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

Unique reference number SC398480 Inspection date 04/11/2011 Inspector Barbara Davies Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 19/10/2010 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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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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is large detached traditional property on the outskirts of town.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management of the home is extremely strong. The Registered Manager and the staff team are committed to delivering high standards of care. Reflective and evaluative practice is enabling young people make excellent progress in relation to their starting points. Young people benefit from being cared for by a team of staff which is diverse in gender, age, experience and culture. The home provides an environment which is supportive and nurturing and in which boundaries are consistently and fairly reinforced. A multi-disciplinary approach is largely successful in identifying imaginative solutions to problems which help young people achieve a positive outcome. Young people learn to take responsibility for their actions while being supported to overcome their problems. They develop independence skills and learn to take their place in society by taking an active role in their own care planning and by helping with the practical tasks in the home. When

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Overall effectiveness

comparing their experiences with other residential placements, young people say 'it is much better here, we are safe and staff treat us more like adults by talking with us.' There is a minor shortfall in record keeping.

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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 person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose, which includes all the detail in the Regulation. (Regulation 17 (3)) 31/01/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff work extremely closely with social workers in order to help young people understand their histories and backgrounds. Staff are fully aware of the sensitivity of this work and of the extreme reactions that the sharing of information sometimes provokes. Young people cope and make exceptional progress in developing a positive self-view and emotional resilience as a result of the intensive support that staff give them throughout the process.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Most young people attend the organisation's own school and maintain exceptionally good attendance. Although not necessarily achieving formal qualifications, most young people make personal achievements when compared with previous educational placements. Staff are proactive in identifying further education and vocational opportunities for young people who reach school leaving age. Contingency arrangements are also identified for those who are assessed as likely to encounter difficulties in maintaining their work or educational placement. This sustains the momentum and helps young people make constructive use of their time.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff strive to maintain stability of placement for young people. Thorough pre- admission assessments are mostly successful in assessing the compatibility of young people to live alongside each other. Young people mostly move on successfully to community placements or foster care. Placements are rarely terminated early. This occurs only in exceptional circumstances, such as issues of bullying or the emergence of mental health issues, when immediate action is required to protect all young people and staff. It is however to the home's credit that such transitions are extremely carefully planned and co-ordinated in conjunction with social workers. This fully prepares young people for their move and minimises any disruption. A social worker commented 'that due to the intense support provided by staff to my young person, a seamless transition took place. The staff team managed a very complex safeguarding issue extremely well.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have an excellent understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Staff encourage young people to take responsibility for their own health by, for instance, making their own appointments. Key working sessions are used as a forum through which the awareness of young people can be raised to issues such as drugs, alcohol and sexual health. Staff are relentless at trying to obtain access for young people to specialist services, such as a mental health assessment, when this is felt necessary.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop new skills and personal interests by participating in local activities. Young people benefit from a generous activity allowance. The allowance helps young people make constructive use of their leisure time and enables them to access a wide range of activities. Staff support less confident young people by participating in activities alongside them. Through their participation in sport and activities, young people acquire new social skills and a sense of achievement. Some prefer to save some of their allowance for a summer holiday abroad. Young people are encouraged to make friendships in the community and are supported to develop and maintain healthy relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from contact with friends and family. Staff make tremendous efforts to promote and enable successful contact visits. They help young people to resolve issues where necessary. A young person said 'staff are really good at helping me to keep in touch with my family. If things go wrong between us they help us sort things out.'

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

An exceptionally high standard of accommodation is provided. Young people live in a home that is a safe and comfortable. An extensive range of communal space enables the provision to be used flexibly dependent upon the needs of young people accommodated. The opinions of young people are sought and these influence the décor of both communal areas and their own bedrooms. As a result, young people are proud of their home and invest in it. There is very little evidence of damage and any that does occur is quickly repaired.

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Quality of care

Staff are extremely child-focussed. Relationships between staff and young people are very positive and are based on mutual respect and good humour. Staff consistently maintain a positive approach and most conflict situations are successfully diffused and then resolved by negotiation. Physical restraint is rarely used and sanctions only used sparingly.

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Quality of care

Staff have consistently high aspirations for young people. They provide practical support and encourage young people in achieving regular attendance school, college or employment. Frequent communication between staff and educational establishments enables problems to be discussed and resolved, often using imaginative solutions such as transporting young people to school at different times. Staff provide a diverse range of individual and group activities to help young people make constructive use of their leisure time and reduce their involvement in offending behaviour.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain. There is, however, little need for them to use the formal complaints procedure as staff listen and respond to the informal concerns that young people raise. Young people say 'the manager and staff listen to us and take notice of what we say.'

