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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 1 SC398391 Registered provider: Hillcrest Childrens Services (2) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to three children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. A large national provider operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Good 18/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/05/2018 Full Good 26/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children lived in the home. One child will shortly be leaving the home on a planned move to supported accommodation. Two of the children have lived at the home for over six years and one for over three years. This stability has enabled them to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and provide them with nurturing and individualised care. Staff show children acceptance and openly explore worries and concerns that children have. This has a positive impact on the children. They have developed their confidence, personal hygiene and independence skills, and improved their health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good school attendance and are predicted good GCSE grades. When children find education difficult, staff work in partnership with education providers to find creative ways of supporting them. This has resulted in one child engaging more consistently with their learning, with the support of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When there are concerns about the health needs of children, the manager and staff take appropriate action. For example, staff took action to address a child’s emergency health needs and, as a result, the child was seen by an appropriate medical professional and received the treatment needed. This practice ensures that children receive the support that they need to promote their health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build and maintain the relationships that are important to them. Staff work closely with children’s support networks to enable children to see those people who matter to them, irrespective of the distance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop their independence. Staff consider the individual needs of the children and help them to work towards independence at their own pace. This allows children to develop life skills that will support them in adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff and feel able to share their views and know that staff will listen. For example, one child wanted to transition into independence in an area close to his family, after previously wanting to live close to the home. The manager advocated on his behalf for these new transition plans to be put in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although staff supported the chid with the practical arrangements of transitioning into independence, the managers and staff have not sought to put in place emotional support to help with this move. The child had lived at the home for six years and there are no plans to contact the child and check on them once they move on from the home. This does not help children to feel valued or supported during difficult times in their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff work hard to keep children safe. The manager and staff support children to understand risks. Regular key-work sessions take place that focus on areas that are relevant to the individual child. Staff take a variety of approaches to engage children effectively. These include the use of workbooks and reflective sessions. As a result, children learn to keep themselves safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children benefit from consistent boundaries and know what is expected of them. A child-centred approach helps children to explore and express their feelings. Staff praise and reward children’s positive behaviour. When needed, consequences for poor behaviour are given. Staff are consistent in their approach and are skilled at encouraging children to develop positive behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been safeguarding incidents relating to online safety since the last inspection. When concerns and incidents have occurred, the manager and staff respond appropriately to ensure that additional measures are in place to safeguard children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Risk assessments are in place for each child, and these link to behaviour management plans. However, risk management strategies are not always recorded. On one occasion, the manager did not update the risk assessment to ensure that staff were provided with clear guidance, following an incident, about how to manage an issue of risk that had not previously been dealt with in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager has a good oversight of recruitment practice. She ensures that all staff are recruited in line with safer recruitment practice. This means that all staff have undertaken checks that deem them suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a motivated manager, who is a positive role model to the staff team. The culture of the home is characterised by aspirations for all of the children. Staff and managers work together to support children to achieve positive outcomes. This approach provides the children with consistency and helps them to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager. They say that she is supportive. Staff receive regular supervision that helps them to reflect on practice. The manager works alongside the clinical team in team meetings to embed a therapeutic model of parenting to inform the staff team’s responses to children’s individual needs. This keeps staff motivated and focused on the way that they respond to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with a number of professionals to promote positive outcomes for children. This includes providing detailed weekly reports to social Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 5 workers. This ensures that children receive consistent support from all professionals who are involved in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the manager has monitoring systems in place to capture children’s progress and she ensures that the information recorded is clear and up to date. This allows her to understand the strengths within the home and the areas that require development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has access to a wide range of training. Records give an accurate overview of the training that staff have received. These demonstrate that staff have had the training that they need to meet children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 6

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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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the timely update of risk assessments used to inform staff’s safeguarding practice. 3 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children have the appropriate support in place in the period immediately after their transition into independence to support them emotionally. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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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 for children’s home: SC398391 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Childrens Services (2) Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sharon Bourne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC398391 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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