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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 1 SC413987

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Horton Establishments Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates and runs this home. A variation was granted on 23 September 2019, increasing the home’s registration to care for nine children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home has been without a registered manager since 20 December 2019. A new manager was appointed in April 2020 and is awaiting registration. The home is divided between two buildings, Southlands and The Lodge. Seven beds are available within Southlands and two beds within The Lodge. The young people could potentially move into The Lodge as a pathway to their independence.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place due to the increasing concerns regarding the immediate safety and well-being of the young people living at this home. On 26 June 2020, the home was significantly damaged due to flooding caused by heavy rain. This followed a serious incident that occurred on the same day. Due to the concerns arising from the incident, the responsible individual and two other company directors have been suspended pending an independent investigation.

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This monitoring visit

Further concerns about the financial management of the home were highlighted, leading to Ofsted being concerned about young people’s basic needs for food and clothing potentially being unmet. These concerns led to regulatory inspectors undertaking this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The condition of the home is extremely poor. Some areas of the home are unsafe. The poor condition of the home does not provide young people with an environment where they can feel safe, valued or belong. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 2 A number of areas within the home are water damaged causing significant damp and rot to flooring, ceilings and wooden timbers. The en-suite showers and bathrooms in young people’s bedrooms are leaking and have caused considerable damage to a number of areas within the home. This includes the lounge, dining and games area. Carpets are old, tired looking and stained. There are areas within the home where skirting boards, walls and windows are broken, falling apart or damaged. Only one of the windows has been boarded up. Several broken windows expose broken glass, posing a risk to the young people. Areas that have been repaired have been done in a substandard way. This is both unsightly and hazardous

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This monitoring visit

and is likely to cause health issues to the young people.

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This monitoring visit

The fire alarms, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and electrical systems have not been appropriately tested. There has been no assessment of the damage caused by the flood by a suitably qualified engineer, builder or surveyor. It remains unclear as to whether the home is structurally safe. The implication of this is very serious for the immediate safety of the young people.

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This monitoring visit

There were areas such as in the control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) cupboard and the upstairs office where pipes and loose wiring were exposed. The lock to the COSHH cupboard housing the boiler and water tank was broken, enabling the young people to have access. There was no evidence that the testing of portable appliances and fire extinguishers had been routinely conducted. This poses a significant risk to young people, staff and visitors.

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This monitoring visit

There were several broken windows throughout the home. Only one has been boarded up and made safe. Other windows in young people’s bedrooms have been nailed shut. Inappropriate secondary glazing and makeshift window restrictors caused concerns around health and safety. The repairs have not been agreed by the senior management and the home has been in a state of disrepair for several months. This is exacerbated by the damage from the flood and from young people smoking cigarettes and other substances in their bedrooms.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff are not always able to identify when the young people may be at risk of harm. Staff feel ambivalent and indecisive when needing to embed appropriate boundaries or take effective action to reduce risk of harm. For example, young people are smoking cigarettes and cannabis and drinking alcohol in their bedrooms. The staff are not suitably challenging and are at times fearful in implementing boundaries and exercising appropriate control. They have not been effective at preventing the young people from going out late at night and in the early hours. The staff have often relied on the police to help them to manage young people’s behaviour. This has escalated to ending some young people’s placements.

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This monitoring visit

Effective strategies are not in place to reduce risk. One young person, since living at the home has been adversely influenced by his peers and is potentially involved in county lines activity, drug and alcohol consumption. Young people’s individual harmful behaviour impacts on their peers and strategies to address the behaviours Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 3 are ineffective. Substance misuse is prevalent and there was a strong smell of cannabis when entering the home.

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This monitoring visit

There is an ongoing investigation that impacts on the leadership at the home. The management of the home is weak and there is no registered manager. This means that leadership and management arrangements are not robust. The staff are not proactive in undertaking room searches when risk is identified and there is a lack of record-keeping. Key working is not consistent in addressing risk and the arrangements for young people’s free time are not individually risk assessed. This does not safeguard young people or ensure appropriate boundaries are implemented.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of these very serious concerns, the operation of the home was suspended with immediate effect. The placing local authorities were informed and consequently the children have been placed in alternative homes.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last inspection have not been reviewed during this monitoring visit. These have been carried over and will need to be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/05/2018 Full Good 22/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, for the staff to implement routines and boundaries for the children and young people to provide structure to their days. 10/10/2020

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 10/01/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 5 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the staff should have the skills and knowledge about attachment to provide informed support and guidance to the children and young people. In addition, guidance should routinely be provided to the children and young people to educate them about their behaviours as the imposed sanctions and limited key-working sessions are not achieving the desired outcomes. 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—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 10/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 6 that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 10/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child or young person’s placing authority, and of the placement plan. 10/01/2020

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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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 10/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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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: Horton Establishments Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 8 Rachel Ruth, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC413987 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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