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Quality of care

Young people are successfully cared for in line with their placement plans. Staff have an excellent understanding of the individual needs of young people. As and when required, special arrangements, such as higher staffing ratios are made in response to emerging difficulties. This enables young people to receive intensive support without preventing others from taking part in their planned activities. A social worker comments: ‘I am impressed with how the staff have persevered with my young man until we could find a suitable specialist placement that could meet his needs; this was a really unusual situation.'

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Quality of care

Young people have their health needs met well. Young people maintain good health partly as a result of the regular health checks they attend. Staff provide age- appropriate advice in relation to personal health issues and literature is available in the home for young people to refer to. The home is proactive and perseveres in obtaining specialist assessments for young people who they consider may have mental health issues. This allows the placement to be maintained until more suitable provision can be found. Procedures for administration and disposal of medication are good. Young people have access to emergency medical treatment when needed as a there is always someone on duty with a first aid qualification. Cultural and religious beliefs are discussed with young people as individuals and they are encouraged to positively address their own choices and respect others.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home's safeguarding practices are outstanding. The home provides and maintains a safe environment with risk assessments and checks on all equipment being regularly completed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel safe living in the home because 'we know staff respond quickly if there are problems. They help us sort out any problems that occur and bullying is not tolerated.' Recognition of the difficulties that young people sometimes experience in their relationships enables staff to intervene early and resolve most situations before they escalate. Strong disapproval is shown to any incidents that may constitute bullying and immediate consideration given to the continuing suitability of placement.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people seldom go missing from the home and quickly return of their own accord within a short period of time. Young people talk openly of the reasons for going missing and say this is mostly 'to have a bit of fun and do the things that staff would not be able to give us permission to do.' A recent spate of incidents has been successfully and speedily addressed by changes to the staff routine and the use of waking night staff. Young people are protected when missing by the consistent application of the home's missing person procedures by staff, including searches of the local area in an attempt to locate the young person and persuade them to return.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Similarly, the consistent application of the home's recruitment procedures reduces the likelihood of unsuitable adults from having contact with children. Young people confirm feeling safe within the home environment and with staff. They say 'when there are problems staff talk to us and explain the different choices we can make. They help us to make the right choices.' Physical restraint is rarely used and only ever as a means of preventing injury or damage. The use of sanctions is also rare issued as a result of the successful behaviour management techniques that are used. Good behaviour is positively rewarded by financial incentives and this approach is largely successful in motivating young people to behave and achieve. Young people are protected as a result of the multi-disciplinary approach adopted to safeguarding concerns. Staff share concerns promptly with the local authority designated officer

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Safeguarding children and young people

(LADO) and with the placing authority. This enables all parties to agree and implement a plan to safeguard the welfare of young people while wherever possible, maintaining the stability of placement.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

Management and leadership of the service is innovative and extremely strong. Social workers commend the staff for their 'committed, flexible and imaginative practice.' Staff receive regular professional supervision and their training ensures they are knowledgeable, highly motivated and competent in their roles. Staff work enthusiastically and sensitively with young people.

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Leadership and management

The Registered manager and the staff team continually improve both the practice and the facilities available to young people. The management team possess insightful and accurate self-evaluation skills and robust action is taken in response to any improvements identified as being necessary. The home's records mostly conform to requirements and inform the monitoring process. The home does not however currently maintain a home's record of sanctions and physical restraint. While not conforming to regulations, this does not have a negative impact on young people as the information required is recorded on young people's files and is regularly reviewed by the Registered Manager. While this information is also a necessity, it is more difficult to identify trends and patterns in this format.

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Leadership and management

A transparent and open culture of dialogue between care staff and senior managers is fostered. Regular team meetings and the daily handover between staff enables effective sharing of information about incidents and for issues to be speedily resolved. This element of practice is reinforced by social workers who say that the home 'is extremely good at communicating and this informs the plans that are made for young people.'

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Leadership and management

The service also views regulatory inspections undertaken by Ofsted as an important measure of their practice and quickly addresses any issues raised. There were, however, no actions or recommendations imposed following the previous inspection of the home in October 2010 and this is an indication of the consistently excellent standard of care. The Statement of Purpose, while in the process of being updated, provides an accurate reflection of the services provided. The home's practice meets the specified aims and objectives. Equality and diversity practice is good .

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