Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd in Hampshire

Unique reference number SC012001 Inspection date 10/10/2013 Inspector Roy Bega Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 04/12/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

A private organisation owns and manages this home. The home offers residential placements for up to six children with emotional 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 outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides a nurturing and supportive environment within which young people feel safe and enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are proactive in addressing the challenges young people present and work effectively in partnership with external agencies to protect and promote their welfare.

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Overall effectiveness

Education is viewed as an integral part of young peoples development with staff successfully promoting excellent attendance, providing support where necessary and celebrating achievement.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff have a sound understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and provide excellent information, guidance and support for young people who may place themselves at risk in the community.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from the consistent application of clear boundaries and say that they are fairly treated.

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Overall effectiveness

There are established systems which provide for effective monitoring of the home and the welfare of individual young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff group work extremely well together with external agencies, and are well supported in terms of supervision and on-going training. The home is being effectively managed with a development plan in place which demonstrates a capacity for continuing improvement.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people were very welcoming of the inspector and openly engaged in conversation regarding their experience at the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in relation to their starting point and thrive in a supportive, stable, caring environment which offers consistent boundaries. They develop in self-confidence and emotional resilience, viewing the service as their own home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are listened to and are supported to express themselves. Young people are routinely consulted on aspects of their daily living, such as what activities to do and the décor of the home. Group and individual work is used to ensure young people understand when their wishes cannot be met and the reasons for this. Comments received included, 'can have a lot of say about what goes on,' 'able to talk to any staff at any time about things in the home and 'we have house meetings where things get written down'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health, being motivated in taking responsibility for their own medical and health needs. The development of self-esteem and understanding about emotional and mental well-being aids the recognition and ability to have fun. They are aware how lifestyle choices can impact on their health, for example, balanced eating, exercise, understanding sexual health, better personal hygiene and the effect of smoking. Young people also understand how to access a variety of health agencies that will support their medical needs and give advice about lifestyle choices.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are consulted on menus with the emphasis on them being actively involved in preparing home cooked foods. They experience a range of foods from different cultures with the keeping healthy theme continuing through being encouraged to participate in varied community activities and clubs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young peoples educational achievement and school attendance is exceptional when taking into account their attainment level at the commencement of their placement. They appreciate the support and guidance given by staff who are proud of them and care about their futures. Key workers talk to them about the importance of school, going to college and employment. They feel good about themselves as they are consistently congratulated and rewarded for their efforts and achievements. Discussions with young people provided the following responses, 'they have helped me to get ready to go to a local school', I've been excluded and now being helped to go back' and 'tell me they are pleased when I do things well at school'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from being central to the placement planning process and the comprehensive and inclusive plans demonstrate this. Young people know how they will be cared for and what the plan is for them. Successes are celebrated creatively by certificates, rewards and displays at statutory review meetings. Plans are continually monitored and updated to reflect the changing needs of the young person. This is done in consultation with the young person, social workers, parents and other significant people in their lives. Comments received include, 'I have a great key worker who I talk about private things with', 'I like staying here cause my life is being sorted' and 'am asked about what things should go in my care plan'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Where appropriate young people freely make contact with family members and friends. They are also aware of the reasoning when it is necessary to agree planned and supervised contact. These include visits to the home, telephone contact, and planed overnight stays with parents. Exceptional staff commitment in providing emotional and practical support enables young people to maintain, and in some instances, re-establish relationships with their families in planning a possible return home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop age appropriate self-care and practical independent living skills, achieved by the excellent support and the clear routines and expectations that are in place. They view preparation for moving into adulthood and becoming independent as an important part of their individual placement plans. Transitional arrangements which cover all areas for moving on into independent living, adult life or alternative accommodation are meticulously discussed and planned with young people.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit enormously from living in a highly supportive, stimulating and very nurturing environment.

