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

home are

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.2

because:

 Children, despite their complex backgrounds, are thriving way beyond original expectations.

p.3

because:

 Children grow and develop in all areas of their lives.

p.3

because:

 Relationships between children and staff are excellent.  Relationships between children are very supportive, they are usually kind to each other.  Children have developed a very strong sense of belonging.  Children take on many new responsibilities that demonstrate their increase in confidence and self-esteem.  Children develop an understanding of the impact they and their behaviour has on others and are reflective and in the main successful in improving their responses to disappointments.  Children develop high aspirations for themselves.  Children progress exceptionally well in their educational attendance and achievement when considering their starting points.  The excellent quality of care and the progress children have made has led to three children being able to move into a family placement.  The Registered Manager is of a high calibre. She is child-centred and knows each child and his needs exceptionally well.

p.3

because:

 The arrangements for monitoring the home are excellent and there is a clear understanding about the strengths and areas for development. The latter are promptly addressed.  Children benefit from highly individualised care that is delivered by staff of a high calibre who know them and their needs exceptionally well.  The environment is of a particularly high quality.  Relationships with parents and professionals are excellent and joint working achieves the best outcomes possible for each child. 

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should continue to encourage children to add their views and comments to the records of restraints and sanctions. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations Quality Standard 9.60)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure each child’s placement plan sets out the steps to protect children when they go missing; this is with specific reference to making it explicit that should the whereabouts of a child not be known they are immediately reported as missing. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations Quality Standard 9.25)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff receive supervision of their practice, from a suitably qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care; this is with specific reference to ensuring that all staff receive supervision at the frequency laid out in the Statement of Purpose. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations Quality Standard 13.2)

p.5

Information about this children's home

This section should outline: This privately owned children's home provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The organisation’s school is located on site.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

19/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

p.6

people living in the home are

Relationships between staff and children are exceptionally strong. The high levels of praise and physical affection from the extremely nurturing staff team has meant they trust staff and know that they are loved for who they are. These relationships have provided children with a secure base from which they are moving on from their negative past experiences. A parent said, ‘ my son feels loved there, they demonstrate affection towards him.’ Relationships between children are also exceptionally strong, they are generally respectful and very kind to each other. For example, they show spontaneous delight when another child has reached top points for the day regardless of their own score. Children support each other through a carefully monitored peer support system. Mentors help new children settle into the home and support peers who have struggled with their behaviour.

p.7

people living in the home are

Staff know and understand each child’s needs and wishes and care is highly individualised. A social worker said, ‘they really get inside the child and understand him.’ And another said, ‘staff always hold the child uppermost in their minds.’ The high quality of care provided ensures that children grow and develop exceptionally well.

p.7

people living in the home are

Clear routine and structure to the day provides children with the certainty they need. They know what is happening and what is expected of them and strive to achieve well. Their achievements, however small, are celebrated by all and this feeds their desire to achieve further; their self-esteem and confidence grows. A social worker said the child they work with is, ‘now a very happy guy.’ A child said, I absolutely love it here, staff are the best, and everything is the best.’

p.7

people living in the home are

Children have a strong sense of their rights and responsibilities in the home. Each child has a designated role linked to day-to-day tasks. For example, one helps staff do the weekly checks on the home’s cars and another helps staff to check the fire prevention systems. They show high levels of respect for others and are keen to make visitors welcome. They meet and greet people with a handshake, offer them a drink and are keen to show them around their lovely home; it is obvious that children are very proud of their home.

p.7

people living in the home are

Children’s behaviour has improved considerably since living in the home. There is a very effective reward system. Children are fully involved in setting their own targets and are keen to achieve top points each day. There is open discussion at twice daily meetings. At the morning meeting children identify any issues that are worrying them. Staff put in support to help them with these through the day. At the end of the school day the points are collated and the day’s outcomes are discussed and points are awarded. This system allows children who have struggled during the day a chance to redeem themselves during the evening by achieving well in their home targets. Children are reflective about their behaviour, learn to think about the consequences of their actions and learn from their mistakes. A social worker spoke about how the child now reflects on things, she went on to say ‘the therapeutic approach has achieved so much in a short space of time.’ Another

p.7

people living in the home are

stated that it is, ’amazing see the change in his behaviour.’

