Children's home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1258095 1 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company that operates a number of children’s homes across the country owns this home. This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children or young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in 2018. A new manager started in October 2018 and has applied to register with Ofsted. A suitability decision will shortly be made.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was last inspected in June 2018 and judged to be good. Two requirements were made as a result of that inspection. These related to managing the home and care planning. Since the last inspection, there have been a number of significant incidents at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Both requirements from the last inspection are judged to be met. There is now a better admissions process in place and young people are no longer admitted to the home on an emergency basis. The statement of purpose has been revised and sent to Ofsted as Interim inspection report children’s home: 1258095 2 required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work hard to maintain a nice, homely and well-presented environment. There is ample space for young people, with a range of activities and games. There is currently one young person living in the home. The young person spoke with the inspector and reported that they were happy and safe, and enjoyed living at the home. Relationships between staff and the young person are good and appropriately managed. A key member of staff was due to leave employment at the home. Appropriate support has been put in place and the needs of the young person fully considered. This empathetic approach minimises the upset of long-standing staff moving on from the home while ensuring that young people are supported to end relationships positively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection in June 2018, three young people have left the home. Two of these young people left the home within a month of arriving. The short-term nature of the placements was due to incidents in the home. These incidents were mostly appropriately managed and responded to by the provider. Furthermore, the responsible individual and manager have reviewed these incidents and identified where improvements need to be made. This has resulted in changes to staff practice and changes to the operation of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One of these placement endings can be attributed to insufficient information being provided by a placing service. While the manager did raise concerns informally about this matter, there was no follow-up or escalation of these concerns. As a result, the provider has not ensured that where the practice of a partner agency is below what is required, that this is rigorously challenged.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Sanctions are rarely used by staff and, instead, young people receive regular positive rewards for displaying socially acceptable behaviour. However, when sanctions are used, staff do not record the full extent of the young person’s views. Instead, they record a summary statement. This means that there is the potential for staff to misrepresent the views of young people. There has been no demonstrable negative effect on young people, to date, as a result of this area to improve.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Restraint is only used when absolutely necessary. Records of restraint are clear and all required information is recorded. There have been no episodes of young people going missing from the home since the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some new staff have joined since the last inspection. Recruitment processes are thorough and appropriate. Similarly, staff continue to be well supervised by the management team. Staff training is completed where required, and young people are cared for by staff who are appropriately skilled. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1258095 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2018 Full Good 06/12/2017 Full Good

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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— 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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Recommendations

 Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views, acknowledging that it is not the sole responsibility of the child to ‘tell’. They should also understand how children might communicate their feelings through their behaviour, or non- verbally especially where the child has a disability which does not allow them to communicate as others might. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10) Interim inspection report children’s home: 1258095 4

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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) Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Peter Hylton, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1258095 5 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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