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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 1 Registered provider: Kingston upon 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 run by a local authority. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

Date of last inspection: 26 September 2023

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, 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: 2712872 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The child living in the home continues to have good relationships with some staff. The child readily shares their views, feelings and opinions, and staff support the child to have these heard in a wider arena when needed. The child likes to spend time away from the home with staff to relax, which provides them with positive experiences and an outlet to discuss any issues they may have.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, arrangements have been made to enable the child to attend education regularly. The child has had some input into this and their views have been acted on where possible. The child will be supported by staff to attend education. The staff hope that, once embedded, these arrangements will ensure that the child can access a curriculum that meets their needs.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been no incidents involving physical intervention since the last inspection. Staff are confident about which holds are permitted and how to respond if an incident occurs.

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Findings from the inspection

The presentation of the home has improved. The communal areas have been redecorated and new carpets have been laid, which gives a more homely feel. The cleanliness of the home has also improved. However, the downstairs areas of the home continue to be locked at night, so the child cannot access them. This is not detailed in the child’s risk assessment as a safety measure and has not been agreed with the child or relevant professionals.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, at least one search of the child’s bedroom has happened that has not been documented. Staff said there have been more bedroom searches carried out, but these have not been logged. This means that there is no record of when or why the bedroom search happened, the child’s views about it happening or whether anything was removed from the bedroom as a result. This is not transparent practice.

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Findings from the inspection

There continues to be gaps in staff’s supervision and appraisal records. This means that they are not receiving formal supervision or annual appraisals in line with the provider’s policy. This inconsistency has contributed to a lack of full and effective management oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff say that the addition of a deputy manager in the home has been useful in taking some of the pressure off the registered manager. Following the last inspection, it was agreed that the management arrangements in the home would be bolstered. However, the manager is registered for two homes. Senior leaders agreed that the registered manager was going to manage this home exclusively so that they can commit to addressing the shortfalls identified at the full inspection. This has not Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 3 happened. The registered manager has continued to oversee both homes, and inconsistencies with the child’s care continue.

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Findings from the inspection

Following the last inspection, the provider formulated a detailed action plan to address the shortfalls that were identified. However, very little progress has been made with this plan. This has resulted in all but one of the previously raised requirements being restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 person 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments contain all known risks for children and give clear guidance to staff. They should also include behaviour management measures and detail the appropriate measures specific to each child.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 1 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 6 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, the registered person must have systems in place to review documents and have thorough widespread oversight of the service.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, there should be appropriate contingency plans in place to ensure that oversight continues should the registered person be absent from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In further addition, if a room search is required, this should be documented so that staff and the child have a record that this happened, the reasons for it and anything that may have been removed as a result.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 1 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 1 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 7 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should have full access to the home unless there are specific reasons why this would put them at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all fire doors should be able to close and should not be impeded by any objects.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, fire drills must be recorded each time they are carried out.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 1 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive supervision and their annual appraisal in line with the policy of the provider.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must have appropriate supervision with a suitable senior manager in line with the policy of the provider.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 1 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 8 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all potential measures of control that could be used with the child are included in the behaviour management policy.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 1 February 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the child is informed or asked for permission should their room need to be searched. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide contains all the required information to assist the child when they move into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that the child is given the support they need to attend education, including any practical arrangements that may be necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13)  The registered person should ensure that the records kept following a child going missing are accurate and consistent with the events that take place during the

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Recommendations

incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 9

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

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Inspector

Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 10 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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