Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC398482 Inspection date 17/10/2012 Inspector Louise Redfern Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/01/2012 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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Brief description of the service

This home is part of a large private children’s care organisation and is currently registered to accommodate six young people who have educational and behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make good progress in education and enjoy varied opportunities to engage in activities. As a result, young people improve their social skills and increase in confidence. Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and each other. One young person commented ‘the staff are ok, my keyworker is excellent.’

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Overall effectiveness

Young people report that they are generally safe and staff care about their welfare. However, recommendations and requirements have been raised to ensure the on- going safety of young people and to secure improvement in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive highly personalised, well-planned care, taking into account their individual needs. The home strongly promotes positive outcomes for all young people. The manager and staff team are particularly proactive and successful in engaging young people and developing good relationships. As a result, young people make good progress, in relation to their starting points across most aspects of their welfare and development.

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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, a written record is made including the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure (Regulation 17B (3)(f)) 12/11/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children’s home used by children are kept in good structural repair externally and internally and kept reasonably decorated and maintained. (Regulation 31 (2) (d) (e)) 12/11/2012

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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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Recommendations

 ensure that restraint is not used to force compliance with instructions where significant harm or serious damage to property are not otherwise likely (NMS 3.14)  ensure that there is an emergency escape plan that all staff and children are familiar with and have practised so they know what to do in an emergency (NMS 10.9)  ensure that all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and that this appraisal takes into account any views of children the service is providing for. (NMS 19.6)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good progress in the home because of individualised and consistent support and care from the whole staff team. As a result, they are forming and sustaining positive attachments with staff and make good progress in developing emotional resilience. Young people are able to enjoy the company of positive male and female staff role models and take pride in their personal appearance.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people engage in a variety of activities in the home and local community, which increases their confidence, self-esteem and broadens their horizons. For example, being part of a community football club. Young people maintain appropriate contact with family members, friends and other people who are important to them, which maintain support networks for them outside the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s physical and emotional health is good. They receive support from health professionals and staff to understand the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. They benefit from attending routine health appointments to maintain their general health and from weekly therapy sessions to help them build on their emotional resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people actively participate in day-to-day decision making about their care, through individual young people’s meetings and key work sessions. Staff encourage young people to develop independence skills in accordance with their age. Basic tasks, such as helping set the table, clearing away the pots or helping to tidy their bedroom, encourage young people to become more competent to take care of themselves in preparation for adult life and take pride in where they live.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress with their educational attainment, supported by excellent attendance levels. Young people benefit from routines that enable them to make the most of educational opportunities and be prepared for the school day. As a result, they are all engaged in full time education.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive and constructive relationships with staff. This is because staff are consistently concerned with young people’s welfare and the high levels of individual support offered to young people. Firm boundaries and a clear structure encourage young people to behave appropriately in the home and in the local community. The management and staff team have regular discussions with young people regarding the day-to-day running of the home. This ensures young people’s views and wishes are taken into account. Young people are cared for in line with their individual care plan which young people are encouraged to contribute to and sign. There is good staff awareness of young people's individual care and support needs. Detailed placement planning reflects that young people are treated as individuals; their individual needs are recognised and understood by the staff. This enables individualised care planning in which equality and diversity issues are

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Quality of care

addressed. Young people benefit from a staff group who have a sufficient understanding and sensitive approach to their individual needs regarding health, disability, ethnicity and family backgrounds.

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Quality of care

Young people have a clear understanding and experience of how to make formal and informal complaints. The records show that complaints are rare. However, when young people complain they are usually satisfied with the way that things have been resolved. This helps young people have their voices heard. Young people have good access to their social workers and are helped by staff to understand when it is not possible to act upon their wishes in all instances.

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Quality of care

Young people have good attendance at education. The whole staff team celebrates all educational achievement and as a result, young people are flourishing in education, when taking into account their individual starting points. One young person commented ‘I really enjoy going to school and I want to stay there until I am 18.’ Young people receive encouragement to lead healthy lifestyles. This includes taking an active part in menu and activity planning and attending all health appointments. Young people’s emotional well-being is supported through individual therapy sessions. Medication is securely stored within the home and staff are trained to administer medication safely. Records are well maintained for the administration of medication, including medication that is administered off site, particularly for contact visits.

