Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Unique reference number SC398377 Inspection date 31/01/2011 Inspector Andrew Hewston / Natalie Burton Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 21/09/2010 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children’s Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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About this inspection

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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Brief description of the service

The home is a three-bedded unit offering care and accommodation to young people with a range of differing needs including services for young people who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The accommodation is within a semi-rural area, and consists of a detached bungalow, with individual bedrooms for all of the young people and sufficient bathrooms. Communal areas include a large lounge / dining room and kitchen. There is sufficient office space for the staff team and manager. Externally the house has a secluded garden.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Summary

This was an unannounced interim inspection completed to examine the actions and recommendations made at the last inspection One young person was spoken to as part of the inspection. The staying safe outcome was also examined.

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Summary

Young people continue to enjoy a good level of care from the staff team. Staff are able to confidently discuss how the needs of young people are being responded to effectively. Some of the referencing and recording of outcomes are not fully completed.

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Improvements since the last inspection

One action and three recommendations of good practice were highlighted at the last inspection. All but one of these have been adequately responded to. All fire drill are now up to date. All DVD's within the home are appropriate to the age range of the young people. The recording of key working sessions have seen a great improvement and show the high level of discussions that are completed between staff and the young people. Pathway plans relating to future plans for young people continue to be absent from the placing local authority despite requests from the home's staff. In conjunction with this area the home is not able to show how it is supporting planning for young people to move towards independence sufficiently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All young people have their own rooms and they are able to access a telephone to use in private. Systems are in place to ensure that young people are aware if searches have been made of their rooms. Recordings of searches are appropriate and signed off by the young people in the vast majority of cases.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are able to raise concerns with staff through a complaints procedure. Information within the young people’s guide relating to how to make a complaint directly to Ofsted is insufficient. Complaints are fully examined although the response to young people is not always fully completed. Information is recorded within individual files to ensure that young people are aware that their grievance is taken seriously.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have completed training with relation to safeguarding of young people. Information is available within the office relating to how to contact the local safeguarding board. The home's staff ensure that concerns relating to the safeguarding of young people are highlighted to the local safeguarding board. The specific response to these concerns and subsequent resolution is not consistently completed however within the home's recordings.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

No issues relating to bullying are apparent within the home. Key working sessions include a good range of discussions with the young people. There are no reported concerns relating to bullying within the recordings examined.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are appropriate systems in place regarding the response of the home to young people that absent themselves without permission. Procedures have been developed through consultation with the local police and the police are also made aware of any concerns that the home may have relating to the behaviour of young people. All absences are fully recorded and there has been a decrease in the level of absence since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's practices help young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour through positive rewards for acceptable behaviour and constructive responses to inappropriate behaviour. Young people have their own behaviour management plans which support this. The home has an appropriate system for recording challenging behaviour, including sanctions and restraint. There is cross referencing between the young people's files and the home's records, but this is not always consistently completed. Staff are trained in the use of restraint, and all responses to behaviours are appropriate.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are kept safe through a range of health and safety checks that are completed on a regular basis. Fire checks and drills are fully completed and each young person has a range of risk assessments to support their safety both within the home and on activities. Staff recruitment files were examined at the last key inspection and the procedures were assessed as being robust.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Std. Action Due date

17 ensure written records are kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response (Regulation 16.2) 11/02/2011

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure pathway plans are in place for young people aged 16 or over (NMS 6.1).  ensure outcomes of complaints are fully recorded and young people are aware of these (NMS 16.1)  ensure all methods of behaviour management are fully recorded within the home's systems (NMS 22.9)  ensure all room searches are fully documented (NMS 9.8).

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