Children's home run by Hull City Council in Kingston upon Hull, City of

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 1 SC040105

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Registered provider: Kingston upon Hull City Council

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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 local authority. The home offers short breaks and emergency placement care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were staying at the home, and they were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2018 and is suitably qualified.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2023 Full Outstanding 07/04/2022 Full Good 26/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/07/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care that the staff provide to children is described by professionals as ‘excellent’. Each child has an individualised care plan, and their needs are met in a way that best suits them. Staff adapt their practice and approach as they get to know the children. They also use the consultation they have with their therapeutic practitioner to deepen their understanding of the children and influence their approach to the child’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend education. One child has struggled being in a school setting, and this has disrupted their learning. The manager and staff have worked with education professionals to adapt the environment where the child is taught. They have also supported the child in their transition to their new school setting, which has been a positive experience for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are recognised as an important part of the multi-agency team around the child. They work collaboratively but will also challenge professionals should they feel this is in the best interest of the child. One social worker said they would not have been able to make effective changes for the child without the invaluable support of the team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have recognised that some areas of the children’s health needs are not being met appropriately. All children have access to universal health services; however, some need more specialist assessments to ensure they get the necessary health support. Staff have challenged professionals to ensure that appropriate referrals take place in a timely way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have stayed living at the home for longer than initially planned. These extended arrangements are outside of the home’s statement of purpose and registration conditions. This has had a significant impact on their ability to provide planned respite and outreach support to children. An application to vary the conditions of registration has been sent to Ofsted; however, this has not yet been granted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and on from the home are not always appropriately planned. Recently, there has been a very challenging dynamic in the home, with staff quickly recognising that it could not be sustained. Plans were put in place for the children to move on to longer-term homes, which they have done, and they are all now making some progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 4

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

Staff are not risk-averse and understand that children may take risks. Staff put consistent boundaries in place. The children feel able to stick to these boundaries as they are fair and help them to feel safe. The approach from staff is helping to build trusting relationships and demonstrates that it is safe for children to have more free time.

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

Bespoke risk assessments are created for each child. Staff involve the children in creating these assessments and encourage them to talk about and understand their risks. Staff are led by these risk assessments that are regularly reviewed and provide them with the guidance to help the children.

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

Children do go missing from this home. Staff understand their roles and responsibility to assist in the safe return of the child. However, one child went missing shortly after they had moved in, and their missing-from-care documents were incomplete. This effected the quality of information that was shared with other agencies, including the police.

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

Recently, the use of physical intervention with children has increased. Staff are clear that this is used as a last resort. Children have been physically restrained by staff with methods that are not aligned with staff training. Although no harm came to the children, the staff need to ensure that when they are trying to manage behaviour that challenges them, their approaches are in line with their training and methodology.

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

Children have displayed self-injurious behaviours. The staff’s response to this harm is appropriate, and medical attention is sought. Children are offered emotional support, and referrals to partner agencies are made. However, as one child’s self-injurious behaviour escalated, the implementation of a specialist risk assessment was delayed. The child did not come to any harm, but the approach was not robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy are seen as supportive, approachable and child-centred. They advocate for restorative approaches and natural consequences to be used with the children. This helps the children to learn about and understand acceptable behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. At times, there are capacity issues, which limits the edge of care offer to families. The manager ensures that these issues are discussed with senior leaders to highlight and steer the purpose and ethos of this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager wants the children to share their wishes and feelings. She encourages them to be open and honest in their dialogue with staff, and she responds to any issues raised. She is an advocate, so the children’s views are heard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 5 Allegations have been made by children against staff. When this happens, the appropriate steps are taken to safeguard, which includes the sharing of information with the relevant professionals. Where needed, investigations take place and formal outcomes are reached. Staff and children are informed of those outcomes, and restorative work takes place to rebuild relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are inaccuracies in several documents that should have had sufficient management scrutiny. Although these shortfalls do not individually have a significant impact on children, they highlight that management oversight is not always as stringent as it should be.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that her staff have completed the relevant qualification in the time frame permitted in the regulations. The manager has implemented plans to support the staff to achieve the qualification and ensure the staff are suitably qualified. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 6

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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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should only be held using recognised physical intervention techniques that staff have been trained to use.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, where risks are known to be relevant to a child, they should be included in the child’s risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the response to known risks should be as robust and specialist as it needs to be to keep children safe. 30 September

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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. 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 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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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should only be admitted to the home if they meet the criteria as set out in the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, children should have an appropriately planned move in and out of the home to help them settle in or move on.

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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

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

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff complete the required qualification in the permitted time frame.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that they use monitoring systems to ensure they have full oversight of the home. 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 8

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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: SC040105 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Louise Taylor-Deville

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Inspector

Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040105 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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