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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 1 Registered provider: 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 is a local authority run home providing care for one child. Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and one child has moved in to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has her level 5 diploma and registered with Ofsted in July 2020. The manager is also the registered manager at another home.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 The provider is imposing greater restrictions on the child’s liberty than those agreed in the court-ordered documents.  The provider has failed to escalate concerns to the court in order for appropriate amendments to be made.  The manager does not have a system in place to review staff practice and plans to ensure that they are acting in line with the court-ordered document, which prevents her from identifying when this needs to be escalated.

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The care of children

The child currently living in this home is restricted in their movements by a court order due to high levels of presenting risk. However, the provider is imposing restrictions greater than those allowed by the court order in place. The staff are creative in how they offer experiences to the child within the confinements of these restrictions. However, these restrictions limit the quality of life that the child experiences.

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The care of children

The manager advocates and challenges for the child’s needs to be met by other agencies, such as mental health services. Support from the mental health services is in place for the staff. However, the child is not receiving the full support that they need from these other agencies.

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The care of children

The child’s voice is valued, and efforts are taken to act on their wishes. When this is not possible, the child understands the reasons for this. The manager puts in place plans to help the child to achieve their goals.

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The care of children

Both children who have lived in this home since the last inspection have forged positive relationships with staff. The children are able to seek support and advice from staff and trust them to help them.

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The care of children

When the previous child who lived in this home moved out, this was a well-thought- out, planned transition back to their family in line with her wishes. Staff built positive relationships with family and remain a source of support and advice for them all.

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The safety of children

The provider has failed to ensure that the restrictions imposed on the child’s liberty are in line with the court agreed Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) order. The provider has also failed to confirm that the information on the DoL order is correct. Greater restrictions are being imposed in order to keep the child safe. However, this has not been escalated to the court in order for the appropriate amendments to be made to Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 3 the order. This means that the child is being restricted more than is agreed by the court. This also prevents the court from having oversight as to the long-term sustainability of risk management and quality of life for the child.

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The safety of children

Risk management plans are informative and a one-page summary of how to support the child helps to ensure that staff are consistent in how they respond to the child. This helps to create stability for the child. However, the care plan for the child is not up to date and contains some information that is contradictory to the current plans that, if followed, would put the child at risk of harm.

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The safety of children

When a child is held, this is as a last resort to help to safeguard them, staff and others. The manager reviews these incidents and ensures that staff receive debriefs to identify any learning. Attempts are made to speak to the child, but this is not consistently recorded.

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The safety of children

Room searches take place in line with risk assessments in order to safeguard the child. The searches are effective in identifying and removing anything that may be used by the child to cause harm to themselves or others. This is discussed with the child to ensure that they understand the reasons why and to gather their views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has failed to ensure that incidents and plans in place are reviewed to ensure that actions are in line with the DoL order in place. This prevents the registered manager from identifying if any changes are needed and ensuring that these are escalated to the court.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is currently operating with a high number of agency staff in order to meet the child’s needs. The agency staff are experienced in their role and are very much a part of the staff team. The manager ensures that it is the same agency staff working with the child, to promote consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The staff feel well supported by the registered manager and ‘senior care worker’. They value the time to discuss their feelings during supervision, team meetings, and meetings with the mental health team. This helps them to remain motivated to support the child despite their anxieties and concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager is child focused and has shared her concerns regarding the impact that the level of restrictions is having on the child, including the long-term sustainability of this. She is actively seeking support in the interim to try to put plans in place to improve the child’s quality of life. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 5

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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

* 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)) 16 April 2023

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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—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that systems are in place to review incidents and changes to plans in line with any court-ordered documents to ensure that actions in place align with this. Ensure that any changes needed are escalated and the changes made. 16 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that if a child is restrained a record is made of the attempts made to ascertain the child’s wishes and feelings, even if they decline to engage. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that no more than half of the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should ensure that children’s care plans are kept up to date and that information aligns with that in other plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 7

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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

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2599994 8 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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