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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff have excellent relationships with young people. They take time to listen and are committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for them. Young people are able to discuss what is difficult for them and thrive as a result of the trusting relationships they develop with staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff’s detailed understanding of young people means that care planning is highly personalised and effective. All staff understand young people’s individual journeys and plan their care to ensure measureable progress is made. For example, focusing behaviour management strategies where there will be positive outcomes in young people’s transition to future placements.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff work effectively with all stakeholders and develop positive relationships with families, placing authorities and the police to ensure an immediate and well-coordinated response to young people who go missing from home. Staff ensure risks to young people are minimised by this proactive approach.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people feel safe. Staff engage positively with young people and develop an understanding of their risk taking behaviours. They have clear and effective plans in place to reduce risk and to keep young people safe.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The Registered Manager is inspirational and ambitious in changing the lives of young people. Her commitment and enthusiasm ensures that the staff team implements highly individualised care for young people within a clear therapeutic model. Leaders and managers ensure that, through reflective practice, the staff team constantly re-assesses practice to ensure young people’s progress is maximised.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The Registered Manager has not ensured that the Statement of Purpose only reflects what is authorised by Regulations: it contains inaccurate, incorrect statements about emergency admissions and placement planning expectations. The Registered Manager recognised that she would not accept this in practice and will review the statement of purpose accordingly.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that nothing in the statement of purpose requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with any other provision of these Regulations. (Regulation 16(6)(a)) 24/07/15

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline: The home is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is one of a number of privately-owned homes.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people benefit from highly individualised care planning. Staff take time to engage with young people, to listen to them and understand their perspective. For example, when young people talk to staff about important events in their lives, staff remember these and arrange for specific contact with family to ensure young people can share these events with those people who are most important to them. Young people’s resilience develops as a result.

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good

Young people’s views are central to all planning. The registered person gains these informally on a day-to-day basis, as well as in young people’s meetings, key work sessions and through questionnaires. Young people are involved in their own target setting and contribute to placement planning. They invest in their environment. All young people get involved in changing the décor in their bedrooms. In one young person’s case, they actually decorated their room themselves. This contributes to their sense of belonging.

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good

Staff provide consistent and age-appropriate boundaries which help young people develop a sense of security and stability. Young people seek staff out for advice and support and enjoy positive relationships with them. A parent said, ‘…I feel we are all focused on what is best for my young person who is developing good healthy relationships with staff.’ Young people also understand how to complain and all allegations are taken seriously. Young people are able to promote their rights and views through advocates and children’s rights workers. They feel valued and their self-esteem and self-confidence develops.

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good

The fully staffed team works cohesively ensuring continuity of care for young people. This effectively improves outcomes for young people. A member of staff said: ‘The staff work well as individual teams but also as a whole team with much consistency’. A therapist said: ‘the team is very child-centred, receptive, and competent in implementing advised strategies. I have found the team to be very reflective and thoughtful about the young people in their care.’

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good

Staff ensure that most young people attend school and make measurable academic progress. This represents considerable progress for those who have become disengaged from learning. Young people’s successes are celebrated, including those that are achieved through alternatives to education. For example, the Registered Manager ensures young people invest in developing practical and emotional skills for independence, by recognising success with a formal qualification. This recognises all young people’s achievements. Staff promote young people’s independence and are skilled in supporting young people to develop the necessary skills and behaviour they will need in their new placements. Staff challenge placing authorities where future plans are not sufficiently clear and ensure their views about young people form the centre of the plans. For example, staff advocate effectively on behalf of young people in securing the right next

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good

placement to meet their needs and keep them safe.

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good

Staff are proactive in working with schools, placing authorities, health services and families to secure positive outcomes for young people. They escalate concerns with placing authorities when the services young people need are not available as soon as needed. This high quality engagement with young people’s wider support system results in improved progress for young people. For example, a parent said: ‘I speak to the staff on a daily basis and they will ask my opinion on the best way to approach my child with certain issues. I currently feel we are all working together well which is in the best interest of my child.’

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good

Staff are suitably trained, experienced, qualified and supervised to provide the model of nurturing care which is set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. Staff feel valued and supported by their manager, leaders and each other. One member of staff said, ‘Supervision provides support and serves as a tool for reflection on practice in order to facilitate development and improve performance.’ Young people benefit from this strong staff team who are able to provide consistent care which builds up their resilience and ability to form attachments.

