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

Unique reference number SC437128 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Young Options College Limited Registered person address Turnpike Gate House Alcester Heath Alcester Warwickshire B49 5JG Responsible individual Graham Baker Registered manager Mark Anthony Duckers Date of last inspection 27/02/2014 2 of 8 Inspection date 09/07/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

The quality of care is sound and this helps young people make progress in comparison to their circumstances on arrival. Young people’s safety and welfare is a key focus of the staff team and young people say they feel safe in the home. Because the care they receive is tailored around their changing needs and circumstances each young person is treated as an individual.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are consulted on a daily basis about their needs and routines. They are involved in making choices about their daily lives that encourage personal development and greater responsibility. Young people benefit from detailed, individualised care planning and care practices, which ensure that their needs are clearly identified and met. Although relationships between staff and young people can be difficult at times, this does not deter staff from being attentive and supportive. Staff act as good role models so young people can learn from responsible adults who provide stability and continuity of care. 3 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

This privately-owned children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2014 Interim good progress 14/08/2013 Full good 20/02/2013 Interim good progress 29/05/2012 Full good 4 of 8

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Overall, young people’s welfare and emotional well-being are fully supported. This is because their placements are stable and the attachments they have with staff are either strong or developing positively. They are able to expand their social skills and build confidence in their own abilities, which helps them make steady progress. This results in young people being enabled to pursue levels of independence that are consistent with their plans of care. Young people’s contact arrangements are clearly agreed with placing authorities and their families. Staff actively facilitate contact so that young people's experiences are positive and meaningful.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people's health, including their physical, emotional and psychological well- being, is promoted well. Generally, young people are in good health, but where they are reluctant to attend health appointments they receive consistent guidance and encouragement to improve their engagement with services. Young people’s overall fitness is a continuing area of focus for action in terms of physical exercise and balancing a good diet .

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people receive practical support and encouragement to help them learn and develop important life skills as they move towards independence. For example, they are helped to develop cooking and domestic skills as well as learning to live on a budget. Young people have free time away from the home to help them maintain their friendships and learn to be socially responsible. Young people are coached and mentored in the use of public transport and how to navigate and plan journeys on their own. Continuous assessments of each young person’s confidence, skills and knowledge helps with their personal development and progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people's attendance, attainment and engagement in education varies, which has an impact on what can be achieved now and in the future. Young people’s educational rights and entitlements are strongly promoted. For some young people this is working well as they have been able to improve their attendance and achievements. For other young people with entrenched attitudes and inconsistent attendance records, arrangements are not working well enough to make any significant difference yet.

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Quality of care good

Young people receive good quality care because the home's staff team are organised and coordinated to ensure participation in daily activities and routines are maximised. Staff expectations of each young person's social engagement are high and this helps to combat social exclusion and isolation. The residential routines and approach fully 5 of 8 support young people in developing both their life skills and social interactions. Staff are continually engaged with young people and the one-to-one staffing ratios assist with ensuring young people can make individual choices about their daily lives.

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Quality of care good

Staff ensure young people have regular access to dentists, opticians and doctors as well as more specialist services that relate to individual needs. Staff closely monitor young people’s health to ensure their general well-being is maintained. For instance, staff carefully monitor long-term illnesses and conditions. Staff manage medication routines safely and consistently follow prescription instructions. This is clearly reflected in the home’s records. Young people’s health and safety is further protected by regular audits of medication to guard against mistakes or errors. Staff practice is also underpinned by training in first aid and the administration of medication.

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Quality of care good

Young people are treated as individuals and the home's records reflect information about their needs that is unique and representative of their family backgrounds and identity. Staff are positive about their work and recognise that each young person has the potential to make progress despite some of the difficulties they face.

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Quality of care good

Young people's support and care needs are fully identified in individual placement plans. Young people, their families and social workers are encouraged to be involved in developing these plans. They all actively contribute towards making this information personal and relevant to each young person. Regular reviews of young people’s care and support needs take place to ensure the home contributes effectively to meeting individual needs.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a reasonably maintained house, which includes lots of space for them to use. The home is well resourced, secure and safe. Facilities include a number of communal areas, which supports being part of the group or spending time alone. The home provides a clean, tidy and comfortable living environment. Young people are able to personalise their own rooms and feel that their privacy is respected.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There are good arrangements in place to ensure young people are kept safe. Young people’s protection is prioritised and they say the home is a safe place to be. The staff team have access to detailed safeguarding guidance and reporting procedures. They are trained to protect young people from abuse or harm and know what to do if they have a child protection concern. Staff complete detailed risk assessments, which are kept up-to-date so the whole team can be guided consistently in managing risks and keeping young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Some incidents of bullying between young people have occurred but behaviours and relationships within the group are closely monitored. All types of poor or unwanted behaviour are challenged, and staff always take action to protect and promote 6 of 8 everyone’s safety. Conduct and behaviour is a frequent topic of conversation, expected boundaries are clearly communicated to help young people tackle relationship difficulties appropriately.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff invest time and prioritise their attention when there are difficulties so that they can directly influence young people’s behaviour. This is demonstrated by the use of individual targets, which are linked to incentives and rewards young people can earn. This approach helps staff balance the use of praise with more formal measures of control. Consequently, physical interventions and sanctions are not used often. The staff team manage behaviours effectively and work to improve negative or risky behaviours with patience and understanding.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Some young people have significant histories of placing themselves at risk, which include considerable patterns of absconding behaviour or being missing from care. Staff follow individualised protocols and use the home's established procedures to help minimise risks and gain young people's safe return. Young people are discouraged from behaving in this way and the staff team are beginning to have some success at reducing these risks as fewer events of this nature are now occurring.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The staff team use health and safety assessments as well as completing regular checks on the environment to help keep hazards and risks to a minimum. The staff team are trained so they know what to do in any emergency. They practice evacuations with young people regularly to further ensure everyone’s safety. Arrangements are in place to complete checks on any new staff team members to ensure they are suitable to work with young people.

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Leadership and management good

The home is managed by a qualified, experienced Registered Manager who has been in post for a number of years. The post holder also manages another registered children's home close by and his time is shared between both homes depending on the needs, demands and circumstances of each service. Young people live in a home that is managed effectively and efficiently.

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Leadership and management good

The staff team are very experienced at working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some of the team are qualified while others are in the process of gaining the necessary qualification consistent with their role and responsibilities. Overall, the staff team have the knowledge and skills to care for young people successfully. The shift teams receive good daily support and they are able to regularly discuss their work with supervisors in one-to-one meetings. Managers monitor the training needs of the team and they have access to a core training programme that is repeated throughout the year. The team also has access to more specific development opportunities that relate to young people’s individual needs. Daily staffing levels at the home are closely monitored to ensure that young 7 of 8 people receive the care and support needed to match individual circumstances and plans.

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Leadership and management good

The home maintains good standards of record keeping. Information is comprehensive, up to date and individualised. Records contribute to an understanding of young people's lives and files are stored securely. All significant events relating to the protection of young people accommodated in the home are shared with the appropriate authorities, which includes the actions taken following any event.

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Leadership and management good

Monitoring visits are routinely carried out and written feedback is provided about the home’s operation and areas for development or improvement. The Registered Manager also regularly evaluates how well the home is helping young people make progress and meeting their needs. This information is used to formulate the home’s development plan and future aims of the service for the benefit of young people. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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