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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 1 Hull City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority. The home and manager were both registered with Ofsted in January 2022. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is a solo placement for one child. It is part of a three-part wider service, which includes an outreach service for children and families in their own homes. This also includes another separately registered larger home where multiple children have respite away from their families.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was completed in response to increased notifications about a child’s safety from the provider to the regulator. The visit was to establish whether the provider was taking effective action to minimise identified risks.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, serious concerns were established and, as a result, two compliance notices have been issued. The regulator will return at a later date to check the progress towards addressing these shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

This is a home for only one child. This enables staff to focus on providing highly individualised care. Staff are trained to respond to a number of different vulnerabilities and specific needs. Often, children only stay in the home for a short period before moving to a more permanent place to live or returning to their family. Despite these short-term arrangements, staff and children form strong bonds.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved in to the home with little preparation and has stayed for a number of weeks. Staff were not provided with specific training relating to the child’s particular needs. This does not equip staff with the knowledge and skills to respond Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 2 in the most effective way to highly complex situations. There have been a number of serious incidents during which the child has been at risk of serious harm. Not all of these incidents have been shared with the regulator. This limits oversight and opportunities to check that appropriate actions have been taken to reduce risk.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s fluctuating needs relate to their emotional well-being. At times of low mood, the child states their intent to, or tries to, hurt themself. Strategies used by the staff do not always prevent this from happening. It has been identified that specialist services could help the child to stabilise and make progress, but this help has not started. This means that some of the things that could help the child to develop and learn safer behaviour are not in place.

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This monitoring visit

A court order is in place that permits staff to enforce stricter boundaries with the child. This has been partly effective in reducing the frequency of incidents but has not stopped them entirely. The child continues to be exposed to significant risk.

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This monitoring visit

There is a team of social care, police and health professionals supporting the child, and communication between them is a strength. There is agreement that the child needs a different type of care, but where this should be provided has not been identified. The focus has been on managing the child through points of crisis. This does not progress the child’s care plan in a timely way.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

* In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (b)) 4 December 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)) 4 December 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 4 December 2022

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 4 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 4 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 4 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 5

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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: The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull HU1 2AA

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Louise Taylor-Deville

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Inspectors

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Ruth Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2664883 6 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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