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

Unique reference number SC398393 Inspector Dawn Bennett 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 Alison Patricia Tunnah Date of last inspection 25/06/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 20/03/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

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

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This inspection

At the full inspection in June 2014 this home was judged adequate. Four requirements and five recommendations were made. They are all met.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager left in August 2014 and was replaced immediately. This next Registered Manager recently resigned and will leave at the beginning of April 2015. The organisation has again recruited a new Manager and a handover will take place before the Registered Manager leaves.

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This inspection

Young people living at the home have historically exhibited high risk behaviours that present risks to themselves, peers, and staff. Some young people make good progress in reducing these behaviours. However, although there have been reductions in incidents, there are some young people who continue to go missing from home and making verbal and physical assaults on peers and staff that result in police involvement.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection, two young people have moved on from the home. One of these moves was instigated because of needing to keep staff and the young person safe. The staff team worked effectively in partnership with the placing local authorities, police, and other professionals to ensure support during this process.

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This inspection

Most young people respond to consistent routines and make adequate or good progress in most areas of their lives. The staff team know the young people well and work hard to use positive relationships to encourage them to progress in line with the placing authority care plan. They promote and address aims and objectives with young people through daily activities and tasks, key worker sessions and partnership work with other agencies. As a result, young people develop confidence and learn to communicate their needs more effectively. They begin to gain a better understanding of risks and ways to protect themselves but do not always chose to 3 of 6 make responsible decisions.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has good insight into the impact young people’s challenging and high risk behaviour can have on the environment, staff team and other young people. There was low staff moral and significant damage to the home prior to her appointment in August 2014. She has been proactive is working to address these shortfalls and stabilise the service.

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This inspection

The home has now been redecorated and some new furniture has been purchased. However, there have been delays in carpet fitting and some electrical work is still incomplete. This makes one downstairs room unusable. The home is also still without an outdoor store area, which was destroyed prior to the last inspection. This lack of storage space means that young people’s bikes are stored in the utility room. This delay affects the homely and welcoming environment and places rooms out of bounds to young people.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has restructured the staff team and changed the deputy's shift pattern. This has strengthened the staff team and ensured improved record keeping and staff support structures. The deputy is now free to cover unplanned gaps in the rota, for example, because of sickness, and this has significantly reduced the use of agency staff.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager routinely and effectively monitors the running of the home, the quality of care and practice, but does not send copies of the report to Ofsted. This prevents the regulator having an overview of the operation of the service. 4 of 6

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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 two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2014 Full adequate 10/03/2014 Interim good progress 19/11/2013 Full adequate 07/03/2013 Interim good progress

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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

(2001) ensure a report is supplied to Ofsted of any review conducted for the purposes of Regulation 34 (1). (Regulation 34 (2)) 30/04/2015

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Avoidable hazards are removed as is consistent with a domestic setting. Risk reduction does not lead to an institutional feel. This specifically relates to work being completed that will enable the use of the downstairs small sitting room and the provision for 5 of 6 the safe storage of outdoor equipment. (NMS 10.3) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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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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