Children's Home run by Hull City Council in Kingston upon Hull

Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 1 Registered provider: 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 run by a local authority. The home offers short breaks and emergency care placements for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2018.

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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: 3 September 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2024 Full Good 29/08/2023 Full Good 04/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 3

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improvement to be good

Several children have lived at the home since the last inspection. Most children have stayed short term, with a couple of children staying for longer. Staff have worked with other professionals to help children return to their family home or move on to other care arrangements. The outcomes and experiences for those children who stay longer are mixed.

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improvement to be good

Staff have conversations with children about important aspects of their lives. The nature of the service means most of these conversations focus on children’s relationships with others and helping children to cope with the impact of such relationships. For those children staying in the home longer, supportive conversations cover education, developing independence skills, and health and well-being and staying safe. However, staff do not always demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s long-term plans. This lack of clarity undermines the consistency and effectiveness of care and has limited staff’s ability to help some children progress towards positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with education professionals to develop plans aimed at helping children access education. Bespoke arrangements have supported some children to re-engage in alternative education after long periods of absence. Other children have remained out of education as staff have yet to help them overcome their barriers to learning.

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improvement to be good

One child moved out of the home with a well-planned transition. Staff ensured that the child had a say in how their move was managed and they spent time with the child in their new home to help them settle in. However, this practice is not consistent. Arrangements for the same child’s initial move from the home were poor. They were taken to the local authority social care office in the morning, remaining there all day until being returned to the home when a new home could not be found. This has happened on more than one occasion with other children. This does not help children to feel cared for.

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improvement to be good

Children’s moves into the home are often arranged at short notice. Children know that the plan is for them to move on from the home but for reasons sometimes out of the manager’s and staff’s control, children stay for extended periods. This leaves some children feeling uncertain about their future and reluctant to build meaningful relationships with staff. However, some children have made progress and value the relationships they have built with staff. For example, one child developed safer ways to cope with their emotions. The child said, ‘If I needed them, they would always be there for me.’

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improvement to be good

The home had a window boarded up at front of the house at the time of the inspection. Staff were unclear how this window was damaged. Staff had not taken timely action to Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 4 arrange the repair, leaving the window boarded up for several weeks. This does not create a caring or nurturing environment for children to live in.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice is inconsistent when serious concerns in relation to the children’s health arise. Staff do not always seek medical advice when children return under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. On one occasion, staff did not seek medical advice when a child left the hospital after an overdose incident. This increases the risk of harm to children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always advocate for children effectively. When one child was assaulted in the community, staff did not contact the police to report the incident when this was appropriate action to take. Additionally, no follow-up work was completed with the child around the importance of safe relationships and reporting such incidents to the police. This does not encourage children to receive the help and support they might need.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments and care plans do not include all the children’s known risks. The oversight of risk assessments is not effective as missing information has not been identified by managers. This leaves staff without information about what action they should take to safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff take appropriate action. Staff ensure that they have searched all areas for children to try and locate them. When needed, they work with the police to return children safely home. Staff’s efforts when children are away from the home help children to know that staff want them to be safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff have helped some children to learn better ways to express their behaviour. Staff’s support and guidance helped one child have a greater understanding of their own risks. This support meant that this child’s risks significantly reduced. However, this has not been the same for all children. Missed opportunities limit staff in helping children to reflect on their behaviour and develop awareness about risks in the community.

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

The manager oversees the running of the home and is registered at a second home for the same provider. They are suitably qualified and experienced. However, the manager does not have effective systems to monitor and review practice at this home. Oversight does not consistently identify shortfalls or guide staff in their practice on important matters.

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

Practice-related supervision sessions are conducted regularly but are not reflective about the needs of children. There is little evidence that these sessions offer staff guidance or feedback to help them develop in their roles. This impacts on the consistency and effectiveness of care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 5 The manager does not consistently inform Ofsted of serious events. This means that Ofsted is unsure of any further arrangements needed to safeguard children. This limits the regulator’s ability to scrutinise the effectiveness of actions taken to keep children safe.

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

Leaders and the manager engage appropriately with external services, such as participating in weekly strategy meetings with local services to help reduce children’s episodes of going missing. This process promotes effective partnership working and information-sharing. However, this does not always lead to improvements in children’s outcomes.

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

Staff speak positively about their experience of working in the home and enjoy being part of the team. They value the registered manager and deputy manager. These relationships have created a supportive and encouraging atmosphere where staff feel respected. One member of staff said: ‘They are really compassionate and supportive.’

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

The manager has not completed or submitted a quality of care review report to Ofsted. This prevents the regulator from understanding how leaders and managers are continually review and improving outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 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(s) 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments include all information needed to help staff keep children safe. 10 October 2025

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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

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; 10 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 10 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(b) (2)(b)(iii)) 10 October 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to— 10 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 8 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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a)) 10 October 2025

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (b)(e)) 10 October 2025

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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: 2664883 9

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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

Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2664883 10 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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