Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children's Services (2) Limited in Telford and Wrekin

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:

 This home is good because the registered manager is proactive. She challenges those around her to do as well as possible and addresses shortfalls.  The registered manager and the company support the staff well.  The staff team shows a high level of competence. Staff understand each young person and work particularly well with other professionals and parents.  Staff meet negative behaviour with a clear and consistent response, and sustain their relationships with young people. They show substantial resilience in the face of difficulties.  Admissions are undertaken with particular sensitivity to the feelings of young people and their families.  Young people make clear progress from their starting points, despite setbacks. They mature in areas such as education, practical skills, social competence and self-confidence.  Young people quickly learn positive strategies with which to deal with difficulties.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy healthy lifestyles and a good quality of life, including stimulating experiences.  The service has no major failings. There are some minor administrative shortfalls, and the service would benefit from better evaluation of patterns and trends.

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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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard and ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe, the registered provider must— (2)(b) ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to ensuring the safety of staff’s belongings and other items in the office. 8 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

Keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to removing the suggestion that the service is registered for children with mild learning disabilities. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 8 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

Maintain a system for evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities, and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(c)) 8 August 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Arrange, where necessary, independent advocates who can support both the child and the home to seek redress of issues which affect them, such as lack of contact with their social worker, contact with family and leaving care grants, in addition to issues about their care within the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 23, paragraph 4.17)

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Information about this children's home

A large provider of children’s services operates this home, which may accommodate up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

30 March 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

17 November 2015 Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

18 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people make good progress, overall. Occasionally, difficulties interrupt this pattern, but this is to be expected. The staff use their thorough knowledge of each individual to develop and sustain meaningful relationships. As a result, young people and their parents are very positive about the service. One said: ‘The staff are brilliant. They couldn’t do any more.’ A highlight of the service is the resilience shown by the team. They demonstrate substantial commitment to the young people and focus on each young person’s attributes rather than their failings.

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Good

The manager addresses referrals of new young people very carefully. She only considers admitting a new young person when she has carefully assessed the risks. Three young people are in residence and there are no plans to fill the fourth bed in the short term. Consequently, the latest admission was undertaken gradually and with input from the young person’s mother. This allowed an exceptionally high level of information sharing between the team and the parent. The young person experienced a smooth admission which helped him to settle in. Subsequently, staff sustained this highly beneficial level of communication with parents and with external professionals. Young people appreciate this vital link with their families. Young people from further away receive the services that they need and do not lose out because of the distance from home.

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Good

The house is in a quiet suburban area and allows young people ready access to services as well as the countryside. It is comfortable and spacious. Young people have a good quality of life with plenty of activities. They practice and noticeably improve their independence skills, such as using public transport and sports facilities. They enjoy bicycling in the area, playing football in the large garden and taking up new hobbies. Staff discuss seasonal, religious and cultural events with young people, which increases their understanding and acceptance of other people. They are currently focussing on Ramadan and planning an event for Eid.

p.6

Good

Each young person has a school placement and their rates of attendance are high. They usually attend the organisation’s own school. One has recently completed his examinations after receiving additional support from staff. Staff prioritise education by adapting the arrangements to reflect each young person’s needs. New young people, for example, may start on a part-time timetable to reacclimatise to the routines and expectations. This system works well and young people reintegrate and benefit from the range of opportunities that schools provide.

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Good

All the young people are in good general health and keep their medical appointments. They learn to address their personal hygiene and take a pride in their appearance. The chief issue is their emotional health. The organisation’s therapists regularly support the staff and see the young people, if the social worker and young person agree. As a result, young people make noticeable progress in understanding their circumstances. They learn to implement appropriate strategies when faced with difficulties and challenges, which improves their self-confidence and ability to recover from setbacks. For example, one is now more likely to apologise instead of escalating his behaviour and another has learned to leave situations that he finds threatening.

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Good

Young people enjoy a high level of access to staff, both individually and as a group. This means that staff hear their views and concerns clearly. Young people learn to expect a response to reasonable concerns and find that they can make a difference. Recently, for example, two have moved bedrooms as result of this process. When a young person does not have an adult to refer to from outside the home, the manager seeks an independent visitor or advocate. However, this is not always successful, and the lack of resolution erodes young people’s rights somewhat.

