understand the signs of child exploitation and respond appropriately to indicators that the children and young people are at risk of harm. This has helped immensely in contributing to keeping a young person safe. There is good information sharing with the police as part of this practice.

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

Staff recruitment records were not fully available to inspect. The records that were available did not demonstrate full compliance with the regulations, such as obtaining a full employment history and proof of identity of new staff. This is an issue with the recording system that is in place rather than a risk to the children and young people’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager continues to improve the home, taking it from strength to strength. Since the last inspection, she has increased the quality of supervision, including reflections on the children and young people’s needs. This is enhanced with regular input from a clinician. The children and young people experience more individualised care as a result. Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 6 The staff are more caring and nurturing and have started to develop into a cohesive team. There is more of a learning culture and commitment from staff to achieve the best for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are positive working relationships with partner agencies such as health services, schools and social workers. This ensures that the children and young people receive good all-round care. The manager challenges appropriately, for example when a young person’s looked after review was cancelled at the last minute. Independent reviewing officers commented on how impressed they are with the child-centred care, support for the children and young people with moving on from the home and that staff will take responsibility for getting things done. The reputation of the home has much improved and social workers are keen to place children and young people there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has appropriate oversight of the home. This is informed by observation, staff supervision, regular audits and monthly checks from an independent visitor. The main issue is to stabilise the staff team, as there have been a lot of changes to the team, which have an impact on the continuity of care for the children and young people. The manager and provider are committed to minimising future changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One area of practice that has lacked managerial oversight is the completion of records to evidence that staff are consistently following safety plans and missing person action plans. This appears to be a recording issue rather than an issue of safeguarding practice. The manager acted during the inspection to start to put this right.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff undertake a wide range of training. Along with the regular case supervision and reflection, there is good support for staff to develop their professional practice. Consequently, they are able to meet the diverse needs of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the children and young people are listened to. The children and young people’s wishes and feelings about their day-to-day lives and decisions about their care and safety planning are taken account of. The voices of the children and young people are central to the completion of care records. This record-keeping practice is a strength in relation to the capturing of the children and young people’s views, and this has a direct impact on their positive experiences.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 7 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: SC034706 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kingston upon Hull City Council, Brunswick House, Strand Close, Hull HU1 2AA

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Inspector

Simon Morley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034706 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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