Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 1

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Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children. It is part of a large private organisation that includes a company school and a clinical team. The statement of purpose includes, ‘Each individual child follows their own programme in an atmosphere of high expectations and achievable aims, where they are valued for themselves.’

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received notifications of a number of concerns regarding this home. These state that children were at risk of harm because staff did not take sufficient action to keep them safe. For example, Ofsted was informed that children were hanging out of a first-floor window and also causing damage to neighbouring properties.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to identify any potential risks to children’s safety and well-being. Ofsted previously inspected this service in March 2019 and made three requirements and six recommendations. Ofsted will consider progress against these shortfalls at the next inspection, and these remain in place at this time.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of occasions when children’s actions and behaviours have put them at risk of harm. In these circumstances, staff have not consistently provided children with clear boundaries to help them to understand the behaviours that are expected of them. Staff do not work with children to encourage them to recognise and display socially acceptable behaviours, or to take responsibility for their actions. Furthermore, staff do not help children to consider the impact that their behaviours may have on others. Consequently, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 2 children are not motivated to change their behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is sterile and unwelcoming. The environment does not provide children with visual stimulation or comfortable surroundings. There are no soft furnishings, pictures or ornaments in communal areas. Children are unable to freely access games, books or other in-house leisure activities. The registered manager explained that the ‘stripping back’ of communal areas is in response to the risks that some children present. However, this approach to risk management means that the environment does not meet children’s needs or enable them to fully participate in daily life in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not considered the impact that some children’s behaviours, or the strategies in place to manage and reduce their risks, have on the quality of care for other children. Staff do not consistently challenge children’s unacceptable or anti-social behaviours. This means that other children often become embroiled in these behaviours or are encouraged by their peers to become involved in dangerous incidents. This is to the detriment of their progress and day-to-day experiences.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has taken action to ensure that sufficiently robust window restrictors have been fitted to first-floor windows to help safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff sickness and resulting staffing shortfalls culminated in a very unsettled period at the home. The registered provider has taken action to review staffing and management on-call arrangements to ensure that there is suitable senior cover to assist and advise staff as needed. The registered provider is liaising with placing authorities to consider the suitability of some young people’s placements at the home and make alternative arrangements. This is because the provider recognises that it cannot continue to meet their needs effectively and safely.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/03/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ix)) 15/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)) 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their 31/05/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 4 potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to creating a welcoming and homely environment for all children. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (b)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)) 31/05/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 31/05/2019

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Recommendations

 Registered persons must ensure there are procedures in place for welcoming and introducing each child to the home, and that they are sensitive to the needs of the child at the time of arrival. A warm welcome and introduction to the home is an entitlement for all children whether they are admitted in a planned way or in an emergency. Where possible, other children and young people should be supported to contribute to the design of the welcome and introduction and where appropriate the welcome itself. The home has a key role in helping children to understand why they are living there and the plans Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 5 for their future. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.7)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff

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Recommendations

should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted

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Recommendations

upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 6

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Millward

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Inspector

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1275966 7 to 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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