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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 1

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Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Limited

Monitoring visit 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 who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has had three managers since registration in December 2017. The current manager has been in post since 2 September 2019. He has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management and has not yet submitted an application to be the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection was conducted remotely on 14 May 2020 in response to information received by Ofsted which raises concerns about the safety of children. Specifically, safeguarding notifications were received by Ofsted in relation to significant safeguarding incidents and an incident of whistle blowing.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found serious failings in respect of the safeguarding of children and the leadership and management of the home. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued compliance notices in respect of regulation 12 and regulation 13. A notice that restricted the number of children that the home can accommodate was also issued on 18 May 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ofsted did not carry out a physical visit to the home. The inspector gathered evidence in several different ways, including talking to the deputy manager and the responsible individual and asking them to provide electronic documents for the inspector to review.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are unable to de-escalate situations. They do not follow advice in children’s behaviour management plans. Incidents have consequently lasted for several hours. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 2 Children’s relationships with one another are negatively affected, and children have at times become involved in trying to de-escalate incidents. The manager has identified that staff do not intervene quickly and they, at times, inappropriately call the police to support them to manage a child’s behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not follow strategies to reduce risk. On one occasion, staff left a young person, who was very distressed, unsupervised inside the home while they watched the young person through a window from the outside. This is despite the young person’s behaviour management plan stating that staff should not leave her alone when she is upset. The young person was using a wooden stick to bang against doors and walls and she gained access to the office by making a hole in the door. The young person caused damage and threatened staff with a fire extinguisher while discharging it out of the office door. Staff then called the police to manage the child’s behaviours. The child was therefore at risk of criminalisation because of staff’s inability to de-escalate the situation. Staff did not consider the impact of these behaviours on other young people in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There are shortfalls in risk assessment and management of risk. Despite high levels of staffing, children have consistently been able to gain access to the office and to car keys which they have used on one occasion to try to access the company car. Despite this being identified as a significant risk, risk assessments have not been updated with advice to staff. This means that children continue to place themselves at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have insufficient knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Staff do not take timely action to report concerns, and managers do not immediately act on those concerns. This resulted in a staff member continuing to work with children for two days after an incident because another staff member delayed whistle blowing their concerns. In addition, one child made an allegation about a member of staff hurting her finger during an incident of restraint. Managers incorrectly treated this incident as a complaint rather than a safeguarding issue and did not notify the local authority safeguarding officer. These failures in safeguarding practice show that managers and staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training to keep children safe and to manage their risks is not up to date. Two staff members have not had training in managing ligatures despite self-harm being a known risk for children. Two staff have not had training in food hygiene and medication. There is a lack of urgency in following up identified training needs, such as behaviour management training. This is particularly relevant given the issues of behaviour management in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not have effective systems in place to share information with staff. The staff team has not had a team meeting since January 2020. There are no alternative systems in place to share and discuss information about children. The manager does not keep the statement of purpose up to date with details of staff working in the home and does not keep a clear record of staff who have worked in the home. This demonstrates Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 3 significant deficits in the manager’s monitoring activity and his capacity to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not ensure that the home is managed in line with the statement of purpose. Only one staff member has had attachment training, despite this being described as part of core training.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to notify Ofsted when police have been called to manage young people’s behaviour. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of safeguarding incidents in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff recording practice is poor. When staff use physical restraint to manage children’s complex behaviours, the length of time that holds are used is not always recorded in detail. Staff do not always record dates of incidents consistently across documents. This prevents meaningful independent oversight of staff practice and means that children and staff are not effectively safeguarded.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/01/2020 Full Good 17/09/2019 Full Inadequate 22/11/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 4

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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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 31/05/2020 * Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 5 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 31/05/2020 *

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 26/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 6 (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35(3)(a)(iii)(iv)) 26/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 26/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 7

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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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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements. 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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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Sarah Billett, social care compliance inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1258095 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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