Children's Home, Residential special school run by Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 1 SC482300 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned by a company that has many similar homes in this area and elsewhere in England. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 20 young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. However, its currently available accommodation is for no more than 14. The company also has an on-site school.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 January to 1 February 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 The requirements set at the October inspection have been met in full through good strategic management and the hard work of the entire staff team.  Staff have engaged very well with their model of training and have consistently Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 2 applied thoughtful behaviour management strategies. This has led to a significant reduction in episodes of children going missing and in the need for physical intervention. There have been no incidents of children climbing on roofs since the last inspection visit.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The physical appearance of the two living areas that are currently in operation is of a good and homely standard.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children engage well with staff. They attend education, enjoy activities and are learning to get along with each other constructively.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff supervision is not yet happening at the expected frequency.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff in the home have not made sufficient effort to know, nurture, support or fully understand the relationships children may have outside the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2017 Progress monitoring No judgement 17/10/2017 Full Inadequate 18/01/2017 Full Good 01/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should be skilled in understanding the range of influences that friendships can have and should encourage those with a positive impact and discourage those with a negative impact. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.8) In particular, seek to make direct contact with friends of children so as to make a thorough assessment of the suitability of the contact and how best to support it; encourage young people to bring friends on site, with suitable staff oversight; and also consider how to engage young people in community-based activities with their non- looked-after peers.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, ensure that supervision occurs at the agreed frequency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Over this inspection period (from 17 October 2017 to 31 January 2018) the managers in the home and the wider organisation have focused very purposefully on addressing the shortfalls found at the October inspection, and on providing a stable home in which children can make progress. They have made significant improvements, providing a good and engaging service for the young people who are currently living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the October inspection, which found some degradation of the living environment, the improvements made to the environment have been comprehensive. Young people now benefit from attractive and well-maintained furnishings throughout the home. This work has been done against a backdrop of change. One of the two living areas will shortly be used as offices, and young people have moved into an area of the home which was being renovated at the time of the inspection. However, in the interim period, the area in use has been brought up to a good standard with the inclusion of many attractive items and the prompt repair of any scuffed or damaged surfaces.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At this inspection, young people were found to have developed good and nurturing relationships with many members of the staff team, and all were, to varying degrees, working with staff on the issues that are affecting them. In both of the houses that are in operation managers and staff have successfully created a calm and engaging culture. Young people seek out the staff to support them, and engage with staff in a diverse Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 4 range of activities. Relationships between staff and young people are constructive. Staff are increasingly using their training to guide them in positive interaction with young people, and house managers and the senior management team have played a very positive role in promoting this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s education is given a very high priority. All young people were seen to be properly engaged in full-time educational placements. For all but one of the current young people this was in the onsite school. One young person who had a short period without structured education now attends an off-site college course, using public transport to get to and from the college. This is pleasing progress for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported well to maintain family relationships. The staff in the home facilitate contact when required. They understand the importance of family contact and have sought to nurture productive relationships with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people may have friendships outside the home, and staff are respectful of this. Staff have facilitated some community contact for young people. Staff have maintained a very open-minded and non-judgemental view of external friendships which has helped young people to feel supported and understood. However, it was noted that opportunities to learn more about young people’s friends, for example by inviting them to the home, have not been utilised.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the inspection in October 2017, there has been a very proactive and successful management response to keeping young people safe. In 2017, there were significant periods of difficulty in respect of young people going missing, and multiple incidents of them climbing onto the roofs of the home. Both these behaviours have decreased very significantly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The incidents of young people going missing initially involved young people who were going to be leaving the home. Managers had concluded that the home was no longer a safe setting for them. Since these young people have moved on, the only episode of missing has been one incident of an unscheduled return to a young person’s family home. This was managed according to the ‘missing protocol’, resulting in an early return to the children’s home. It is also noteworthy that the young person’s wish to return home had been carefully explored with the use of an advocate. This has ensured that young people feel heard when expressing their views, without them resorting to behaviour that puts them at risk. The advocate has been able to make real progress on the issue for the young person concerned.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The problem of climbing has been dealt with from many angles, including making it physically more difficult for young people to access the roofs. Young people have also been spoken to and have reflected on their behaviour. The young people no longer try to access the roofs, and feel safer in the more respectful culture that is developing. The managers have also sought to reward young people for not climbing, a practise that helped motivate young people to conform, but which is now acknowledged as rarely Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 5 being necessary. The young people no longer place themselves at this risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The wider behaviour management of young people has been managed well in this inspection period. Young people are closely engaged with staff, who follow well- constructed care plans when responding to behaviour. Staff respond at an early stage so that signs of agitation and discontent are picked up quickly and de-escalated whenever possible. Staff are trained in, and may on occasion use, physical intervention to keep young people safe. This is internally reviewed thoroughly and staff follow sound practice. The vast majority of holds that have been used in this period have been short in duration and low level. The use of rewards and a restorative approach to any sanctions is also helping to keep the home calm, and young people are now far more accepting of the range of staff interventions than was the case at the previous inspection.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people know how to complain, and records and audit trails demonstrate that complaints are taken seriously and may lead to changes in practice, if necessary.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have received and understood their safeguarding training. The practice of reporting concerns and involving external agencies is good. Concerns about the practice of staff are handled sensitively and very promptly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Health and safety is promoted well in the home. It is notable that after all the previous problems of roof climbing, significant construction work involving scaffolding to various external walls has been conducted without incident. The fire risk assessment for the home was undertaken in September 2017. Some actions arose from this, all of which have been satisfactorily completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the previous inspection, the leadership of the home was assessed to be underperforming because the skills and knowledge of staff was insufficient to manage the challenges that young people presented. Since then the managers have worked intensively on embedding a good standard of practice, and ensuring greater consistency in how staff engage with young people. The staff team is performing well, and this is primarily because it is well led. There have been many changes in recent months, and these have included the appointment of one relatively new and one very new house manager, an acting head of care (while a permanent appointment is sought) and the registered manager, who is still in his first year in post. The ethos of the home is in line with that promoted across the company that operates it, and real prominence is now given to the ‘Playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy’ training that is used to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

underpin engagement with young people. Staff have been trained in PACE, and they are motivated by the training. Staff spoken with could describe how they intervene and why, referring to this training repeatedly. It was also evident that house managers have promoted this strongly. This has helped the staff team to feel a good sense of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers have successfully addressed all the issues and complied with all the requirements arising out of the October 2017 inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 6 Staff were unanimously appreciative of their managers. They feel well supported, and in some cases inspired, by the leadership they are given. Staff have regular supervision and describe this as helpful to them. Records indicate that supervision covers a wide range of child-centred topics. Supervision links well to the aims of the home. However, some staff have not received supervision at the organisation’s expected frequency throughout this inspection period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff have attained the relevant level 3 qualification for their work, and those who are still working towards it remain within the timeframe to complete this in accordance with the regulation. Staff receive an annual appraisal of their work, and new staff are subject to a probation period which must successfully conclude before they are confirmed in their posts. Managers have demonstrated that they use these tools effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been no new admissions to the home in this inspection period. However, managers have reflected closely on the problems the home previously experienced, and in response they have developed an admission process to consider impact more widely. This has yet to be tested in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems for the home are insightful. A good, in-depth regulation 45 report was prepared by the registered manager in January 2018. This evidenced very strong analysis of the home, utilising data objectively to underpin the strengths and weaknesses that were identified.

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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

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 Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Turnpike Gate House, Alcester Heath, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5JG

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Inspectors

Kenneth Smith, social care inspector Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482300 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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