Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 1 SC482296

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Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to eight children who have social and/or emotional difficulties due to early childhood trauma. The organisation’s school is located on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2021.

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This monitoring visit

The inspection took place in response to information received by Ofsted about the management of safeguarding notifications. The purpose of this visit was to assess the leadership and management of allegations, management oversight of restraints, and the complaints process.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and senior management do not have effective oversight of incident records, including restraint records. They fail to identify safeguarding and practice issues, such as allegations of harm and poor practice. Some allegations of harm have therefore not been reported to statutory safeguarding agencies. Children are not safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

When children have made allegations against staff, there is no record of internal investigations. The manager told inspectors that he has never undertaken an internal investigation regarding a staff member. The children are being placed at risk if safeguarding policies are not being routinely followed or checked by management and senior leaders.

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This monitoring visit

Restraint is not always proportionate to the potential risk. For example, one child has been restrained for compliance reasons. Children and staff do not always have an opportunity to discuss the restraint with someone who was not involved or present when the measure was implemented. Managers have failed to identify these shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 2 Some descriptive language used in documentation is poor, and negative towards children. An example of this was reference to a child being ‘nasty’, ‘volatile’ and ‘cruel’. This demonstrates both a lack of understanding of children’s behaviour, and a lack of awareness of how records for each child represent an important part of their life history.

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This monitoring visit

Hazards were seen in one child’s bedroom which could have caused serious harm. The condition of this child’s bedroom fell below the standard of other children’s bedrooms that were seen. This means that children do not have equal experiences when living in this home. There was no sufficient reason given for the delay in repairs and redecorating. Repairs were carried out on the day of the inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/09/2019 Full Outstanding 03/10/2018 Full Outstanding 22/08/2017 Full Outstanding 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 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

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; and

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h)) 15 August 2021

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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 15 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 4 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.

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Requirement Due date

The premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); and

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 15 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15 August 2021

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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; 15 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 5 a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff 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)

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Information about this inspection

This visit was undertaken to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

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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 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sadie Dangerfield

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Inspectors

Skye Frain, Social Care Inspector Nicola Lownds, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482296 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 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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