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Quality of care

The home is in a rural location, however, local towns are also accessible and young people can access youth clubs and sports clubs. This encourages young people to engage in positive social interaction in the community, developing their self- confidence and interpersonal skills.

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Quality of care

The lodges are well maintained, indoors and out. However, in the main house the windows and young people’s bathrooms are in a poor state of repair and some areas are significantly affected by damp. Although the manager confirmed there are plans are in place for the redecoration of the whole house and the refurbishment of windows, there is no clear timeline for this work to take place in the home's development plan. As a result, young people and staffs’ health will be at risk if this is not rectified.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report that on the whole they feel safe and can talk to an adult when they are concerned. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and the home has extensive policies and procedures in place, which underpin effective practice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are generally low levels of young people going missing. However, when they do staff comprehensively search for young people and actively encourage their quick return home. Through effective monitoring of the incidents, the manager and staff team develop a clear understanding of the reasons why young people do go missing. Young people are supported to understand the risks associated with going missing through regular key work sessions and in reviewing their individual risk assessments. The home has also developed links with local police to promote the safety of young people in the placement.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from positive and firm boundaries in the home. There are a number of incidents of young people being physically restrained. However, these are well managed and monitored by the manager. However, on one occasion the restraint record did not show clarity as to why staff took action and physically restrained a young person. These records are open to misinterpretation, as they suggest that the restraint was used to ensure compliance. When young people engage in negative behaviour, sanctions are imposed and they are encouraged to reflect on their behaviours. One young person commented ‘sanctions are fair and they are in place so that I can learn from my mistakes.’ However, the manager does not comment on the effectiveness of them in order to evaluate if the consequence remains appropriate. This is a missed opportunity to monitor and improve practice in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff are selected and checked through the organisation's robust recruitment procedures. The manager takes an active role in recruitment, ensuring the safe recruitment of staff who are able to meet the young people’s needs.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people participate in fire drills, which effectively prepare young people for fire related emergencies in the home. However, one young person had not had the opportunity to practise this procedure. Due to high staffing levels the potential for harm is significantly reduced should a fire related emergency occur. Staff pay good attention to health and safety management. They use comprehensive risk assessments around the home and in the local community.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The current leadership and management arrangements for the home ensure that young people using the service have their needs appropriately met and enjoy positive experiences. However, the current arrangements have only been in place since July 2012 and there remains the need for the manager to complete the registration process with Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

The manager has a good approach to identifying young people’s individual needs. An effective individual placement plan is established which enables each young person to make progress and achieve their full potential, for both living at the home and forwards into adulthood. The manager can clearly demonstrate the impact and value that living at the home has had on some young people’s lives and how their life chances have improved over time. For example, this includes young people’s returning to full time mainstream education.

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Leadership and management

Systems have not yet been developed to ensure young people’s views are obtained about staff as part of their annual appraisal. However, this shortfall does not negatively impact on young people because their views are routinely heard through daily conversations, key work sessions, young people’s meetings and the organisation’s Regulation 33 visitor.

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Leadership and management

The staff team are a group of experienced and well-trained professionals committed to improving the outcomes of young people. Their performance continually improves with well-planned team meetings, effective handovers between shifts, annual appraisals and robust and supportive supervisions. The manager effectively challenges any identified shortfall in staff performance. All recommendations and requirements from previous inspections have been addressed, which has strengthened practice in the home. The manager has an excellent development in place which charts the progress of the home and identifies improvements in the quality of care provided.

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Leadership and management

The home employs a sufficient number of staff. Any shortfalls in the rota are covered by existing staff doing extra hours or with a small number of casual staff. This ensures a level of consistent care to meet the needs of the young people. The home demonstrates good quality record keeping. Records contribute to an understanding of young people's lives and show the progress they have made. Young people routinely sign placement plans. This encourages and enables them to be part of their care planning and setting goals for the future.

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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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