Children's home run by Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd in Havant

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 1 SC482293

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Hillcrest Children's Services Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately-owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to seven boys who have complex social, emotional and mental health needs. Young people can use the two self-contained flats on the premises in preparation for independence.

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Information about this children's home

The home has been without a registered manager since 4 January 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The home had a full inspection in September 2018 and was judged to be outstanding. This monitoring inspection took place following a compliance notice being issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard. It had an end date of 23 April 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to establish compliance with the notice, and whether sufficient progress had been made to ensure that risk assessments were of the necessary standard to help staff protect children.

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This monitoring visit

1. Senior managers to review and report on how effective policies and procedures are in guiding staff to review risk assessments following incidents and events.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers undertook a review of policies and procedures but did not record it. They concluded that risk assessment policies were robust. They did not identify shortfalls in the guidance given to staff on completing such assessments. The procedure states that reviews must be considered after serious incidents or in the light of significant changes but does not specify or give examples of what constitutes either serious or significant. In addition, there is no guidance on the recording of particular hazards, events that may heighten risk, antecedent behaviours or how to Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 2 score the severity of risks.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers did identify the need to have a policy addressing emergency events and introduced a new ‘staying away from home’ assessment to ensure that children are safe when temporarily accommodated elsewhere, either for a planned holiday or in an emergency. Staff make this assessment available to placing authorities by access to the relevant child’s records on the provider’s electronic system. Social workers are alerted to any new or revised assessments.

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This monitoring visit

2. Senior managers to review and report on the ability of all staff to recognise the need to update and to write effective risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers conducted an audit of risk assessments for children and concluded that all staff required training to be able to write them effectively. They did not review and record individual staff member’s abilities.

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This monitoring visit

The course provided involved participants (who included the home’s interim and deputy managers) submitting revised risk assessments, which were then reviewed by a performance and quality manager. Participants were signed off as competent when judged as having submitted an assessment of the required standard. Staff reported a better understanding of the importance of risk assessments following the training. During the inspection it was found that the content and quality of those that had been revised following the course were improved.

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This monitoring visit

Managers identified a staff member from each of the two teams who they felt were, ‘able to write risk assessments that are robust and informative’ and competent to assist colleagues. The evaluation of these workers’ competency to write good quality assessments was not recorded.

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This monitoring visit

3. Senior managers to evaluate and report on mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing the quality of risk assessments in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers amended the process of monitoring risk assessments having identified shortfalls in the recordings, rather than undertaking specific evaluation and written review of existing monitoring mechanisms.

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This monitoring visit

New procedures are in place in which the manager undertakes audits of incidents to ensure that risk assessments have been reviewed and updated when needed. However, this has not always improved the quality of that assessment with, for example, additional control measures suggested by the therapist were included in the background section of the assessment and therefore may not have been read by anyone looking at the appropriate section.

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This monitoring visit

The manager showed the inspector a further measure; the electronic recording system now alerts her when changes are made to an assessment and prompts its review. This is generating a substantial amount of work and several assessments are Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 3 awaiting the manager’s attention. This may cause confusion and lead to staff not using the most up-to-date assessment to guide their practice.

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This monitoring visit

4. Following these reviews draw up and implement an action plan which identifies and addresses any learning needs, including timely responses.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers drew up an action plan to address the requirements and recommendations of the previous monitoring visit report. It did not specifically address the outcomes of reviews following these steps.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are revising all individual risk assessments using the skills and knowledge gained from their training. Managers believe that the revisions need to be undertaken by staff who have a personal knowledge and understanding of the children. They have increased staffing so that more time can be given to this task, but a considerable number of assessments have yet to complete the process. An assessment relating to an incident when a child had got on to a flat roof and knocked on the bedroom of a peer, had not been revised by the time of the visit. Senior managers have failed to complete the steps outlined in the compliance notice. The notice is therefore, deemed to not be met. The notice has been reissued with a new completion date.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit also considered how managers have address the requirement made at the previous visit that was not subject to the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has drawn up a critical incident protocol for the home. This is simpler to follow than the business continuity plan and gives actions to be taken and clear timescales. These include informing local authorities of events that affect children placed by them and the actions being taken. This would allow social workers to evaluate if arrangements would meet the needs of the children they are responsible for.

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This monitoring visit

An assessment of accommodation used for a recent activity weekend was detailed and thorough. Staff supplied this, together with individual and activity risk assessments, to social workers beforehand for their comments and possible amendments. This demonstrates that effective steps were taken to ensure the accommodation was suitable and collaboration undertaken with placing authorities.

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This monitoring visit

The concern about using a first-floor window as a fire exit onto a flat roof has been addressed. A specialist consultant has confirmed it is not required for a means of escape as the ‘high level of detection’ in the home and the stairwell being a ‘protected route’ ensures this is sufficient. The window is now kept locked.

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This monitoring visit

Staff did not enter the inspector’s name into the home’s visitors’ book when he arrived and so he would not have been included in a roll call had an evacuation occurred during the visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/09/2018 Full Outstanding 30/08/2017 Full Outstanding 12/12/2016 Full Good 18/05/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 (Regulation 37 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a record of all visitors to the home, and to children, including the names of visitors and the reasons for the visit. 09/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and that the home’s day- to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(iii)(2)(b))* 09/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 5

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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.

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Children's Services 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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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Rodrigo Ferreira

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Inspector

Chris Peel, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482293 6 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 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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