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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 1 SC034495 Registered provider: Hull City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority operates this eight-bedded home. It is registered to meet the needs of children who have a learning disability. It currently provides care for four children in long-term care and 19 children receiving short-term breaks. The manager was registered in November 2020 and is currently studying for the required qualification.

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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: 13 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2019 Full Outstanding 09/10/2018 Full Outstanding 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care which is individualised to take account of their specific complex needs. Staff celebrate the children’s achievements and take pride in watching them grow and mature. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the barriers children with disabilities face in accessing the community and are strong advocates for the children. This contributes to children overcoming these barriers and having a wider variety of experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are effective relationships between professionals, families, children and staff. A strength of the home is that the staff and managers regularly exchange information with education and health staff. This promotes consistent care. Observations of the interactions between staff and children show that staff are skilled and caring and give appropriate affection to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children make significant progress relative to their starting point. The changes in the behaviour and appearance of one child were described by professionals as ‘remarkable’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s fluctuating health conditions are closely monitored, and staff take action in response to changes. This promotes safer care. Some children have conditions needing an urgent response which staff deliver competently in line with plans. Staff support children’s mental and emotional well-being, and referrals are made to specialists as appropriate. This means children get help to understand their feelings and learn to manage them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Non-verbal children rely on familiar adults to use their insight to interpret how they are thinking and feeling. The experienced and well-established staff team knows the children and understands them well. An independent advocacy service used by the children further promotes their views in relation to their day-to-day care, as well as bigger life decisions. This helps the children to feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in the home and feel safe and settled. There are good-quality photo records and memory boxes which the children treasure. The albums and boxes also provide valuable insight for parents who are not part of the everyday lives of their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do a wide variety of activities which both educate and entertain them. Some of the activities provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships between children. This helps to foster a feeling of family for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, there is good consideration about how and to where the child will move. This is done at the child’s pace and with a good level of staff support to ensure continuity of care. This promotes the child’s emotional and physical well-being and helps children to settle. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 4

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

Risks are generally well understood and responded to. Despite children not having been missing, there are plans in place should this happen. This means staff are prepared for even occasional or rare eventualities. Staff work with education and health staff to understand changes in children’s behaviour. This ensures that staff have informed insight into triggers and respond consistently.

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

There have been a small number of incidents of self-harm and minor conflicts between the children. These are well managed, and managers and staff reflect on these incidents to learn from them and adjust the way they support and respond to the children. This helps prevent repetition.

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

Some of the children have complex health and medication regimes. The arrangements for safe receipt and storage of medication are good. However, there are shortfalls in the recording of medication administration. This does not promote the safe treatment of children.

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

Staff are appropriately trained to manage and support children’s escalating behaviour. They demonstrate good insight into keeping a safe environment in the home and helping children learn effective ways of regulating their own emotions.

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

Behavioural incidents are recorded and most show management oversight and appropriate reflection. However, one incident involved a child being held for their own safety and that of others. This incident was not reviewed, the information was not shared, and practice did not align with the child’s behaviour management plan. Despite there being no apparent impact on this occasion, this does not promote children’s well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the future of the service. They are currently working with others to develop the service over the coming year, including the relocation of the home. They describe this as an opportunity to provide premises that are tailor-made to the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers demonstrate a thorough understanding of the needs and progress of the children. Case supervision ensures there is regular management oversight to ensure care-related tasks are reliably completed by staff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has proved challenging to ensure that children receive short breaks at the same frequency as previous years. The manager has been creative in maintaining a reduced service, making the well-being of the children and their families central to decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive both mandatory and service area training. The manager’s systems for monitoring this are effective. When there are gaps in staff knowledge, the manager commissions bespoke training to compensate for this. There is also regular training Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 5 which is offered in response to the children’s changing health needs. This results in children being cared for by knowledgeable and competent staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by leaders and managers and receive regular reflective supervision. This allows them to recognise any shortfalls in their practice and identify ways to drive up quality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the requirements made at the previous monitoring visit. She also took immediate action to understand shortfalls identified during this inspection. This is evidence of her motivation to deliver care in line with the regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional relationships are collaborative, and staff and the manager are held in high regard by others. The manager has high expectations of her staff, and recognises that their relationships with children are the key strength of the home. These nurturing relationships are integral to helping the children progress and flourish. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 6

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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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c)) 17 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(b)(i)(ii)) 17 April 2022

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 7 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 for children’s home: SC034495 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034495 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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