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good

Young people live in a safe environment where they can identify trusted adults that they can talk to about any concerns. Staff always take their concerns seriously and refer to the local authority or to the Local Authority Designated Officer as appropriate. This ensures young people feel listened to and are safeguarded. Staff are skilled in identifying and managing risks. For example, when young people leave the home with the intention of going missing, staff always seek to persuade them to make the right choices. They follow young people and ensure they remain in sight as far as possible. Staff understand young people’s patterns of behaviour and alert those in their extended network of support when they go missing. This results in a prompt, multi-disciplinary response which minimises the time that young people are missing and hence at risk of harm. Staff’s positive relationship with the police is key to this, both in terms of ensuring the police

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good

respond quickly, but also in staff being able to challenge any shortfalls in the police response. The Registered Manager reviews trends in young people going missing and understands the triggers to increased risk taking behaviours. She ensures a swift co-ordinated response from the team in addressing this. As a result, risk to young people is minimised.

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good

Staff promote positive behaviour and consequently restraint is infrequent. When young people are restrained they understand the necessity of this because staff seek and understand their views. Leaders and managers monitor the use of restraint and review behaviour management assessments accordingly. Young people benefit from safe, individualised care as a result and develop emotional resilience.

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good

Young people learn to treat each other with respect. Staff understand the nuances of bullying and respond quickly to address bullying behaviours. Staff understand young people’s identities and backgrounds and continually challenge any form of discrimination.

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good

Staff prepare young people for managing relationships themselves as they move towards living independently and promote age-appropriate risk taking. Young people develop skills in recognising harmful relationships. They support young people in their relationships with peers and their families so that they develop positive relationships.

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good

Leaders and managers carefully select and safely recruit staff. This prevents inappropriate people posing a risk of harm to young people. This also ensures that the staff group is well-balanced in terms of gender, age and experience. Young people feel safe and can depend on the staff who care for them; they describe feeling safe. Judgement grade

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good

The Registered Manager took up her post in January 2015. She has the skills and experience of working within children’s homes to fulfil this role, and is currently undertaking the Level 5 Diploma in leadership of children’s services. The Registered Manager is enthusiastic and efficient in leading the staff team to provide highly personalised nurturing care for young people. Staff and parents recognise her positive influence. A parent said: ’The new manager has tightened up areas of concern and staff now deal with my young person in the best way to suit their behaviour.’ A member of staff commented: ‘a new manager is in place who has been making positive changes. All young people are made to feel safe and nurtured to the best of the staff’s ability.’ Young people thrive from this strong leadership and the positive culture it inspires.

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good

The Registered Manager recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She has quickly addressed shortfalls, for example in staff shortages. She has also ensured specific training for staff to improve understanding about how young people keep safe online and when using social media. She has revised the home’s Statement of Purpose although part of this is not compliant with Regulations. This particularly refers to emergency admissions and the statement that care and placement plans do not need to be available at the point of young people’s placement. There is no evidence that this has negatively impacted on young people and the Registered Manager has undertaken to revise this.

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good

The Registered Manager ensures that there is regular monitoring of the quality of care and seeks the views of young people and stakeholders to inform this review. Leaders and managers respond to all complaints quickly and robustly and learning is reflected in revised practice. This drives forward the quality of care.

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good

The Registered Manager has a comprehensive knowledge of each young person’s backgrounds, behaviour, needs, and wishes. She ensures care plans are effectively personalised and influenced by young people. Leaders and managers champion young people’s views. For example, ensuring young people are able to access advocates and that their needs are the focus of care planning. This promotes positive outcomes for young people.

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good

The Registered Manager provides regular, supportive formal and informal supervision for staff who feel valued as a result. A member of staff said: ‘I have found supervisions very thorough and helpful; the manager is always on hand for advice when required.’ The Registered Manager promotes effective team work amongst her staff with regular team meetings which comprehensively evaluate the individualised care provided to each young person. The attendance of the company psychologist at team meetings ensures staff understand the context of young people’s behaviour. This results in staff providing consistent care and boundaries for young people which reflects their current needs.

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good

Leaders and staff work proactively with professionals and parents to secure positive outcomes for young people. Staff promote contact for young people with their families and friends where that is safe and in their best interests. Staff understand the impact on young people of living a long way from home and ensure this does not act as a barrier to promoting positive relationships. Staff work effectively with all professional stakeholders and challenge effectively where services are not available promptly.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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