Children's Home run by St Hill Establishments Ltd in Kingston upon Hull

Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 1 SC385633 Registered provider: St Hill Establishments Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to five children who may have learning difficulties and may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2022 and holds an appropriate 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: 6 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Good 15/07/2021 Full Good 16/07/2019 Full Good 27/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create a nurturing environment and care about the children. This helps children to make progress and have a sense of belonging. All three children living in the home said they feel happy. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has built positive relationships with staff, and this helps [name of child] when they need support in navigating any challenges they face.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff assist and encourage children to share their views both individually and in children’s meetings. The home has systems in place for children to talk about any challenges that arise with staff or peers. This helps the children develop skills to manage conflict and develop peer relationships as well as their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with opportunities to access therapeutic support. Staff encourage the children to talk about any worries they have and help them understand significant events that have happened in their lives. This assists them in understanding their emotions and building trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure the children have their health needs met and that they have positive daily care routines. Staff support children with their independence skills, which include shopping for provisions, managing their personal allowance and travelling independently. Social workers and family members said that the children have made positive progress since living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access education and have worked well with professionals to help children return to suitable schooling arrangements. Staff are proud that the children attend education. An education professional said, ‘Staff have the children’s well-being at the centre, and the children benefit from the staff attending education events such as sports day.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to embrace their individuality and cultural needs. Children enjoy activities in line with their hobbies and interests. Staff also provide the children with enjoyable group activities including, holidays, days out and raising money for local charities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have time with their family and are instrumental in helping children resume family time in line with their wishes and care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have not been given opportunities for positive endings to their time in the home. Two children have left the home at short notice, which does not align with the home’s statement of purpose. Some gaps in the assessment process and planning meant that the registered manager and local authority failed to fully consider recommendations about children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 4

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

The children feel safe. They can identify trusted adults they can talk to and understand how to make a complaint.

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

Staff know the children well and offer them individual key-work discussions about important issues and associated risks, such as stranger awareness and internet safety. This approach helps develop the children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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

The use of physical intervention is minimal and used only when necessary to prevent children from hurting themselves or others. Staff focus on building good relationships with children. Staff use restorative consequences and talk to children to help them understand their behaviours.

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

Staff provide the children with clear boundaries. One child said, ‘Staff help us understand rules and work with us, rather than just giving us rules.’ This helps children feel safe and valued.

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

The staff understand their safeguarding role, as well as their responsibilities to report any safeguarding concerns.

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

Staff search for the children when they are missing from the home, and they are proactive in returning them home. Staff understand their responsibilities when children are missing. However, plans are not clear, and gaps in records indicate that staff have not followed the provider’s missing-from-home policies and informed relevant parties that children are missing.

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

Risk assessments and plans cover know associated risks and offer staff guidance on actions to take to reduce risks. One risk assessment does not contain all the information about associated risks. This record does not provide staff with the information or actions needed to minimise potential risks for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run effectively by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. All staff and professionals said the registered manager is a positive role model for both staff and children. The children have positive relationships with the registered manager, who is clearly visible in the home. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Children speak highly of the manager, who is very hands-on in terms of her management and leadership of the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a full and committed staff team. Staff speak positively about support from the registered manager and feel cohesive as a team. A senior leader said, ‘The registered manager has improved many aspects of the home and is always open to new ideas and feedback.’ Staff have access to all the mandatory training, Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 5 and the registered manager ensures that staff access additional specialist training to help them meet the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have suitable induction support plans that assist them in understanding the home’s policies and procedures. The registered manager ensures that staff have regular team meetings and reflective supervision, as well as training and development reviews. This means that all staff have opportunities to reflect on children’s needs and identify their own support and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has monitoring and reviewing systems, including external auditing that supports management oversight. Monthly senior managers’ meetings are held to look at the ongoing development of audit and review systems and the quality of care. The registered manager has good oversight and ensures that any safeguarding notifications are sent to the regulator in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works collaboratively with professionals and communicates well with other agencies involved in the children’s care and well-being. The staff consult with professionals in the community to ensure the local area risk assessment appropriately considers any local risks and how to mitigate against them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The setting is homely and nurturing, with special areas for the children to relax and enjoy recreational time. The registered manager is aware that some children’s bedrooms require timely actions to address health and safety hazards, such as a cracked windowpane and trip hazards. A bathroom and some communal and outside areas require attention to repair general wear and tear and weather damage. These repairs will help the children feel more relaxed in their home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 6

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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, The 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

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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure children’s risks assessments consider all relevant risks and actions for staff to undertake to reduce likely risks.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that staff ensure all relevant parties are notified when children are missing from the home and that records of incidents are clear. 9 February 2024

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 9 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 7 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that the home remains a nurturing and homely environment and that maintenance of the home is progressed in a timely manner to meet children’s basic day-to-day needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: SC385633 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Hill Establishments Limited

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC385633 9 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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