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

Unique reference number SC398481 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Interim 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 Lorraine Theresa Gregory Date of last inspection 17/07/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 26/03/2015

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Previous inspection outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

No requirements or recommendations were made at the last inspection. Young people continue to be very happy with the way they are looked after and how they are helped and supported in their day-to-day lives. They feel very safe in the home and with the people who look after them. Complaints from young people are minimal and soon resolved satisfactorily if one is made.

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This inspection

Young people continue to experience care and support that is uniformly child- focused and centred on individual circumstances and needs. Young people who have significant emotional and behavioural difficulties experience an enabling residential culture that emphatically promotes equality of opportunity. From their arrival into the home, each young person makes significant progress because of the commitment to provide and achieve safe, stable and lasting placements. Young people engage in therapeutic services that are part of and linked to meeting their care, education and welfare needs. Their emotional well-being and development is prioritised in support of greater resilience and understanding of their own circumstances and backgrounds.

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This inspection

Several young people have successfully moved to new placements because of the highly effective transition planning and partnership working with professionals and new carers. Relationships with proposed carers are quickly established that aid positive introductions and a constructive start to the process. Young people are reassured by this approach as they prepare for significant change in their lives. They are also given the time and space to talk about their new arrangements which helps the staff team assess progress and any need to adapt individual plans.

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This inspection

Young people receive consistent messages about their behaviour and how to develop new skills and strategies to reduce the harm or risks to themselves or others. The use of more formal measures of behaviour management is low because 3 of 5 of the successful use of rewards and praise. The home has an excellent track record in organising its services to ensure staff have a significant and positive impact on the lives of all young people irrespective of their difficulties. The ethos of the home is not to give up and to focus on the gains that young people make however small these might be, especially for new arrivals.

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This inspection

Staff use their knowledge, skills and training to help young people learn how to live together and this creates boundaries that reflect consideration for others. Some young people’s verbal behaviour can be offensive at times. In these circumstances, staff act as good role models and promote the importance of respect, they challenge any form of discriminatory behaviour. Young people are regularly engaged in important discussions about different communities and wider society. This means that young people are regularly engaged in discussions about prejudice as well as being encouraged to learn and understand the wider world around them.

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This inspection

Prompting young people's views and wishes are still central to staff practice within the home. Arrangements for consultation and listening to young people have been enhanced further by the introduction of a more structured daily meeting after school. Young people are encouraged to talk about their day and what went well and not so well. This has created additional opportunities for young people and staff to resolve any difficulties and to celebrate individual achievements. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a range of children's services within a private care organisation. It is registered to accommodate five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/07/2014 Full outstanding 10/03/2014 Interim good progress 04/12/2013 Full outstanding 21/03/2013 Interim good progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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