Children's home run by Hull City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 1 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

This home is owned and run by a local authority. It provides short- and long-term care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Children may also have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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 August 2019.

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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: 2550526 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2023 Full Outstanding 10/05/2022 Full Outstanding 10/05/2021 Full Outstanding 27/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspectors spoke with both children during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Several children have moved into and out of the home. These moves have sometimes happened in difficult circumstances, with little time for a fully planned move. When children have moved in, the manager and staff have supported them to the best of their ability. When timescales have been short, they have made sure that visits and meetings with the child and involved professionals have taken place. When children have moved out of the home, they have been provided with a memory book, capturing their positive experiences of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusting relationships with staff. Staff regularly complete key-work discussions with the children about things that are important in their lives. This has helped children to share information about their life experiences and how these affect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make educational progress. Staff have helped one child to have a positive experience of starting secondary school by helping to ease their anxieties. Staff have advocated for another child who moved into the home without any educational arrangements being in place. They now go to a local provision that is suited to their interests. Children’s experiences of education have improved since they came to live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to pursue their hobbies and interests. Children enjoy spending time with staff, completing a variety of activities to widen their experiences, including going on holidays. This supports the children’s social skills and enhances their positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to children, and their views are regularly sought. When one child informed staff that they struggled to sleep at night, the staff listened to the child’s problem and their proposed solutions. As a result of this discussion and action by the staff, the child’s sleep routine improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in the design of the home and have recently redecorated their bedrooms. However, the children are not able to access all areas of the home. The kitchen and living areas are being locked at nighttime, with no rationale for this decision being detailed in the children’s plans.

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

The individual risks for each child are well understood. Each child has an up-to-date risk assessment and behaviour support plan. These are updated regularly so that staff know what they should do to keep children safe. There is also particular Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 4 attention paid to the risks the children could pose to each other and the strategies used by staff to prevent unsafe relationships from forming.

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

Physical intervention techniques are used to help children when they are in crisis. Staff are trained to support children and hold them safely. Records are clear and identify the steps that staff have taken. They use a therapeutic approach to de- escalate situations. Physical intervention techniques are used as a last resort to keep children safe or prevent damage to the home. There is good oversight of these incidents by the manager, and any lessons learned are identified.

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

Children do go missing from this home. Staff know what to do when this happens, and they are knowledgeable about the missing-from-home protocol and the individual response required for each child. The documents staff use and share when a child is reported as missing are accurate and regularly updated so that all up-to- date information is shared appropriately. Staff have recognised the vulnerabilities of one child and how they can be influenced to go missing from home. Work is completed with the child to try and reduce those risks.

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

When allegations and complaints have been made, the manager completes an investigation. One child made a complaint about the effect of living in the home alongside another child. Although staff advocated for the child, the child’s concerns were unresolved for four months. During that period, the child experienced further trauma due to the unpleasant relationships and dynamics in the home, and this resulted in them having to spend time away from their home. This had a negative impact on one child’s daily lived experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a dedicated and experienced registered manager who knows the children. She looks at the quality of care provided through the monitoring systems, and this helps them to identify areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a core team of staff who care for the children. Staff report that they feel supported by the manager, and that the team works well together. Feedback from one professional highlighted how dedicated the staff team is to the children it cares for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably experienced and vetted to be able to meet the children’s needs. Staff receive the training that they need to perform well and improve their knowledge and skills. Staff also have regular access to therapeutic advice and support to help them further understand and help the children. Applied learning from training and guidance helps the staff to respond to children in the best way possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager strongly advocates for the safety and well-being of the children in her care. She is not afraid to challenge the opinions of professionals and senior managers when their actions affect the children. The manager makes Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 5 informed decisions, including about which children should live in the home. She can articulate the rationale for her decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has oversight of the issues within the home and a good understanding of the children’s needs and risks. However, some of the monitoring and reviewing of children’s documents could be improved to ensure accuracy of recordings. This is an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When incidents happen in the home, they are not always notified to Ofsted within the timescales set out in guidance. This delay means that Ofsted does not have a timely insight into this home and the safety and welfare of the children. This was a recommendation at the previous inspection and remains outstanding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)) 5 November

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(d)(h)) 5 November

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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

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

a child protection enquiry involving a child — 5 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 7 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)(b)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 5 November

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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: 2550526 8

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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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Inspectors

Natalie Clark, Social Care Inspector Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2550526 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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