Children's home run by Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd in Havant

inspection

On 30 June 2016, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation. This was to prevent any new admissions, following a judgement of inadequate at the full inspection on 21 June 2016. Ofsted lifted the restriction on 11 August 2016.

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Requires improvement

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 The registered manager has started to make improvements to staff’s safeguarding knowledge and practice since the last inspection. However, the quality of risk assessments remains inconsistent. Consequently, some young people are still not always safe.  There is little evidence that staff consistently undertake relevant key-work sessions with young people, following safeguarding incidents.  Staff work shifts for seven days before there is a changeover of staff. Young people comment that, when the shifts change, the care provided is very different.  The registered manager and deputy manager do not effectively communicate with each other to identify and address concerns about staff practice.  The registered manager has failed to address inappropriate staff conduct.  The monitoring and evaluation of staff practice is weak.  The registered manager does not ensure that all staff receive regular supervision.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Some of the house managers fail to ensure that staff receive their inductions or complete probationary periods within the required timescales.  The registered manager has not met all of the requirements from the last inspection with regard to leadership and management, and safeguarding.  One staff member has failed to complete the level 3 diploma in residential childcare by the relevant date.

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The children’s home strengths

 The registered manager has put in place a detailed action plan to address the safeguarding issues raised at the last inspection. This plan is underway, with increased staff training in safeguarding and countering child sexual exploitation.  Young people are benefiting from accessing an independent advocacy service which supports their safety and emotional well-being.  Many of the staff demonstrate enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to the young people. They work hard to help young people to make progress, and they understand their emotional and developmental needs.  Staff have actively involved young people in redecorating the homes over the summer holidays. Young people say that they like the new decor and furniture.  Young people have enjoyed a wide range of fun activities over the summer holidays.  Staff have skilfully prepared young people for the new term and reintroduced routines and boundaries. Young people have made a positive

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The children’s home strengths

start to the term by attending school every day.  A number of young people have left the home for independence. Staff proactively supported them to gain the independence skills that they required and arranged leaving parties.  Young people who have left provided very positive written feedback regarding their placements, and about the staff who have cared for them and helped them to 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 (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

12: The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure:—

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Requirement Due date

(a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills 28/10/2016 to meet the needs of each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality

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Requirement Due date

of care provided in the home; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. The registered person must for the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (Regulation 32) 30/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (b) ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and (2) The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular— (a) provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and (b) provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (3) For the purposes of this regulation, ‘the appropriate person’ is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer. (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

(a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33) 28/10/2016

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to care for up to 21 children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers an on-site college educational facility which is registered with the Department for Education. The majority of the young people attend the college. The home currently offers care for children and young people aged 12 to 19 years.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/06/2016 Full Inadequate 31/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/01/2016 Full Outstanding 10/03/2015 Full Outstanding

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, the numbers of young people in placement have reduced significantly and one of the homes on the site has been closed. Several of the young people had plans to move to independence or family. Young people say that smaller groups have enabled them to enjoy more one-to-one time with staff. The homes are welcoming, clean and well maintained. Each home was redecorated over the summer and young people helped to choose the colours. They say that they love the newly decorated living rooms. Their bedrooms are personalised and young people are encouraged to visit each other’s houses in the evenings to socialise. One young person commented that it was nice, just having two homes ‘that mix together, as it feels more homely’.

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Requires improvement

Young people present as being relaxed with staff. They sit down to eat together at mealtimes to enjoy some banter and catching up with the day. Young people have positive relationships with many of the enthusiastic and child-focused staff, but say that, when the staff groups change every seven days, the care provided changes. Young people express that they often prefer one staff group over another, and that rules and expectations are not always consistent. This shift pattern is unsettling for some of the young people, who may not have access to a favoured staff member for several days.

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Requires improvement

Over the summer holidays, the young people had fun together and with staff, having barbeques, spending time with the farm animals, doing artwork and playing games, including football. Some of them camped overnight together in the grounds and they all went for days out with each other and staff. Staff also strongly support young people’s physical and emotional development during term time, enabling them to go ice-skating, to the gym, pamper nights and the cinema. Enthusiastic staff approached the local women’s football team on behalf of one young person who demonstrates a talent for the sport.

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Requires improvement

Staff support young people’s identity by taking them to and, where appropriate, supervising family contact. The registered manager worked hard to advocate for one young person to meet her mother for the first time. They receive additional support from the in-house therapeutic service and the child and adolescent mental health services.

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Requires improvement

Some young people are very positive about the personal attention that they received following the judgement of inadequate. They say that the registered manager carefully explained the reasons to them and listened to their concerns. They now have regular access to an independent advocate who visits the home once a fortnight. They are also aware that the registered manager and deputy spend time at the homes in the evenings to make themselves more accessible and approachable. The independent advocate commented that she has received a positive response from the young people. They have been able to access her service freely and are beginning to develop positive relationships with her. She observed that staff have been clear and positive about her role. The young people have confidently raised issues with her, including wanting more activities and seeking clarification about their care plans.

