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

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to two children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home provides care for children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2020. The home has not had a registered manager since October 2021. The current manager has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s compliance and progress in relation to the notice to suspend the registration of the children’s home issued on 31 January 2022. The notice to suspend the home’s registration was issued following the interim inspection conducted on 27 January 2022. At that inspection, the inspector identified widespread shortfalls across all areas of care, and significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. Further monitoring visits took place on 8 March 2022 and 14 April 2022, which identified that, although there had been some progress made, there was still a significant amount of work to do.

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This monitoring visit

Some limited further progress has been made but there is still much to do. There has been no application made for the current manager to register with Ofsted. This situation has been apparent for some time and there is a pressing need for the management arrangements of the home to be clarified.

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This monitoring visit

There is still more work to do to ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of children in their care. Furthermore, not enough Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 2 staff are employed at the home to meet the number of children that the home is registered to care for. The provider is in the process of recruiting additional staff. Records of interviews for new staff do not evidence how applicants have met the competencies required to work with children who have the level of need identified in the statement of purpose. In addition, there are gaps in applicants’ previous employment histories that have not been explored. This does not demonstrate that applicants are suitable to work with vulnerable children.

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This monitoring visit

Work has been done to improve the effectiveness of the home’s safeguarding policy, but this policy is still not yet complete and does not yet clearly articulate for staff the process to be followed in the event of any allegations made against staff. The policy does not articulate the need for risk assessments to be undertaken when allegations or concerns have been identified in relation to staff. Until this safeguarding policy is complete, work cannot be undertaken with staff to ensure that they understand its content and their role in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made efforts to meet the requirement in relation to complaints and representations and the required information is now included in the children’s guide. However, this needs more work in order to give children clarity about how complaints will be resolved and to give children a clear message that complaints are welcomed as a means of ensuring that their voice is heard.

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This monitoring visit

The training matrix introduced by the manager enables better tracking of what training staff have undertaken. Since the last visit, no further training has been undertaken, although first-aid training for all staff has been arranged. Consequently, staff have not undertaken all training required to meet the aims and objectives outlined in the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Although some progress has been made, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the suspension notice should no longer apply. A further monitoring visit will be undertaken to review the provider’s progress. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day to day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the interim manager submits an application to register with Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 July 2022

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 10 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 5 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

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) (3)) 10 July 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

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 10 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 6 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; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The relates to ensuring that safeguarding arrangements at the home are strong and that the appropriate resolution of safeguarding concerns occurs. This must include ensuring that staff have the relevant understanding and knowledge in relation to protecting children in their care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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;

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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)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff undertake specialist training that helps them to meet children’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 10 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 7 This relates to ensuring that complaints made by children are dealt with effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home has a plan in place to maintain effective management when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 8

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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

Andy Whippey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594629 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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