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

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed 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.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 The main reason for the ongoing success of this home is the excellent leadership. This applies both to the home as a whole and to individual shifts.  Children make remarkable progress, which is very clear to those who know them. This benefits children immensely and is highly appreciated by their placing authorities.  The home is particularly homely, with very supportive staff. Children and visitors recognise this.  The care that staff give arises from clear and well-established theoretical models. Staff ensure that they work consistently by testing their care strategies against these benchmarks.  Staff are extremely well organised, supported and motivated. Consequently, they complete many and varied tasks effectively.  Staff always remain focused on children’s needs. Even when there are new carers, new children or periods of difficult behaviour, children receive the highest possible standard of care.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Competent engagement by managers and staff with parents and other professionals has an important bearing on children’s progress.  Staff provide children with a vast and enjoyable range of activities.  Children are involved exceedingly well in the running of the home. Their views matter and have a positive impact.  Children receive insightful help to understand other people, both in the home and further away. When they leave, they take comprehensive records of their stays.  The service meets its objective of preparing children for foster care with resounding success. To achieve this, a highly qualified clinical team and the organisation’s own school work effectively together.  The safety of children is an exceptionally high priority that is rarely jeopardised. Staff understand each child well and address their risky behaviour intelligently.  The manager and her team take every opportunity to improve the service.

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Information about this children’s home

A large independent company owns this service. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five younger children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/09/2015 Full Outstanding 26/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2014 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

Children are pleased to live here and feel happy. One said, ‘Everything is good here. I love this place; [it’s] the very best thing that’s happened to me!’ This represents vital and significant progress from their traumatic past experiences. Remarkably, even children who have been here for a matter of days feel the same.

p.5

Outstanding

Children in the home are aged between six to 14 years. Most children live at the home for several years or more, and this year has seen some children move on to other placements. Nevertheless, it is notable that the new children have equally positive experiences and thrive. These launch the vast majority of children towards successful transitions to family life with foster carers. One young man recently achieved this goal through particularly significant improvements in managing his own emotions and behaviour. A social worker said about another resident: ‘[She] made considerable progress in all areas including her behaviour, emotional well- being and education. The consistency, support and nurture from staff supported and facilitated her successful transition to a foster placement.’ This means that staff are achieving the objectives of the service with particularly high rates of success.

p.5

Outstanding

Staff establish excellent relationships with the children and give their views top priority. One child wrote: ‘Staff always listen to what we say. They take [our requests] to the staff meeting.’ Consequently, children quickly learn that they have a voice. In addition to the internal systems of consultation, an external advocacy service visits regularly. This gives each child another means of expressing his or her feelings. Every child also has an adult contact person outside the home. For the one child who initially had no such person, the manager implemented an imaginative arrangement whereby the child now visits a respite foster carer. Children also express their views through a system of written surveys, which the manager has improved recently. The impact of such good relationships and consultation is significant. Not only do children feel empowered, but also they make a daily difference to the running of the home. They feel able to complain, which

p.5

Outstanding

means that some issues are escalated and receive formal attention within the organisation. This has a direct effect on activities, furnishings and fittings, bedrooms and other domestic arrangements. On one day each week, one child chooses a special meal. Meals have included a wide variety of exotic meats. The principle of involving children filters into personal care, too. All the children are familiar with their records and invest their thoughts, for example in the choice of behaviour management strategies.

p.5

Outstanding

Almost all children retain constructive links with their families. These give them important emotional and cultural benefits, but require extremely sensitive management. Despite the distance that the child lives from their family, staff excel in keeping birth families positively involved while preparing their children to move to alternative families. All the parents who responded to an Ofsted survey judged the service to be excellent in all areas. One child and his family have recently progressed to having unsupervised time together, after years of support from staff. Social workers recognise this skill. One said about a similar situation: ‘Staff were patient and helpful. They worked closely with me to address the issues with [the family].’ Each child undertakes a difficult, emotional journey that involves seeing their family in a different light.

p.5

Outstanding

The organisation provides highly qualified clinical support to the staff team and children. With the guidance of a clinical psychologist, children’s emotional difficulties recede. The complex trauma model applied by the clinical support staff forms the core of their practice, which they discuss regularly with the care staff. This makes sure that staff retain their focus on the individual needs of each child. Staff engage thoroughly and consistently in this process. As one said, ‘Working in a therapeutic way gives stability and security to our children.’ This practice is exceptional and is a pleasure to observe. Numerous written reviews by bank staff provide unbeatable corroboration of this method. Therapeutic support workers who visit from within and from outside the company provide glowing praise. Recent comments include, ‘It’s a pleasure to work here’ and ‘This home is excellent. It’s hard to think how to improve it.’

