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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 1 Registered provider: Rite Directions Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have learning disabilities or sensory impairment. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Children at this home are making limited progress. There is a lack of involvement and input from services that would enable the children’s needs to be identified and ensure that they are met. The manager does not consistently act on the outcomes of meetings or assessments, or request further assessments, which would support children with their health or communication needs. Prior to one child coming to live in the home, they were receiving speech and language services. This support ceased when the child moved, and it is unclear why. A very recent referral for this input to recommence has been made, but the manager is not aware of how this is progressing. Additional agreed assessments, such as sensory assessments by an occupational therapist, have not taken place. Additional support and guidance for the staff team would enhance the day-to-day experiences of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Children’s views and wishes are not consistently or actively sought. Children are not consulted about all aspects of their lives and are not being involved in making decisions. There is limited evidence of the children’s input into menu or activity planning. Menu plans are written and not in a picture format that the children can understand. One child is not receiving any advocacy support. This would offer the child the opportunity to express their views and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The children’s bedrooms do not reflect their age or personalities. They do not have a warm or homely feel. Personal belongings, toys and clothing are stored in locked cupboards that the children cannot access. One bedroom was in the process of being painted with a colour that the child had chosen. Both children are monitored by cameras throughout the night, due to specific health conditions. This was agreed with professionals when the children were admitted to the home, but has not been reviewed. This does not help children to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The children are taking part in activities with help from staff, and these include trampolining, soft play, and visits to large aquariums. When inside the home, children have access to some toys and books, but a large toy cupboard is kept locked. When outside the home, the children wear a chest harness as a safety measure. However, the use of these has not been reviewed or assessed as continuing to be appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

One child in the home does not attend school and is not provided with any educational support. The manager has met with professionals to review this, but has not escalated these concerns, or provided the level of challenge necessary, to promote the rights of the child to attend education. A second child in the home is making progress with their skills and their ability to manage their emotions in school. Feedback from education professionals was positive regarding the support offered by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 3 Children at the home are starting to build trusted relationships with the staff. Staff speak positively and kindly about the children and their needs. Professionals described good communication with staff, and said they had observed staff building nurturing relationships with children.

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improvement to be good

Children have behavioural support plans in place, which are regularly updated. However, staff do not always follow this guidance to protect the children from harm. Children at the home are restricted in their movement around the home through the use of safety gates and locks. The safety gates are not used in line with the children’s risk assessments and remain in place throughout the day. This does not allow children the ability to explore when it is safe to do so.

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improvement to be good

Additional restrictions in the home are not in line with children’s care plans. All the kitchen cupboards are kept locked. These restrictions have not been reviewed to ensure that they are necessary and proportionate. Kitchen cupboards are also labelled to help staff orientate themselves around the kitchen. This does not promote a homely atmosphere.

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improvement to be good

The physical environment for children is not maintained to be safe. Several concerns that could cause a risk to children, both inside and outside of the home, were raised with managers. The garden is not maintained to an acceptable standard. Hazards and discarded items in the garden pose a risk to the health and safety of the children. This does not show children that they are valued. The manager took immediate action to reduce some of the hazards, and further work is planned.

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improvement to be good

Staff physically intervene when necessary to keep children safe. All interventions are documented. The manager completes discussions with the staff and the children after incidents. However, these do not challenge what is happening for the child, or if the actions taken are correct. During one incident, a child was held by a staff member whose physical intervention training, at that time, had lapsed. This does not promote the safety of children.

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improvement to be good

Children at this home do not go missing. Consistent support is in place from staff who know the children well. If a child did go missing from home, there are clear plans and guidance in place for staff to follow, which would assist them to find the child.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff at the home is clear and organised. The actions taken prevent unsuitable people from being recruited and help to keep children safe. When allegations are made, action is taken, and the relevant professionals are informed of any concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager completes regular audits of the home to help maintain quality. There are monthly visits to the home by an independent person. However, the monitoring systems that are in place are not effective and failed to identify a number of environmental hazards to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not yet demonstrate high expectations for the children in her care to achieve their full potential. The manager does not escalate her concerns when the children are not receiving services that they would benefit from. The manager has not yet developed the network or demonstrated a knowledge of the wider system to support this process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not have sufficient oversight of all important documents in the home. This includes documents that are necessary for the care and support of children, the statement of purpose, and the workforce development plan. Notifications that the manager is required to make to the regulator are not completed in the required time period. For example, the manager had not secured the necessary documents for one child regarding delegated authority for care of that child. This does not promote safe and effective care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the care that is being provided, the current staff team, or staff’s skills and qualifications. The training described within the statement of purpose and the workforce development plan was not routinely offered or completed by the staff team. This does not allow professionals to assess the care offered in the home when they are considering placing new children at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers could not assure themselves that staff were suitably skilled and trained to carry out their role. There were numerous gaps in the provider’s own training records. The manager agreed that this does not meet the provider’s expectations. The staff induction covers a variety of topics that are relevant to working at the home, including autism and safeguarding training. However, staff are not supported to build on these skills or develop further knowledge that will allow them to meet the specific needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision sessions are completed with the staff monthly. The sessions are child focused and include topics such as safeguarding and welfare and any training that is required. Staff meetings are held regularly and there is good attendance by the staff. The children are a focus of the meeting. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager and work well as a team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 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, 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; and

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments contain all known risks to children and that they are understood by staff so they can provide safe and appropriate care for the children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that the garden is a safe space for the children to use and free from hazardous objects that could cause children harm. 1 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification, and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)) 1 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff, including agency staff, are equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills to carry out their roles effectively.

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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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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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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that safeguarding notifications are made to the regulator in the required timeframe; that they have sufficient oversight of all important documents in the home; that the statement of purpose is updated to reflect the current staff team, their skills and qualifications; and that additional management documents, such as the workforce development plan and the review of the premises, are current and reflective of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must continually seek to secure input from the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met. 31 August 2024

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The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 31 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; and

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is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(iii))

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The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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— 31 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 8 understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any limitations placed on the privacy and access of children are intended to safeguard them and are necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that the children’s bedrooms and communal areas are welcoming and personalised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 9

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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: 2732796 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rite Directions Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Jo Cansfield, Social Care Inspector Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732796 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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