Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 1 SC437128 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services (2) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children whose adverse childhood experiences and trauma can lead to them exhibiting complex behaviours. A large national provider operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned and is no longer working in the home. She is yet to submit her application to de-register with Ofsted. A new manager has been appointed and is yet to submit an application to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted visited this home on 9 August 2022 to carry out a full inspection. The home was judged to be inadequate. Serious failings were found in respect of the safeguarding of children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, two compliance notices were raised, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 1 September 2022, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit in response to a complaint received identifying further concerns with safeguarding in the home. The inspector identified serious safeguarding failings, resulting in children being at risk of harm. As a result, Ofsted took the decision to suspend the registration of the home. A further compliance notice was issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This latest monitoring visit examined the progress made in meeting the compliance notices raised at the full inspection and the last monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the registered manager and responsible individual have resigned from their roles and are no longer working in the company. Senior leaders have appointed a new manager, who was present during the inspection. In addition, Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 2 a regional operations manager and national care manager have been providing managerial support. This support has provided stability to the home and reassurance to staff.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there has been a turnover of staff which has left further vacancies in the team. There is a programme of staff recruitment and leaders are working hard to recruit to the vacant positions. However, there are only three staff currently employed to work in the home. Consequently, the home does not have enough staff to care for one child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have refreshed their previous training and undertaken further training to enable them to support and safeguard children. Leaders have also ensured that staff have received additional training specific to the shortfalls identified in the home. For example, staff have recently completed training in focused safeguarding, therapeutic parenting, behaviour management and supporting children with sexualised behaviour. This training has allowed staff to reflect and learn from previous experiences and shortfalls in the home. Furthermore, the national care manager has held workshops and weekly team meetings to test the knowledge and learning of staff in relation to children’s risk assessments. This means that staff feel more confident in their ability to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

However, leaders have not yet reviewed and evaluated individual staff competencies and skills. This specific action was requested by Ofsted, following significant safeguarding shortfalls found at the last inspection. Consequently, leaders cannot yet be fully assured that individual staff have the specific skills required to keep children safe and promote their welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have introduced new monitoring systems to raise standards in the quality of care provided for children. For example, a new monitoring toolkit has been created to provide leaders with better oversight of the home. The toolkit is more child- focused and specific to the needs of the home. This system improves management oversight of the home and has the potential to impact positively on the quality of care received by children.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, a compliance notice was reissued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. The requirements and recommendation raised at the last inspection were not all reviewed during this inspection, and some are restated. The notice suspending the registration of the home remains in place. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2022 Full Inadequate 16/06/2021 Full Good 15/01/2020 Full Good 27/02/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 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 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

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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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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)(a)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that the home has sufficient and suitably experienced staff to work with children and protect them from harm. Leaders must ensure that they have systems in place which assess individual staff competencies and abilities to carry out their role when working with children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 13 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. 13 December 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 5 The registered person must—

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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. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that the home’s statement of purpose accurately reflects the home’s staffing structure and details of the staff working in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all medication is stored in a secure place to prevent children from having access to them. 13 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual’s oversight and monitoring of the home and ensuring that the home’s child protection policies are followed. In addition, the responsible individual should ensure that systems are in place to support the registered manager in reviewing significant incidents with children in the home. 13 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and 13 December 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 6 the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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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

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; and

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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 5 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 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 7 measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that all consequences issued to children are recorded. Also, it relates to the manager’s oversight of incidents requiring physical intervention with children in the home and the need to ensure that the effectiveness of each measure is reviewed.

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that all allegations made by children against adults are notified to the regulator in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 13 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person’s report must record the visitor’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 13 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff has not worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: SC437128 9

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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: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Collins

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC437128 10 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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