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Good

Young people are safe and staff protect them well in nearly all regards. There are few serious incidents or occasions when young people go missing and no young person is at risk of exploitation. However, young people have physically assaulted each other and staff. This is unsettling and harmful. Staff liaise with the police, social workers and therapists to resolve such issues and help everyone to feel safe again. One parent said that, despite such behaviour towards them, staff ‘are not negative’ about the young people concerned. Staff help young people to avoid criminal activities. Young people know that their choices have consequences. Overall, they make clear progress and learn to keep themselves safe, both on and off site.

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Good

The manager challenges other professionals when she feels that they have made the wrong decision. This sort of discussion has arisen lately when young people have made allegations against staff which were evidently unfounded. The manager was assertive and correctly resisted the recommendation to suspend them. Staff have a reasonable knowledge of safeguarding procedures and the manager addresses any shortfalls thoroughly. She holds staff to account for their decisions by means of regular supervision meetings and daily conversations. This method of working is the reason that the service is improving and addressing young people’s needs well.

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Good

Staff use consistent boundaries and positive consequences to guide young people. This has led to clear improvements, especially for young people who have arrived recently. The frequency and severity of negative incidents fall markedly. Young people benefit, because the risk of being hurt during a physical intervention by staff falls. Also, their self-esteem increases, and they maintain positive relationships with staff and each other. This leads to additional benefits as they engage more appropriately in the home and community.

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Good

Each member of staff has a good understanding of every young person’s risks. They confidently use previous and emerging patterns of negative behaviour to anticipate and avoid difficulties. Records provide a pictorial representation of young people’s progress which is a powerful tool for staff, young people and others.

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Good

Staff belongings are not sufficiently safe in the office when the windows are open, because the windows provide a large enough gap for theft to occur. The fact that young people enter the office also compromises security. On the other hand, following the last inspection, staff now use a secure key safe. This reduces the likelihood of theft of keys and associated items.

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Good

The registered manager is overseeing a steady improvement in the service. She ensures that the service reflects the statement of purpose. This says that the service will accommodate young people with mild learning disabilities, which is not the primary function for which the home is registered. This is misleading to social workers and local authority commissioners. Minor staff changes, new young people and other matters have affected the development of the service. Nevertheless, its overall effectiveness is increasing. Since the last inspection, Ofsted has registered an extra bedroom and the company has merged with another. Also, regular use of agency staff has been required to meet the needs of some young people. The home has remained settled despite these changes. In fact, other professionals are very pleased with the care provided to young people. Social workers say that they will ‘definitely use the service again’.

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Good

The manager provides clear and calm leadership, and is decisive when required. She has been in post since last year and has a relevant qualification. Her senior team is experienced and competent. As a result, the home has a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The senior team has a good understanding of the other staff and support them in the development of their skills.

p.8

Good

The manager has shown good initiative by obtaining ideas from other homes. In particular, she has improved the ways in which staff review their work. After every shift, the shift members review what happened. This has improved their communication with each other and focused their attention on the therapeutic aims of the service. Staff also improve their skills through a good programme of mandatory training, supervision meetings and appraisals. Since the last inspection, staff receive copies of their supervision meeting minutes to use as they choose. All staff are either qualified or are likely to complete the qualification in residential childcare within the required timescales.

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Good

Young people look at their files regularly and sign sections with their key workers. This helps them to understand what staff are doing and what targets they are aiming for. Their successes are clearly summarised in ways that they understand.

p.9

Good

The manager uses monitoring systems reasonably well and has a clear understanding of her service. However, she does not evaluate the data in the six- monthly monitoring reports as clearly as possible or take into account the views of young people. This lack of structure causes delays in implementing certain improvement strategies, such as those for the systematic promotion of equality and diversity, the roll-out minor staff training initiatives and the gathering of views of stakeholders. It also means that the views of young people have less impact than is possible.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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