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

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 1 Registered provider: Rite Directions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector met and observed the child with staff.

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Inspection date: 11 March 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 11 March 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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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: 2732796 2

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted identified the following serious concerns in relation to the leadership and management of the home that compromises the safety of children:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff do not always follow children’s support plans when responding to children’s presenting behaviours.  Staff do not use or fully understand children’s communication needs and aids.  Ineffective management arrangements have impacted on the monitoring and oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since November 2024. The responsible individual and deputy manager from the provider’s other home have provided management oversight. The responsible individual is also completing some day-to-day care tasks with the child. These arrangements have negatively affected the management oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The monitoring systems have not been effective. Leaders and managers do not always investigate when staff complete body maps following incidents or accidents to be reassured of children’s safety. Managers are not always notified about incidents, leaving records of minor injuries for children unexplored. Information about injuries is not always shared with the child’s placing authority. This prevents oversight from safeguarding professionals.

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Findings from the inspection

When managers review incidents, they do not address that staff have not followed the child’s agreed plan. Additionally, staff use their own strategies, for example, timeout, which involves placing the child on a chair. This is not an agreed strategy in the child’s plan and leads to inconsistent responses from staff. This leaves poor practice to continue. Furthermore, incident records do not include the name of the staff involved. This limits the managers’ ability to address poor practice with individuals.

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Findings from the inspection

Children require a high level of staff supervision due to their complex needs. Risks in the home are not well understood or responded to effectively. For example, one child was able to remove a nail from their bedroom wall, which increased their risk of swallowing the item. The inspector observed other nails in walls in the home that the child could access. This demonstrates poor oversight and does not create a safe environment for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and leaders have not ensured that staff understand or consistently use the child’s communication tools. One communication tool does not accurately reflect the child’s daily routines. Staff did not use the agreed communication tools with the child on their return from school. This means that staff do not promote the child’s ability to have a voice. This hinders the child’s development, rights and ability to develop their communication that will help them through life. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 3 None of the care staff have a relevant qualification, and they have not worked in a children’s home previously. Staff have access to and complete the provider’s training programme and specialist training specific to their role. However, this learning is not embedded into their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Some areas of the home environment are not clean or homely. Some of the kitchen walls are unclean, and some of the floor tiles are cracked. Damaged carpet runners create a trip hazard. Most areas of the home need maintenance and general refurbishment. Locks on internal doors and the name of the home on windows create an institutionalised environment. Additionally, communal rooms are bare and do not provide a personalised space for children to develop a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager’s monitoring systems are not effective in identifying when statutory documents have not been received. This includes delegated authority for one child who is voluntarily accommodated. Managers and leaders do not effectively escalate requests for documents. The absence of an escalation policy prevents managers and leaders from taking effective action.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and leaders do not consistently follow safer recruitment procedures, for example ensuring that staff provide a full career history and dates of employment. This compromises the manager’s ability to be reassured that staff caring for the children are suitable.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not always use caring language in children’s records to describe their presentation. This is not helpful for the child, should they read their records now or in the future.

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Findings from the inspection

The independent person visits the home on a regular basis. However, a lack of direct consultation with parents and professionals is a missed opportunity to gain feedback that could improve the quality of care for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff promote children’s education. They transport the child to school, which involves a lengthy journey. Staff ensure that children’s health needs are promoted through attendance at appointments. Staff respond promptly to health needs and seek support from health professionals.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to gain independence in line with their stage of development. This includes learning skills to care for their own personal hygiene.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are helped to develop bonds with the small staff team members, who become familiar adults in the child’s life. Professionals echo this view and observe children to be content with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

In addition to the shortfalls identified at this inspection, managers and leaders have not met the requirements that were issued at the last full inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted held a case review on the 14 March 2025. A decision was made to issue a notice of restriction to prevent children moving into the home at this time. Ofsted Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 4 issued compliance notices under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 27 (appointment of a manager). Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 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 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 have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of 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; 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)(f)(h)) 27 April 2025

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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

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)) 1 June 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 7 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

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)(b)) 27 April 2025

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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; and

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(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. 27 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a disabled child accommodated in the home is provided with access to such aids and equipment as the child may require as a result of the child’s disability in order to facilitate the child’s communication with other persons. (Regulation 22 (4)) 27 April 2025

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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 registered person may only— 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 8 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 27 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 27 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 9  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out the visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. In particular, ensure that consultation and feedback are sought from professionals and family members. (Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rite Directions Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Cat Makel, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2732796 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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