Children's Home run by Hull City Council in Kingston upon Hull

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040105 1 SC040105

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Kingston upon Hull City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is an edge-of-care service operated by a local authority. The staff provide an outreach service to children and young people and their families who are in need of support to prevent admission of children into residential care. The home can accommodate children and young people for short-term, respite and emergency placements. The aim of these placements is to support children and young people to return to their families or move on to appropriate alternative settings.

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This monitoring visit

The home has recently experienced an unsettled period with some children exhibiting challenging and often risky behaviour, for example causing excessive damage to the home, carrying out assaults on staff and demonstrating anti-social behaviour in the community. Leaders and managers acknowledge that this has been a difficult period and have taken action to minimise the risks. In some cases, this has involved moving some of the children out of the home. As a result, the children living in the home are now experiencing a more settled home environment.

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This monitoring visit

The management team accepts that there have been issues with the admissions and matching processes. As a result, the management team is taking a different approach to managing the service. For example, the admission of children for short breaks is suspended, allowing the children living in this home to experience some stability.

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This monitoring visit

Currently, the home is not operating in line with the statement of purpose. The manager is in the process of updating this document to ensure that it accurately reflects the service provided to children. This has not yet been shared with Ofsted as required by regulation. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040105 2 Staff have a good understanding of risks to children’s safety and well-being and are clear about the measures required to help keep children safe. Some of the staff reported that as the number of children living in the home has reduced the children’s behaviours have improved. As a result, there has been a reduction in police call outs to the home.

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This monitoring visit

There is a new psychologist allocated to this home. The psychologist is offering support to the staff team to help them manage and understand the children’s behaviours. The psychologist’s work is new, and the impact of this cannot be assessed at this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The independent visitor’s reports do not provide enough detail and evaluation of the safety and well-being of the children. Consequently, the regulatory bodies and the management team’s oversight of the children’s care is hindered.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/06/2018 Full Good 19/02/2018 Full Good 21/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040105 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 01/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to only admitting children to the home if their needs do not conflict with those of other children already living there. 31/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 31/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040105 4 This is in relation to the visitor providing details and evaluation of safeguarding issues and children’s progress.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the safety and welfare of the children.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kingston upon Hull City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kingston upon Hull City Council, The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, Yorkshire HU1 2AA

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC040105 5 to 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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