Children's Home run by Rite Directions Limited in Kingston upon Hull

Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 1 Registered provider: Rite Directions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who have complex needs associated with learning disabilities. Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/05/2022 Full Inadequate 15/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 3

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improvement to be good

Staff form good relationships with children; however, children’s experiences and progress have been mixed. Leaders and managers have failed to appropriately escalate concerns about one child’s education provision in a timely manner. Opportunities for the child to develop positive social and educational outcomes have therefore been missed.

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improvement to be good

The oversight of the physical environment of the home does not pick up health and safety issues effectively. Systems in place are ineffective in ensuring that the quality of living standards for children is good. Poor environmental conditions have the potential to negatively affect the children’s physical and mental health.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are well promoted by staff. Staff encourage children to have meals together. They educate children about healthy meal options and nutritious food choices. In addition, staff support children to attend medical appointments when required, which helps them to remain healthy.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy participating in a variety of social activities. Some children enjoy swimming and going for walks. Others love listening to music and taking part in other activities in the home. Staff ensure that they take photos of these occasions to build positive memories for children of their time living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their families. This ensures that children maintain family ties and positive relationships. As a result, children do not feel isolated from the people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments do not always capture all the information known about children. As a result, plans to mitigate risk do not sufficiently guide and inform staff on how to manage and reduce those risks. This could mean that essential information is missed, and plans are not effective in safeguarding children.

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improvement to be good

Not all new members of staff have completed mandatory training before starting to work with the children. This includes training in first aid and safeguarding. On two separate occasions, untrained staff have supported children in the community without suitably qualified staff present, which has left children at potential risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from this home. Staff understand the missing-from-care procedures. They speak knowledgeably about how they would respond should a child go missing from care. Despite regular discussions with children, staff do not Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 4 routinely discuss the risks of going missing. This does not help children to understand the risks of going missing. This means that children to do not learn how keep themselves safer in the community.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rarely used and only used as last resort to manage unwanted behaviours and to keep people safe. Following incidents, reflective discussions are held with children in a timely manner. Staff discussions also take place swiftly. In addition, the manager has good oversight to ensure that the use of physical intervention is proportionate and appropriate. This practice helps to keep children safer.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment is effective and helps to prevent the employment of unsuitable staff. Leaders and managers carry out all necessary employment checks and verify these checks before staff work in the home.

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good

The registered manager is supported by a deputy manager who, along with the staff, is committed to helping children.

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good

The systems to monitor the quality of care provided are not effective. The registered manager does not have sufficient oversight of the service and does not monitor the home effectively. She does not use the available internal auditing tools to monitor or review staff practice, shortfalls in children’s care, records and documents. The registered manager has failed to identify areas of poor practice. This means that there is insufficient scrutiny of the care that children receive, which limits the opportunity to drive improvement forward.

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good

An independent visitor regularly visits the home. The reports compiled following these visits provide sufficient information on the quality of care provided at the home. However, the independent visitor rarely seeks feedback from children’s families and professionals. This limits the opportunity for leaders and managers to consider the views of others in their development plans for the home. It also makes it difficult for the independent visitor to form an accurate assessment of whether staff are safeguarding children and promoting their well-being effectively.

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good

Staff attend regular team meetings and supervision sessions to help them to reflect on and develop their practice. The staff say that they feel supported and happy in their roles. The ‘employee of the month’ award boosts staff morale. This creates a positive and relaxed atmosphere for children, which helps them to develop.

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good

Staff at the home have positive relationships with social workers, teachers and other agencies. This provides children with joined-up care and support. Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 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

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

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 13 July 2023

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. 13 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 6 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(vii))

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 13 July 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)) 13 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)) 13 July 2023

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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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 13 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 7

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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 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: 1254316 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rite Directions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tan Y Marian, Constitution Hill, Penmaenmawr LL34 6BA

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Inspector

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1254316 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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