Children's home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Stratford-on-Avon

Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 1 SC398385 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three young people who display a combination of emotional difficulties, associated challenging behaviours and educational underachievement, and require intensive support. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation which offers an education service and therapeutic support.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2018, and is appropriately experienced and qualified to manage a children’s home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 2 19/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/06/2017 Full Good 12/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 3

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Recommendations

 Keep all children’s case records up to date. This is with particular regard to streamlining risk assessments in order to prioritise the most up-to-date risk management information and guidance for staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home that is safe and very homely. They experience nurture and grow in confidence, as staff have high levels of respect for young people’s individuality. Young people feel valued because the manager and staff consult with them about the running of the home and their individual placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is furnished to high standard. One young person described the spacious kitchen as ‘the social hub of the home’, where young people and staff love to sit, chat and cook together. The home’s furnishings and design have been carefully planned so that they provide young people with comfort, reflect their individuality and give them a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make very good progress in developing independence skills and taking responsibility for decisions that they make. One older young person has grown in maturity, as she is trusted to manage her own free time. A stable base and trusting relationships with staff give this young person the confidence to attend college and make positive social networks and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Other young people understand and accept the supervision and support they receive from staff to keep them and others safe. They learn new skills and enjoy quality time with staff, both in the day-to-day running of the home and through a range of well- planned activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people value education. They attend school and college regularly, and do very well. The importance of education is quickly endorsed when new young people arrive at the home. The registered manager and staff work closely with services to ensure that education placements are quickly sourced and needs-led. Additional tutor support and help with homework from staff promote young people’s potential to do well and improve their education outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that education comes in many guises, and ensure that there is learning from each planned activity. This is best evidenced with each young person’s Pathway to Independence plan. Activities such as good dental care, tying shoelaces and learning to Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 4 ride a bike are built into the day-to-day support provided by staff. Staff are tenacious; they ensure that their practice is connected to young people’s individual placement plans and promotes positive development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good health, with balanced meals, encouragement to exercise and support from staff who have sensitive insight into young people’s mental and emotional health. Good-quality, child-centred key-work sessions, combined with access to regular therapy, promote young people’s well-being.

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

Young people experience a firm sense of safety, as staff consistently implement a strong care-planning and safeguarding framework. Staff are well trained and have easy access to clear guidance on how to identify, respond to, report and record any safeguarding concerns.

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

Staff have an in-depth understanding of the young people’s needs and use well-written risk assessments to support young people’s safety inside and outside of the home. While risk management strategies are in place and are consistently implemented by staff, recently reviewed documentation is not always prominently displayed in young people’s files.

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

Young people are kept safe with effective and jointly agreed missing-from-care protocols. Collaborative work with other agencies ensures that young people who present a risk to others are closely supervised and monitored.

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

Young people become increasingly aware of how to keep themselves safe as a result of key-work sessions and engagement with therapy. Structured and personalised responses from staff mean that challenging behaviours reduce significantly. Young people learn from their experiences as they receive compassionate, proportionate and warm responses from staff.

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

Physical intervention is seldom used, and is closely monitored by the registered manager. Detailed records show that staff view the use of physical intervention as a last resort to keep young people and others safe.

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

There are no concerns about bullying. Young people understand that the staff and manager take young people’s safety very seriously and will challenge behaviours and listen to concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is held in high regard by the staff and the young people. They have seen a significant change in the running of the home since his appointment. Staff feel fully involved, and value the registered manager’s high aspirations for young people Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 5 and his commitment to staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people appreciate the way in which the registered manager and staff treat them as individuals and they are assured and confident in their relationships with staff. They enjoy full participation in the running of the home, and are confident that the registered manager and staff will listen to and resolve any concerns they may have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff show unquestionable commitment to young people. They access information about the young people and visit them prior to placements being agreed. The most recently admitted young person appreciated being able to meet staff before arriving at the home and the things that staff did to welcome her, not least a ‘Welcome to Your New Home’ balloon and a teddy bear on her bed. Her social worker is reassured not only by good information sharing, but also the consideration staff give to the needs of the other young people when a new young person arrives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of the home’s statement of purpose and strives to work well with the other professionals involved with each child. He assertively and competently challenged one placing authority when poor information sharing resulted in the unexpected discharge of one young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing arrangements meet the needs of the young people. Although there have been some recent changes to the staff team, young people continue to experience a firm sense of stability. The core staff, who are experienced, suitably qualified and well trained, work additional shifts to ensure young people’s continuity of care. When relief and agency staff are used, the young people welcome these individuals as they know them well and like to catch up.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of his monitoring responsibilities. His monthly audits show good compliance and demonstrate tracking of the positive outcomes for young people’. Independent monitoring reports are comprehensive and positive and any recommendations are quickly addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statutory requirement from the last inspection is met. All areas of the home are now well maintained.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 6 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

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Information about this inspection

it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Elaine Cray: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC398385 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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