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Quality of care

The composition of the staff team provides a good mix of gender, age and experience. Positive relationships between staff and young people foster a culture of openness where questions can easily be raised. The lack of formal complaints recorded is attributed to the ease with which young people raise issues with the staff team and manager. Comments received include, ‘when I have a moan staff deal with it quickly’ and ‘I know I can’t always have what I want but I have to have a go. When I do staff are always fair and explain things.’

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Quality of care

Consultation with young people is evident through day to day discussions, weekly house meetings and individually through key work sessions. Young people are involved with the running of the home and decision making for matters such as the selection of, menus, activities, new equipment, new furniture, and staff recruitment. Comments made confirm that this helps them learn to negotiate and develop confidence in expressing themselves. They are also helped to understand that not all requests for new items or activities are possible and clear reasons are given as to why. Young people describe staff as being, 'cool’ and 'brilliant' and express confidence in being able to talk through problems with them.

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Quality of care

Highly detailed individual placement and daily living plans provide extensive information on how young people are to be cared for. Staff are conversant with the system and meticulous in the delivery ensuring that agreed interventions and needs are met whilst being sensitive towards young people's backgrounds. They ensure that young people are given time, space and opportunities to confront their past experiences while offering levels of support which are appropriate and carefully thought through. Young people are actively involved in their care plans which promotes confidence in having a say in their own life. This open culture and inclusion embraces a raft of key values for enabling young people to feel safe and fearless of speaking out. Comments from young people include, ‘I can read what is said about me at any time’, ‘I go through written stuff with my support worker' and ‘I go to reviews and have a say what happens to me and have it put on my care plan.’

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Quality of care

There is a strong focus on promoting young people's physical and emotional well- being. Staff proactively encourage young people to recognise the importance of visiting the dentist regularly and having annual health checks. Every young person has a fully completed health care plan that includes all of the required information as part of their wider placement plan. Appropriate support from medical professionals is provided and a high level of liaison takes place between staff and these professionals to ensure young people's health needs are fully met.

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Quality of care

Education is positively promoted and young people are rewarded for regular attendance and commitment. Care staff work closely with the local schools and colleges to ensure they are conversant regarding the educational abilities and goals of each young person. Staff are proactive in advocating educational opportunities for young people. Young people confirm staff talk with them about their aspirations and academic strengths and liaise with teaching staff to improve their life chances. Examples of comments made include, 'staff help me with my education' and 'I meet weekly with my key worker to discuss what I think is or is not happening.’ Relevant work experience opportunities are actively sought by both care and education staff to ensure young people have the best opportunities for entering the world of employment.

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Quality of care

Young people are actively encouraged by staff to participate in suitable leisure activities within the home and the wider community. Staff promote new experiences aimed at providing the opportunity for young people to learn new skills, develop new interests and gain confidence. Comments made by young people include, ‘staff are always trying to get me to do different things’, ‘I enjoyed the activities holiday and did things I had not done before'. 'been to watch X Factor auditions and Basingstoke Live Festival' and 'go to youth club, badminton and rugby'.

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Quality of care

Management and staff are highly active in ensuring that diversity is celebrated and valued, whilst being resourceful in challenging any form of discrimination. High regard is given to young people's particular needs, arising from their heritage, culture, or linguistic backgrounds. Staff work to meet these needs positively, with care, consideration and sensitivity. Comments received from young people include, ‘they treat me as me’ and ‘I’m helped to do what I’m interested in'.

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Quality of care

Young people’s privacy and dignity is well respected. A house telephone enables young people to make private calls where appropriate. Young people benefit from having a private and secure room in which to enjoy their personal space. Comments received from young people include, ‘I was told about my right to privacy when I moved in and it is in the welcome information’, 'I can go to my room whenever’ and ‘staff know when I want to be on my own and always knock on my door and wait to be asked to come in.’

