Children's Home run by Hill Top Children’s Care Limited in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2594629 1

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Hill Top Children’s Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children. The provider states that the home provides support for children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home was registered on 8 July 2020. This is Ofsted’s first visit to this children’s home since it became registered. The registered manager has resigned from her duties. She is on leave and is not due to return to work before the end of her notice.

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Information about this children’s home

One young person currently lives at this home.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, this visit included a combination of on- site and off-site activities. The inspector visited the home and talked with the young person and the staff who were on duty. The off-site activities included telephone conversations with the responsible individual and staff members, examination of records and correspondence with the young person’s social worker and the local authority’s designated safeguarding officer for dealing with concerns about professionals.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted had received information that highlighted concerns about the leadership and management of the home. The main purpose of this monitoring visit was to consider the impact of the current leadership and management arrangements on the care and welfare of children and young people. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2594629 2 The main outcome of the visit is that the leadership and management arrangements are enabling the young person to be kept safe and well looked after. There have been no adverse incidents of any kind in the home. The young person engages well with staff and is making good progress across many areas of his life. Key-working sessions contribute to the young person’s increased awareness of risks, his resilience and the development of safer behaviours. The young person recently started attending education, having not been in school for a considerable time. The young

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This monitoring visit

person enjoys having regular overnight stays with his family. The young person’s views, wishes and feelings play a significant part in the planning of his care. He is thriving on the staff’s approach to care, which gives weight to the voice of the young person.

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This monitoring visit

However, there are some weaknesses in the service provision that increase the risk of children and young people not receiving the care that they need.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have very limited experience of working in children’s residential care. This includes the person who is currently in day-to-day charge of the home. The sudden departure of the registered manager showed that management succession planning was poor.

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This monitoring visit

Staff work alone for the great majority of the time and this presents risk. Staff reported that they were clear about who to contact and what action to take if they needed extra support. However, the written lone-working risk assessment is not readily available to them.

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This monitoring visit

None of the staff have the required qualifications to work in a children’s home. Managers have a detailed staff workforce development plan. All staff have completed training in safeguarding children and child protection as part of their induction.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of the documentation is generally good, but there are some weaknesses, such as the vagueness about the staff’s skills and experience in the ‘matching’ document. The lack of a written support plan for the young person increases the risk of inconsistency in staff practice. The personnel file for the director does not contain all of the required information.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual maintains effective oversight of the home. He regularly visits the home and provides enhanced support to the interim manager. The responsible individual is taking decisive action to address the weaknesses in the home and to minimise any negative impact of those weaknesses on the young person’s experiences and progress. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2594629 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 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(e)) 01/02/2021

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6);

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of the matters in paragraphs 1 and 3 to 6 of Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, “director” includes any individual who performs the functions of, or functions 01/02/2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2594629 4 equivalent or similar to the functions of, a director, by whatever name called.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s written lone-working risk assessment/management plan is readily accessible to all staff who work alone. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 10.18, page 54)  The registered person should ensure that each young person has a written support plan that explains how staff support the young person. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.2, page 56)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s paperwork clearly evidences a consideration of the team’s skills, knowledge and experience when admission decisions are made. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.4, page 56)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hill Top Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, West Midlands B16 8SP

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2594629 5 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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