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

Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 1 SC398480 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large private provider operates this home. Ofsted has registered it for five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The last inspection found that the service was good but that leadership and management required improvement in several areas. Since then, the manager has received additional support. This has resulted in some changes, but the quality of leadership of the service has declined.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to improvements, the way in which staff plan each child’s care is satisfactory. The statement of purpose now states that the home only admits younger children. This is because the service was not meeting the needs of teenagers. However, shortfalls in leadership persist. Despite the manager and team leaders receiving additional scrutiny and support, there are shortfalls in their competencies to care for children safely.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new shortfall is that staff are not protecting children by undertaking adequate recruitment checks of agency staff. Despite there being an appropriate policy, a Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 2 designated member of staff overseeing the process, and recent reminders to staff, the application of this policy is substantially flawed. In practice, the members of staff on duty do not follow the procedures. Not only are background checks of agency staff inadequate, but so is their induction training. This raises the potential risk of unsafe or incompetent adults working with the children. Agency staff are not sufficiently aware of the children’s needs or the workings of the home. This creates unnecessary risks for everyone.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement at the last inspection was that staff receive appropriate supervision regarding any specific responsibilities that the manager has allocated to them. The manager reported that this is now occurring. However, the shortfalls regarding agency staff show that it is not. Supervising staff do not verify that their supervisees do what is required. Similarly, the manager is unable to verify or evaluate what his senior staff are doing when they supervise staff because he does not have access to the records of their meetings. Furthermore, because the manager does not keep good records, he undertakes supervision with staff without the benefit and continuity provided by the previous minutes. He does not have copies of his own supervision meetings and neither do some of the staff team. As a result, the system does not work and shortfalls arise. Senior staff do not complete the supervision records consistently. In some cases, this

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

means that staff are not clear whether the quality of their work continues to be satisfactory. The manager’s means of verifying that his team is working correctly are inadequate. In addition, staff do not receive sufficient support to help them to reflect on and develop their practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has insufficient knowledge about day-to-day issues. For example, he is unfamiliar with shift leadership arrangements in his home; he does not know whether agency staff administer medication, and he does not know how staff sign off the policies and procedures. During correspondence with a local authority, he did not keep copies of relevant documents. This meant that he was unable to refute some alleged shortfalls. The rota shows that shift leaders operate on most shifts. However, it is not sufficiently clear who leads the shift when a shift leader is ill. This lack of accountability contributes to the shortfalls identified during this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff sickness and departures have not allowed the team to consolidate, despite admissions changing to younger children who display less challenging behaviour. The staffing levels are adequate but the competency of the team is unsatisfactory. During the inspection, an experienced team leader and the manager mismanaged the administration of a controlled drug. This did not harm the child, but the manager and staff member did not follow the steps required to protect all parties. In addition, security in the office is poor, despite a previous recommendation by Ofsted and a recent incident. During the inspection, neither the filing cabinet nor the key safe was secure. This creates a risk of items being taken or interfered with as happened recently. More importantly, it indicates a lack of understanding by staff and poor leadership.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The administration of records is not adequate. In addition to the shortfalls already identified, there is undue delay in staff obtaining children’s plans from local authorities. Furthermore, although children read some of their records, staff do not fully enable Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 3 children to contribute to and understand what is written about them. Staff and the manager do not understand the need to promote this right with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child moved out in a planned way to a more suitable placement. One resident is now 19 years of age. He is preparing to move to supported accommodation next month and is looking forward to taking his next steps. When children need specialist health support, staff liaise with relevant professionals. This promotes children’s well-being.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans (Regulation 5(c)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to using effective means to obtain relevant documents. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 31/01/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 4 registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm (Regulation 12(2)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to ensuring that keys and other items are kept securely. The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate (Regulation 13(1)(2)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to leading the service effectively and making clear arrangements for shift leadership at all times. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the manager, having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the children has the appropriate skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children (Regulation 28(1)(b)). 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2 (Regulation 32(3)(d)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to agency staff and their records. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all staff have the appropriate level of experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform (Regulation 32(3)(b)). 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. This is with regard, for example, to children’s needs, the property itself, to critical records, and written procedures (Regulation 33(1)(a)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to agency staff. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (Regulation 33(4)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to ensuring that staff receive supervision that effectively addresses their responsibilities. 31/01/2018

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Recommendations

 Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 5 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  Keep a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions and ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)  Ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Limited, Turnpike Gate House, Alcester Health, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5JG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jarrod Elcock Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 6 Registered manager: Stuart Banks

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Inspector

David Morgan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC398480 7 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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