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Quality of care

The home is decorated and furnished to a standard which creates a domestic homely environment. Young people are proud of their surroundings and have been actively involved in the choice of décor and the personalisation of their rooms with possessions and posters. The organisation has it's own maintenance team with procedures in place to ensure damage and repairs are effectively managed.

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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

Safeguarding young people is a priority and their welfare is very important and central to practice. Young people are supported to learn how to keep themselves safe and learn about the risks and potential risks their behaviours and actions may lead to. Where particular risks are identified prompt communication takes place with social workers to consider appropriate responses. In addition advice is sought from the Local Safeguarding Children Board, as appropriate. Staff spend a great deal of time talking through any identified concerns to develop young people's own understanding of safety issues and the reasons adults are concerned. As a result young people's risk-taking behaviours reduce and they feel cared for and protected. Comments received from young people include, 'great place to be', 'I feel safe here', 'know what to do if I have any worries' and 'staff talk about being careful in using computer like twitter and stuff'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff receive annual training in respect of child protection and safeguarding and have access to clear information. They demonstrate a sound understanding of the action to take should they have any concerns regarding a young person's safety or well- being.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Incidents where young people go missing from the home are minimal due to exceptional high staffing levels and positive staff/young people relationships. Staff are well aware of young people’s vulnerabilities and are very clear about what action to take should such an incident occur, including excellent protocols with the police. Likewise, incidents of bullying are rare, again due to the very close supervision by staff, good placement planning and excellent knowledge of young people’s needs and vulnerabilities.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are actively engaged in their care plans and identifying areas of behaviour to change from which they would benefit. The behaviour management approach is fundamentally founded on relationships with the staff that young people hold in high regard. Staff show a sincere interest in young people's lives and in turn young people want to do well. Young people feel they are treated fairly and feel proud of their progress. Comments include, 'when I've' gone off on one, it is talked through afterwards', 'before coming here I used to go mental easy and do things like jump on police cars and smash things up but since being here have stopped doing it' and 'I like staying here cause my life is being sorted' and 'on a scale of one to ten, give staff 10 but because of the rules give the home 6'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a stable staff team. Staff working with young people in the home are carefully selected and vetted. The home has suitably robust procedures in place including a systematic approach that ensures that the organisation's policy and practice is effective.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager ensures that regular monitoring of health and safety takes place to make sure the home is physically safe and secure. All fire and maintenance checks are completed and well documented, staff and young people are well aware of the fire procedure and what action to take in the event of a fire.

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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

This is a home that shows a consistently high level of commitment in providing excellent, bespoke care to children and young people. An infectious enthusiasm for the duty of care permeates from the strategic level right across the whole staff team. The Registered Manager leads her staff with a high level of professionalism and passion valuing staff input at all levels. She provides very effective leadership to the staff teams and has a strong sense about how she can further develop the already excellent care. She is open to new ideas and implements these in line with children and young people's diverse and often competing needs.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has high expectations of the staff team and they respond well to this, within a culture of transparency and reflective development. In return, staff members are fully supported in their work through regular monthly supervision, excellent training opportunities and clear policies and procedures.

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively monitored externally and by the manager which ensures that success is celebrated and areas for development are identified. Young people's views are gathered and fed into the business planning. A clear Statement of Purpose underpins the work in the home and the home operates in line with this.

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Leadership and management

The home is exceptionally well resourced, in all areas. For example the environment, the equipment, the staffing arrangements and the services commissioned are resourced to ensure that the highest quality of care is provided to each young person at all times. The way in which staff teams work provides young people a high level of continuity. There is a relatively stable long-serving group of staff, some of whom have been in post for several years.

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Leadership and management

Staff are of an exceptionally high calibre and all are totally focused on meeting each child's specific needs. Staff are extremely well supported in their, sometimes difficult, task via regular and good quality supervision, effective and relevant training, team meetings and group supervision for the therapeutic work. Less formally the manager is extremely supportive of the staff and they all speak very highly of her support and of her compassion for her role.

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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 and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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