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

Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 1 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Limited Full inspection 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 eight children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 6 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2019 Full Outstanding 26/02/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 3

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improvement to be good

Children who have moved into the home since the last inspection have settled well. This is because the new manager carefully assesses each child’s needs to ensure that they are well matched with the children currently living in the home.

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improvement to be good

However, due to an escalation in incidents and the risk to other children’s safety, two children have experienced sudden placement endings and have moved on from the home.. Subsequently, some children have experienced bullying in the home. Group key-work sessions have taken place with children regarding this topic and the impact of the two children leaving.

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improvement to be good

Staff are nurturing and playful in their approach to children. Children respond with compliments and affection. However, professional boundaries and language used around children are not always reflective of this approach. The manager is aware of this and is taking steps to improve staff practice and experiences for children.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy new experiences while living at the home. Last year’s holiday was such a success that the children are returning this year. Memories are captured and displayed in the home. Therefore, children have a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

All children have an educational provision that is suited to their needs. One child has successfully returned to a mainstream school and is building friendships and independence in the local community.

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improvement to be good

The environment for children in this home has not been maintained to an acceptable standard by the provider, despite the manager’s efforts to escalate the issues. For example, issues with damp in children’s bathrooms have not been adequately addressed, which means that children are exposed to poor living conditions.

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improvement to be good

A contractor has recently visited the home to carry out remedial work regarding fire safety. However, this work has not been completed satisfactorily and has compromised fire safety.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, they are found swiftly and return home safely. However, staff do not always act in line with children’s plans when a child goes missing. This has led to a delay in reporting a child who went missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice is not fully embedded in the staff team. An opportunity to reflect with a staff member for not raising a safeguarding concern has been missed Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 4 and remains unresolved. Therefore, this member of staff’s practice has not been challenged and learning opportunities have not been provided.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment records for new staff members are incomplete. Furthermore, risk mitigation records in place to enable the members of staff to work with children while checks are ongoing are insufficient to ensure that they do not lone work with children. This has the potential to leave children supported by staff who have not been suitably vetted.

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good

There has been lots of change over the last year with the departure of the registered manager, changes in the staff team and some children moving on. However, the current manager shows dedication and commitment to continuing to improve the experiences for children and staff. Other professionals recognise the strengths and passion she brings to this home.

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good

The manager provides staff with regular and supportive supervision, appraisal and team meetings. Staff speak positively about the change of culture in the home since the manager joined. Equally, the manager feels supported by the responsible individual.

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good

Comprehensive training and continuing development opportunities for staff mean that they have the skills to meet children’s needs. The manager ensures that staff are provided with a thorough induction. However, some members of the staff team have not achieved the relevant qualification within the required timescale.

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good

An insufficient number of staff to fill the rota has meant that children have not received continuity of care. Inappropriate measures have been utilised to compensate for the lack of waking night staff, which has left children and staff vulnerable during the night. Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 5

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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 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

that 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)(d)) 31 May 2022

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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

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 (1) (2)(b)) 31 May 2022

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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

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 30 June 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e))

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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

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 31 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(b)) 31 May 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are aware of professional boundaries and use appropriate caring language when communicating with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 8

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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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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1259508 9 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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