p.8

people living in the home are

Young people are fit and healthy and get the services they need to meet their physical and emotional needs to a high standard. The therapist for the home works with children and supports the improvement of their emotional well-being. Routine visits such as to the dentist and optician are well supported and heathy eating is assured through the use of nutrition analysis software to make sure that children are making healthy choices.

p.8

people living in the home are

Their educational attainment and progress is impressive. They attend the organisation’s school on a daily basis, engage very well in their learning and develop high aspirations for themselves. Support to children by the care staff and teaching staff in school is exceptionally well planned and executed. Children have consistency of care across the day.

p.8

people living in the home are

There are an impressive range of activities available in-house. There is a strong ethos that children fare best when they are kept busy doing things they learn from and enjoy. There are a range of interesting activities at home including drum lessons, well-equipped games and play rooms, an impressive range of garden play equipment and the usual games consoles and computers. Further afield there are trips to the swimming pool, horse riding, scouts and other clubs and a plethora of other opportunities to learn and have fun. Some of the children were taken out on a night walk to see the recent super moon and during the inspection butterflies emerged from the chrysalis’s the children had been looking after; there was great excitement about this.

p.8

people living in the home are

Children also enjoy doing charitable work. They are very proud to have recently done a sponsored walk and raised over £1000 for charity. When they reached the finish line the leaders waited for the other children so that they could all cross the line together as a team and celebrate. Children demonstrate they have a good community spirit, an active interest in the welfare of others and a very strong sense of belonging.

p.8

people living in the home are

Children who struggled to live in a conventional family environment previously have progressed to the point where they are likely to be able to manage living in a family. They are very well prepared for and ready for their move and positive endings are achieved for all by marking a move with a celebratory party. Children who have moved from the home since the last inspection have moved on to family placements, there have been no unplanned endings. The majority of children in the home are living over 20 miles from their home town. Staff recognise the affects of this on children and work hard to minimise the impact of homesickness. They support some complex contact arrangements so that children maintain relationships with their families. Staff are exceptionally astute at assessing if difficulties may be experienced during contact and ensure that children and their families are very well supported. For example, they have stayed

p.8

people living in the home are

overnight nearby in a hotel so they are close at hand if the child, or family needs them.

p.9

people are helped and protected

Children are kept safe because risks are identified, understood and well managed. High supervision levels ensure that any issues are addressed before they escalate. A social worker said he liked it that, ‘supervision levels are good but not intrusive.’

p.9

people are helped and protected

Children do not go missing from the home, in part, due to the high supervision levels. Staff are fully aware that if a child cannot be found he must be immediately reported as missing. However, the organisation’s procedure does not reflect this and this information is not documented within children’s internal plans.

p.9

people are helped and protected

Because there are high supervision levels children are not at risk on a day--to-day basis from other sources of harm, such as cyber bullying, child exploitation or radicalisation. Staff are aware of these issues and that at some point in the future these children could be at risk in these areas. Therefore some age-appropriate work has been carried out with the young people, for example about internet safety.

p.9

people are helped and protected

Boundaries are understood by children and are consistently applied. The focus in this home is on promoting positive behaviour. Children are only sanctioned or held for appropriate reasons. While children’s views are gained about a sanction or hold these are not always recorded in the sanction and physical intervention books.

p.9

people are helped and protected

There have been no allegations or safeguarding issues since the last inspection but staff demonstrate that they are fully aware of the action they should take and are aware of the whistleblowing policy and how to use it. The Local Authority Designated Officer has visited the home and reported that he found it a safe and welcoming environment. He is satisfied that the home pays appropriate attention to any issues of concern and reported that he is confident that children are kept safe. The one complaint received was appropriately referred, notified and investigated. There are good relationships with the police. The local community officer is a regular visitor to the home and visits the children to talk about a range of issues, such as internet safety.