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Outstanding

Children make outstanding progress. Within a few months of admission, one boy was sleeping through the night, eating well and tackling his personal hygiene, and had joined a local football team. Children’s involvement with illicit drugs stops, for example, and they receive expert external advice. Within days of arrival from difficult circumstances, another boy began adhering to boundaries, speaking to staff, despite not using speech previously, and showed empathy for his peers. Some children have progressed from living on the streets to considering foster placements, which the professionals originally thought would be impossible. These remarkable journeys set children up for productive and enjoyable futures. One social worker, who has used the service several times, said: ‘The staff have done wonders with my children. There is a consistently high standard [of care] and fantastic management.’

p.6

Outstanding

Children and staff have plenty of fun together. Excellent planning means that children experience an immense range of stimulating activities. Music is a recurring theme, with some children enjoying the piano or the drums. Impromptu dances with staff occur. During the summer, children spent a lot of time outside in the paddock or searching for wildlife. Recently, they were thoroughly engaged in preparing for and enjoying Halloween, which involved picking the pumpkins. Regular events focus on other countries and cultures. These events are educative and, for example, involve important conversations about racism and racist language. Around the large and comfortable property are signs of recent events that the children have enjoyed. These include one that focused on the USA, another that explained the stages that a foetus goes through (because a member of staff will soon become a father) and large artificial spiders from Halloween. Community-

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Outstanding

based activities that children attend currently include ice skating, football and a choir. The home is an exciting, stimulating place for all the children, whatever their background and whichever authority has placed them.

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Outstanding

The vast majority of children attend the organisation’s own school, which is nearby. Their attendance rates are very high and their academic progress is significant. Each child at the school has a package of support that helps them to engage as much as possible in education. One has gained sufficient self-confidence to become a mentor to younger pupils and is preparing to go to a mainstream school. Another has engaged promptly in full-time education after a substantial absence. Staff immediately make alternative arrangements when existing programmes fail, as they inevitably do from time to time. For one child, this meant temporarily replacing some time at school with time elsewhere. This step prevented him failing, removed the cause of his difficulties and facilitated his educational progress. Staff understand the rights of children and prevent situations from drifting unnecessarily. After school, all the children sit down to discuss the highs and lows of their day.

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Outstanding

This excellent practice allows them to differentiate between home and school, and to learn to support each other.

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Outstanding

The manager is extremely careful when deciding on new admissions, even though some children arrive at short notice. All the children and staff feel strongly that the manager makes good decisions about who comes to live here. Staff follow a careful ‘welcome’ process so that all children understand, for example, why they are in the home and how to raise concerns. The clear daily routines ensure that each child learns self-care and independence skills from an early stage.

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Outstanding

All children who have left the home have progressed positively to other placements. A detailed and personalised programme was put together for each move. As part of this move, one child enjoyed a summer holiday abroad with staff and her prospective foster family. This highlight helped her become accustomed to her new family and verify that it was the right move for her. When children leave the home, staff present each child with a bound book of photographs and other mementos. These include their personal monthly reports, showing how and what they did during the whole of their stay. This is a moving and meaningful record of this stage in their life. A member of staff wrote: ‘We regularly hear from children who have lived with us in the past, who have moved on to bigger and better things, and they always thank us for the support and guidance that we gave them.’ Judgement grade

p.7

Outstanding

All the children feel safe, both in the home and outside it. In surveys, they all confirmed that staff look after them all the time. One child felt so strongly about this recently that she nominated the manager for a local authority-sponsored award called ‘Running the home in a way which makes her safe’. From a different perspective, the manager of the organisation’s fostering service said, ‘Children who transitioned to fostering [from the home] hold a good understanding of keeping safe.’

p.8

Outstanding

A core feature of the service is the outstanding ability of staff to use clear boundaries to keep children safe. Children understand the boundaries and engage so well that they contribute to their own behaviour management plans. One thought that ‘extra TV time’ was a useful incentive. Another agreed that he and staff would talk about his favourite musician when he was upset. This admirable practice does not prevent difficulties and challenges from occurring, and there has recently been an increase in the number of physical interventions. The arrival of new resident children since the last full inspection has thoroughly tested the skill and resilience of the team members. However, they have continued to focus on children’s individual needs and rights, using clear theoretical models. Consequently, staff understand each child well, including the risks that they pose and the strategies that work best. As staff said: ‘Knowing the history, triggers and likely

p.8

Outstanding

responses of our young people is vital to managing [difficult] situations. It helps you to understand their behaviours and use the correct de-escalation technique for the individual.’

p.8

Outstanding

Visiting professionals acknowledge that staff work hard to ‘keep a downward pressure’ on negative incidents, for example by subtly de-escalating incidents and diverting the attention of the children. Because of these efforts, children hardly ever go missing from the home, and the risks from child sexual exploitation and self-harm are low. Staff rarely call the police to the home. Children engage in positive behaviour, partly because of the incentives on offer. Reward schemes direct them towards desirable outcomes and away from damaging ones. The manager keeps the rewards scheme under review and has recently refreshed it. Children say that staff treat them fairly. One said, ‘The staff [here] make sure that we are treated the same way, so no one is left out.’ The manager is currently reviewing the online risks to children. Her research is contributing to a bespoke programme of training to help them to stay safe.

