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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 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 registered manager position is vacant and has been since 18 July 2023. Between July 2023 and February 2024, there was a manager in post who did not register with Ofsted. They chose to leave the position in February 2024. An acting manager has been in post since then who has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

During a full inspection on 29 and 30 April 2024, serious shortfalls were identified relating to the safety and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. This resulted in an inadequate judgement. A compliance notice under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) was issued, detailing the steps necessary to address the shortfalls. This visit was carried out to assess progress towards completing the steps detailed in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed the management arrangements at the home. The interim manager is receiving additional support from senior leaders, and plans are in place to appoint a permanent manager to the home. Additional oversight is taking place with the responsible individual to ensure that work is completed in accordance with the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments have been thoroughly reviewed and are now much clearer documents for staff to follow. The content of these documents and the restrictive court order have been discussed with staff in supervision sessions and in team meetings to further embed staff’s understanding of them. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 2 The manager and staff have received training to improve their understanding and competence in relation to a number of safeguarding matters. This includes the use of physical intervention and the use of stigmatising and blaming language. The learning has been reinforced in supervision sessions and team meetings. The provider’s plan is that this will contribute to a consistent approach by staff, who will have the appropriate level of training to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the presentation and interior of the home. Some cosmetic decoration has taken place, and flooring has been replaced. The child’s bedroom has improved, and the environment is a much more homely place for them to spend time. There is a plan in place that includes a list of long-term improvements that the manager wants to be completed in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The measures above have addressed some of the steps in the compliance notice to an extent. However, further time is needed to embed these changes. The effect of the increased management oversight of the home and the learning from training that has been completed is not yet evident. However, due to the positive changes implemented in a short space of time, the compliance notice has been met. Steps in the compliance notice that have not been fully met have been raised as an additional requirement.

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This monitoring visit

The other shortfalls identified at the full inspection have not been reviewed during this monitoring visit. For this reason, these requirements and the recommendation have been restated and will be reviewed during future inspection activity. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2024 Full Inadequate 08/08/2023 Full Good 31/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which children’s needs are best met; and 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 5 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that management arrangements at the home are effective, and that staff are consistently well supported to meet the child’s needs. They must ensure that systems are in place so that staff clearly understand and adhere to the content of the child’s risk assessments, behaviour management plans and the restrictive court order. This applies to any records or guidance relating to the safe care of the child.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that there are effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place to ensure that any shortfalls can be identified and responded to appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 2024

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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 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 6 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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that shortfalls in risk assessments are identified and mitigated against. Risk assessments must also be clear so that staff know how to provide safe, good-quality and consistent care to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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— 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 7 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff deliver consistent, quality care in line with the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, they must ensure that staff understand the trauma the child has suffered and how this may impact on their behaviour, and that all staff know and understand the restrictive order from the court and what this means for staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to,

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 8 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all notifiable events are sent to the regulator.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislation. In particular, they should ensure that fire doors are not propped open. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2599994 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: The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull HU1 2AA

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Inspector

Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2599994 10 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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