p.9

people are helped and protected

Young people do not identify bullying as a concern. A prompt and robust approach is taken to any incidents that can be perceived as bullying and the bully and the victim are supported well.

p.10

people are helped and protected

Staff recruitment processes are robust and ensure that only people who are suitable and have the skills to provide a good quality of care to the children are recruited. Children are involved in the process, they meet applicants when they visit the home and feed their views into the recruitment panel about who they feel is the best candidate.

p.10

leaders and managers

The Registered Manager has been in post since 2008. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management relevant to children and young people. She has consistently managed the home effectively and efficiently and is held in high regard by the staff, children and external professionals. The manager is highly child-focused. She fully understands the needs of all of the children and she knows them well. She is inspirational and influential in changing the lives of the children through inspiring her staff team and enabling them to be creative in their work with the children. She, and the staff team, have high aspirations for the children in their care and are extremely effective in ensuring their enthusiasm and ambition for progress rubs off on the children. The children were ecstatic when they found out the judgement made on this inspection, they clapped and cheered and their sense of belonging was palpable.

p.10

leaders and managers

The statement of purpose and guide for children sets out clearly what can be expected from the home. The home operates in line with its statement. One minor issue is that it is recorded that staff receive monthly individual supervision and at times this has not been the case. This is not a significant issue as staff are very well supported through group supervision and by the team managers and each other.

p.10

leaders and managers

There is careful and insightful monitoring of the work by an external professional and the manager. This ensures that issues are promptly identified and addressed and any patterns or trends can be investigated. There is extensive use of the views of children, parents and social workers views to develop practice. The manager ensures that recommendations made by the external visitor or through Ofsted inspections are addressed; requirements made at the last inspection have been met. She has a very clear view about the home’s strengths and areas for development. The staff are passionate in their roles and are of a high calibre. They work a seven day shift pattern that provides consistency across the week for children. The two staff teams are ably managed on a day-to-day basis by team managers who are longstanding members of staff and generate the same enthusiasm among the teams as the Registered Manager does.

p.10

leaders and managers

The staff are exceptionally well-supported through regular individual supervision, group supervision and peer support. They report the manager and team leaders are approachable and available on a daily basis for consultation. Training opportunities, in addition to the mandatory training, are good and this ensures that staff are supported in developing their practice over time. The induction process for new members of staff is of a high quality and prepares new staff well for their role; new staff quickly ‘fit in’ and develop the same passion for their work as the more established members of staff. One new member of staff said, ‘It’s not like coming to work, I love it.’

p.11

leaders and managers

The environment provided is very well-maintained, comfortable and child focused, and bedrooms are highly personalised. Visiting professionals and staff said it is a ‘home from home’. Children show a high level of pride in keeping their surroundings nice, although as with all children they struggle at times to keep their bedrooms tidy. Excellent use has been made of the extensive grounds by providing a good range of outdoor equipment for the children and staff to enjoy. There are a range of animals that the children learn about and help to care for. This means they develop skills in animal husbandry and ability to care for them effectively. The environment sends a clear message to children and the staff that they are valued.

p.11

leaders and managers

The professional relationships the manager and her staff have developed with families, social workers, and police and education services are excellent. These relationships ensure that children have the optimum support to develop well in all areas of their lives. A parent said that staff are, ‘amazing at keeping in contact with me.’ A social worker said it is a, very, very good home; very good outcomes for the children who live there. The manager, where necessary, has challenged external professionals to get services a child needs, such as support for their emotional development; she is an excellent advocate for the children.

p.11

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.

p.13

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

p.13

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.13

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

p.14

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 .

p.14

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,

p.15

Information about this inspection

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

p.15

Information about this inspection

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

p.15

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

p.15