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Requires improvement

Young people are fully aware that a number of staff members have left the home and the reasons why. One young person commented that she felt very positive about the remaining staff.

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Requires improvement

Young people have made significant and sustained progress from their starting points in independent skills and education. Since the last inspection, some of the young people now have small flats within the homes to support their pathway plans. One young person attends a local college and enjoys her work experience in a hair salon. All of the young people are now back in school and have made a positive start to the new term, with full attendance. They are all making significant improvements in their development, from their starting points. The social worker for one young person said that, importantly, she has been stabilised since starting her placement.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has instigated a programme of training for staff to address the safeguarding concerns raised at the last inspection. Staff have undertaken additional training on countering child sexual exploitation, safeguarding, health and safety, medication, fire and child development. Safeguarding training included addressing group dynamics to help staff to be aware of how colleagues interact with young people. The male staff members undertook online training for men working in care. One male staff member commented that it had helped him to look at how he works and he feels that he has a better understanding of how to interact with and respond to girls. He recognised the importance of body language and how it could be perceived.

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Requires improvement

Following complaints about some staff members exceeding the speed limit and transporting a young person without a seat belt, the driving policy has been rewritten and the registered manager has installed trackers in cars. The registered manager monitors these. Staff and young people also took part in a police road safety training day. Young people, care staff and social workers state that they consider young people to be safer. In addition to the training, the registered manager has changed the composition of the staff groups to avoid negative cultures developing within teams. This also enables staff to learn from each other. Staff who exploited young people and other staff have left. Young people have demonstrated that they feel more able to tell staff and managers about concerns and to use the independent advocacy service. Staff have been more confident in coming forward with concerns about other staff. The registered manager is more available for young people to

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Requires improvement

approach directly and, with only two homes; the staffing ratios are higher as there are fewer young people. Together, these factors serve to improve the staff’s knowledge and make them more aware and vigilant regarding risks faced by young people, both inside and outside the home.

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Requires improvement

There are still a number of areas for improvement, including the need for consistent initial impact and risk assessments in order to enable staff to understand how to keep all of the young people safe. Some staff still lack an understanding of how harmful cultures can develop within the homes, despite the work undertaken with them by the registered manager and by completing safeguarding training.

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Requires improvement

Staff are failing to undertake key-work sessions consistently with young people to address incidents or progress plans. This means that staff miss the opportunity to help young people to understand the link between their emotions and behaviour, and how to keep themselves safe.

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Inadequate

The registered manager holds a level 4 qualification in residential management and has qualifications and experience in counselling. She has several years’ experience of managing a residential setting. O f the 31 staff team members, 17 currently hold a level 3 qualification and 10 staff members will complete their level 3 training during 2017. One staff member who should have completed his level 3 will do so by the end of December 2016. Twenty-five staff have qualifications in first aid.

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Inadequate

Significant concerns remain about the leadership and management. The registered manager and deputy do not work proactively together to identify issues of concern, plan effective strategies and then act on them in a timely way. The registered manager is not effectively sampling work to ensure that staff receive supervision, and complete their inductions and probationary periods. Neither has she ensured that risk assessments and key work are consistent and relevant to each young person.

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Inadequate

The quality of recruitment is of concern, with the registered manager accepting the transfer of one staff member, who lacked key experience relevant to this setting, from another home in the company. The registered manager appeared to have focused on the staff member’s need for a fresh start rather than the potential impact on the young people. Subsequently, the member of staff behaved inappropriately with the young people. The registered manager has also been slow in addressing staff conduct concerns. This includes a staff member making unacceptable comments about people with disabilities and racial remarks. The performance management of staff has been ineffective, damaging staff morale and their ability to meet young people’s needs to the best of their ability.

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Inadequate

Despite staff being moved between the shift groups, the model of seven-day shifts, which has allowed staff to become isolated and a culture of secrecy to develop, has not changed.

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Inadequate

There is evidence that staff are now engaging better with the wider system to advocate on behalf of young people. Staff help young people to express themselves, and they listen to them more effectively.

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Inadequate

Young people consider that registered manager has helped them to understand the problems in the home and provided them with a wide range of positive external support. Her action plan to address the inadequate judgement, which is still in progress, seeks to improve the quality of the staff who are recruited by changing the interview process to include a day focusing on child sexual exploitation and safeguarding. This includes young people providing questions for interviewees and sitting on the panel. Plans to appoint managers who hold a level 5 qualification to each of the homes aim to provide a more robust management model.

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Inadequate

Staff work closely with education to support young people to engage in and achieve in their education, and there has been some very constructive and valuable work undertaken with the police for the benefit of young people. There is evidence that staff care about young people and work hard to meet their developmental and health needs on all levels. The registered manager actively supports staff and young people to communicate, with improvements to the format of staff and young people’s meetings and the addition of suggestion boxes, for staff as well as young people.

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Inadequate

Feedback from childcare professionals varies. The social worker for one young person considered that ‘The staff have been brilliant at keeping me informed’, while another social worker said that staff did not prepare her young person for a recent looked-after review. While staff and childcare professionals all feel that there have been improvements in the service, the responses reflect the inconsistencies identified in the inspection.

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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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