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Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 1 SC482299 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to 10 children with social, emotional and mental health needs. The registered manager returned to their post in March 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 29 to 30 November 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 requires improvement to be 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: 19 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2017 02/03/2017 Full Full Good Good 04/10/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/03/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 3

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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

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(c)) 11/01/2019

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Requirement Due Date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff 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; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)) 11/01/2019

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Requirement Due Date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 11/01/2019

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Requirement Due Date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant 11/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 4 person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due Date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(e)) 11/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that maintenance repairs within individual children’s bedrooms are completed in a timely manner.  Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)

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Recommendations

In particular, make sure that records are regularly reviewed, to ensure consistency of recording.  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and provides different spaces for children to play and enjoy creative activities. Children’s bedrooms are individualised to reflect their preferences, including personalised murals on the walls. This supports the children’s sense of self. However, ongoing day-to-day maintenance issues in respect of children’s bedrooms are not always responded to as quickly as they should be. This does not support the positive work undertaken by staff and may impact on the children’s confidence in the importance staff place on their personal spaces. Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 5 Staff have developed nurturing relationships with the children. This supports the therapeutic model of care, which is based on the PACE approach. Children enjoy talking with staff about their day-to-day lives. Children feel able to share any worries that they may have. This is important given the number of changes of staff since the last

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

inspection. This has not negatively affected the day-to-day care of the children. Children are supported to enjoy play, and staff bring a sense of fun to their interactions with children. Activities outside of the home are supported fully by the staff team and children are involved in individual hobbies and local groups. Children’s friendships, both inside and outside of the home, are supported well by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Learning is promoted well by staff, both formally and informally. Staff support children to engage in education at school, where all children attend regularly. There is good communication between the staff team and each school to support this. Children’s health needs are met well through staff working effectively with health professionals. The emotional well-being of children is supported through their relationships with staff and the therapy that is provided by the home. Children’s medication is administered well overall. However, there have been a small number of recording errors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s relationships with family members where this is possible. This includes supporting children while visiting their families who may live at a distance. The support provided to children to spend time with family members was commended by one child’s social worker. Feedback from professionals and family members was very positive overall. Consultation with children is part of the staff team’s day-to-day interactions with them. Children are aware of, and enabled to access, advocacy support if needed. However, the children’s guide does not explain how to access an advocate or how to make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and identified risks. However, the strategies that are needed to reduce risks were not fully identified for one child. Although this did not impact on the child’s safety, it is important that strategies are in place to address all known potential risks for each child. Children say that they feel safe and overall the supervision of children is effective and consistent. However, there was one incident where a child left the home unsupervised for a short period of time, returning to the home with staff. This was effectively investigated, and appropriate safeguards were put in place.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff meets safer recruitment practice standards. Staff training is relevant to their roles. However, this training is not provided to bank staff, which is a gap in terms of ensuring consistency across the staff team. Supervision provided to staff on an individual basis provides space for them to reflect on their practice. However, this was not recorded on one occasion when the registered manager addressed a practice issue in relation to safeguarding. There has been a gap in the frequency of supervision for the registered manager. However, they now receive regular supervision from the new regional manager. Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 6 Allegations relating to staff practice are thoroughly and consistently investigated by the registered manager. Investigations effectively address any practice issues, with advice and guidance appropriately sought from the local authority designated officer. However,

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improvement to be good

Ofsted was not notified of an allegation on one occasion. Safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately by the staff team and the right information is shared with the individual child’s social worker. However, on one occasion, the reporting of these concerns was not in accordance with relevant procedures. There was no detriment to the child because of effective and well-established communication with the child’s social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and passionate about the home. The manager leads a staff team that is committed and caring. The changes within the staff team have been well managed, resulting in consistent care being provided to the children. This included a change in registered manager, with the original manager returning from planned leave. The continuity of care was supported further by the effective handover that was undertaken. The registered manager is ensuring that new staff are appropriately supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear vision for the development of the home. The home’s development plan is child-centred and is based on the changing developmental needs of the children. Consultation with children and staff is to inform these plans. The registered manager ensures that the views of children are sought regularly in respect of the quality of care provided to them. The small number of complaints made by children have been thoroughly investigated and addressed by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring of the quality of care provided is effective due to the oversight of the registered manager and the new regional manager. This is supported by the monthly monitoring that is undertaken by the independent visitor which is, in turn, shared with Ofsted. However, on one occasion, this was not shared with Ofsted within a reasonable time frame. There are clear plans in place for the recruitment of a new deputy manager. Once in post, they will support the registered manager in the ongoing development plans for the home.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 7 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 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 8

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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: Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited, Turnpike Gate House, Alcester Heath, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5JG

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Inspector(s)

Maria Lonergan: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482299 9 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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