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Outstanding

Staff do not tolerate bullying, but it does arise from time to time. Children feel confident enough to disclose such concerns to staff, who act promptly to minimise the effect. Key workers discuss the issues with both the bully and victims. This strategy is usually sufficient to restore the equilibrium. The team liaises thoroughly with other professionals, including therapists and social workers. Since the last inspection, children have made a small number of allegations about staff. These have all been investigated, and they were determined to be unfounded. Staff understand that children’s previous experiences are often the cause. Staff feel supported by the organisation in these stressful situations. One said: ‘We all understand that, in this line of work, we can be subjected to a complaint or allegation. The company has a strong procedure in place to ensure that we are supported and that the complaint is investigated effectively.’

p.8

Outstanding

The manager has been in post since 2004. Although she is already suitably qualified, she is undertaking, and has nearly completed, a higher-level award in residential childcare management. Under her expert leadership, the service has achieved and sustained outstanding inspection judgments since 2011. In particular, the service is very effective in preparing younger children for foster care. By this measure alone, it has a particularly high success rate, with the majority of children moving successfully into foster families. One child even said that the home itself ‘feels like a foster family’. A visitor said, ‘I love the family vibe around the home!’

p.9

Outstanding

The written statement of purpose gives readers the required information about the service, including its theoretical base. The manager has supplemented the core information with additional details about the location. This assists commissioners and social workers with their placement decisions. There has been a change of ownership of the company since the last inspection. Consequently, improvements are underway in many areas, including to the property, the written policies and procedures, staff training and the recording system. Staff perceive this substantial change positively, rather than as a threat, which is a critical factor in the ongoing effectiveness of the service. This is to the credit of the senior managers who are implementing the changes.

p.9

Outstanding

The staff team is highly competent and staff fully understand why tasks, such as accurate recording, are necessary. They are self-motivated and suggest solutions to problems. Although they are busy, staff always have time for the children. In fact, children are involved in many of the routine activities around the house. One visiting worker said, ‘The shift was run like clockwork.’ Staff loyalty is excellent. They rarely leave and sickness is minimal. One wrote: ‘Brilliant home to work at! Strong manager.’ This is of immense benefit to the children. In recent months, the necessary use of staff from agencies, the bank team and other homes has reduced the consistency somewhat. However, it is a credit to all concerned that this has had no effect on children’s progress.

p.9

Outstanding

Children’s personal files clearly show the significant progress that they make. In particular, children see their monthly newsletters in which staff reflect on events and how well children have been. Children are proud of these records and happily refer to them.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager and staff team constantly seek to improve themselves and the service. Their infectious enthusiasm reflects this attitude. They have addressed the two requirements of the last inspection by ensuring that social workers provide children’s documents in a timely way. This helps to ensure that there is a collaborative and consistent approach to each child. They also communicate better with Ofsted through email and the submission of appropriate notifications. Staff receive good support, which includes targets agreed with their manager. One said, ‘I have monthly supervision [meetings] as a minimum. At times there can be constructive criticism, but this helps me in my job.’

p.10

Outstanding

Staff are excited about the training that they receive and learn a great deal from it. The vast majority of staff are suitably qualified and the remainder are on track to complete their training within the statutory timescales. Staff follow a comprehensive training programme that keeps them up to date on social issues. The organisation gives staff training a high priority through, for example, specific courses for senior staff, and invests in bespoke events focusing on individual children’s cultural needs. The latter events have involved trainers from the Roma community, who gave staff expert individualised advice of direct relevance to their practice. Staff apply their learning to the care of children. One said, ‘Staff are trained in equality and diversity [for example]. We explain this to each young person, so that they understand about bullying, harassment and discrimination.’ Staff feel well supported, and appreciate the strong support from the organisation.

p.10

Outstanding

A newer member of the team said, ‘I have just finished my probation. I feel that this is a very strong team.’ Proof of the effectiveness of this process is the way that staff manage the challenging behaviour of new children.

p.10

Outstanding

The manager and the independent visitor monitor the service well. The manager has introduced a variety of ways of gaining the views of children and other people about the service. She continually revises and improves such systems, and is working to improve the six-monthly evaluation of her service. The registered manager will challenge other agencies, when needed, on behalf of the young people. Her concern, to do the best for each child and her team, is why the service operates at an outstanding level.

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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 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 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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