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: Hull City Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages the home. The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home can also provide care for a child with learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. The Inspector spoke to the child.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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

p.1

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. However, several shortfalls were identified.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The child said they feel supported by the manager and staff. They feel happy to be living in the home and confident to talk to staff about their worries and their future. However, staff are missing out on opportunities to record positive discussions and any follow-up actions when they talk to the child to demonstrate the work undertaken.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff have developed close and stable relationships with the child. This helps the child to have positive and enjoyable experiences with staff. When the child experienced a significant life event, staff gave emotional and practical help, supporting the child to cope with the event.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff promote healthy lifestyle choices. The child is physically healthy and has access to additional well-being support. Staff encourage the child to self-administer medication. This helps the child to develop independence and responsibility for their self-care.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

There has been a reduction in missing-from-home incidents. Staff are proactive and respond effectively when incidents happen. Additionally, incidents of unwanted behaviour have decreased. Staff receive training to manage behaviour, and they complete timely records when incidents occur. However, staff used blaming language in one record to describe the child’s emotional distress. This demonstrates there are some inconsistencies in how the child is helped to cope with difficult emotions.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The home is well furnished and nicely decorated. The child’s bedroom is personalised, and staff encourage the child to keep the bedroom tidy. However, they have not provided the child with ample storage for their belongings, resulting in the living room to be cluttered with clothes.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The child is not attending education. The manager works with professionals and provides appropriate challenge to get the child back into school. However, staff have not effectively supported tutoring in the home while a return to formal learning is progressed.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff encourage the child to attend and enjoy family time. The manager and staff have not effectively challenged professionals about the arrangements for family time, nor did they sensitively consider the needs of the child. On one occasion, the child was not given sufficient warning about changes to their family time. This has caused the child a lot of upset, leading to an aggressive incident and the police called to intervene. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 3 The ethos of the team is to provide therapeutic support for the child. Staff benefit from the input from the home’s therapy team, whose members provide reflective discussions and guidance. Staff receive important information which helps them to understand the child’s needs. However, agency staff who frequently support the child do not have access to this information. This does not promote consistency of care.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staffing shortages have impacted on the team. Leaders and managers have made attempts to recruit new staff to the home. The manager currently uses casual and agency staff to maintain staffing levels. The use of agency workers has a negative effect on the child due to language barriers and workers not being able to communicate effectively with the child. The manager has not ensured effectively that agency staffing arrangements meet the needs of the child.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Staff feel supported by the manager. They benefit from supervision, which helps them to reflect on their professional development. However, supervisions for some staff are out of timescales, and the manager has not fully completed appraisals. Supervision records do not consistently provide actions required to improve practice. The manager has not formally recorded the past two months’ supervisions for one senior member of staff.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Staff do not consistently attend their team meetings, due to staffing difficulties. This does not help them to reflect together on the needs of the child, on strategies from the therapy team, or on their own development.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have responded effectively to two requirements. However, four requirements and one recommendation are restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments contain all known risks for children and give clear guidance to staff.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that important guidance from the home’s therapy team is accessible to all staff.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 30 June 2025

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 30 June 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.6

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; 30 June 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 7 help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation (8) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(ix))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 30 June 2025

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home has a welcoming and homely feel. In particular, that the child is provided with adequate storage for their belongings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 8

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2712872 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9