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

Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 1 SC482344 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to eight children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There were six children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The organisation also runs a separate registered school that the children living in the home may attend.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 5 June 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Outstanding 03/12/2019 Full Good 11/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in this home thrive and make significant progress from their starting points. Staff have taken the time to get to know the children. This has led to trusting, secure relationships being formed with them. These positive relationships have enabled staff to make a real difference to the children’s lives. For example, a child has been well supported to have a successful return to their parent’s care after living at the home for several years.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The proactive approach of the staff and the manager has contributed to children growing in confidence. Their communication, social and independence skills have developed. A consistent, sensitive approach from staff has helped one child learn over a short period of time how to manage their continence. This positive change has been sustained for the child, whose quality of life has improved as a result.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children now confidently engage with group activities and outings which might previously have been a challenge for them. They have joined clubs of personal interest and enjoy a wide variety of activities and outings of their choice. These include rugby club, and going to football matches and restaurants. The children have also enjoyed holidays. One child said that what they like best about living in the home is the ‘really nice’ staff and the fun activities that are offered.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff constantly seek the children’s views and ensure that they are actioned. Children make meal choices and have input into decorating their bedrooms and other parts of the home. This reinforces to the children that their views are important and that they are valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social care professionals and children’s parents spoke positively about the quality of care staff provide to the children. One social care professional said that staff are invested in the children. One child’s foster carer said that the manager and staff are ‘fantastic’ and that they really look out for the child and do more than expected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are provided with a welcoming, comfortable home that is decorated to a high standard. Minor repairs in the home are being addressed. The home offers different spaces for the children’s enjoyment. These include quiet cosy areas, as well as ‘the hideout’, an exciting space which features arcade gaming machines. There are various toys, books and colourful artworks that bring character to the home. The children’s bedrooms are well personalised with artwork, photos and children’s personal items. This gives a real sense of a warm and child-focused home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s understanding and respect for difference are encouraged by staff through discussion. Children learn about different cultures on theme nights, when they get to experience food from different cultures. This helps to prepare children for greater exposure to the diverse world they live in. Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 4 The staff support the children to have positive family time. However, one child’s parent would like greater support with family time and improved communication with particular members of staff.

p.3

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

The staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. The staff gain this from quality time spent with the children. Staff work closely with external professionals, parents and carers. This has fostered a collaborative approach to ensure children receive care that is attuned to their individual needs. Staff are guided by clear risk assessments in place for each child.

p.4

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

The staff develop positive relationships with the children and ensure that they feel heard. This means that the children are comfortable to share any worries with them. Staff carefully balance developing positive relationships with maintaining professional boundaries with the children. Staff reward and praise children for the positive things they do. This encourages further positive behaviour from children and develops their self-belief.

p.4

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

Staff use de-escalation techniques to support the children during times of crisis. They tailor their approach to each individual child as needed. Staff use physical intervention as a last resort to ensure the safety of children or others. They support the children to reflect and regulate their behaviour. Staff’s sensitive approach helps children to move forward positively following incidents of physical intervention.

p.4

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

The manager and staff are proactive when children go missing from home. There is effective joint working with families and partner professionals to ensure children’s safety.

p.4

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

Staff understand that the welfare of the children is paramount. They know how to escalate concerns about children’s welfare and are confident to do so. The manager took appropriate action when concerns were raised regarding staff conduct.

p.4

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

Pre-employment checks are carried out for new staff. However, on one occasion, gaps in an applicant’s employment history were not identified and explored. This means that the manager did not have all relevant information to inform their decision-making about the individual’s suitability to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example. He has developed a positive, open culture in the home. He models the expected standard of care and works closely with staff to oversee their practice. The manager’s direct work with the children has led to him forming positive relationships with them and consequently he is able to monitor their progress first hand.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are at the heart of all the manager and staff do at the home. The manager strongly advocates for the children. He ensures that staff maintain a Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 5 trauma-informed approach when caring for the children and has implemented different ways for staff to encourage children’s participation. These include discussions with children, house meetings and feedback forms. He has recently introduced protected time for individual children to spend with a chosen member of staff, doing an activity of their choice. This provides children with a further opportunity to maintain the strong relationships they have built and to share any concerns with a trusted adult.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by the manager and enjoy working in the home. They are supported through regular supervision sessions, team meetings and reflective sessions with the home’s in-house clinical team. These meetings focus on the children’s changing needs, as well as staff well-being. One member of staff said that working in the home is a ‘rewarding experience’.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is well supported by the responsible individual. The manager is acutely aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. He is reflective and uses learning from incidents to improve practice. Continuous development is a feature in the home, with a focus on developing a strong senior team. The manager acts on feedback from the independent visitor, who visits the home each month.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff maintain a trauma-informed approach when caring for the children. They are provided with a range of relevant training specific to the children’s needs, such as training on autism and epilepsy. However, refresher training for some core courses is overdue for several staff. This means that staff may not have the most up-to-date knowledge, which could potentially undermine their practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records management is inconsistent. Staff were unable to locate some of the children’s important up-to-date documents, such as a copy of the local authority care plan and the education, health and care plan for one child. These documents were subsequently provided by the manager. However, children’s important information is not all readily accessible for staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This includes ensuring that all gaps in employment history are identified and explored when recruitment checks are carried out for new staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that there is a consistent and effective approach to record-keeping. Children’s important information should be readily accessible to staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that they act on feedback from children’s parents and take action to promote positive working relationships. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that records demonstrate that staff can

p.6

Recommendations

access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and that the manager understands their key role in the training and development of staff in the home. Staff should complete refresher training within the set timeframe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.6

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: SC482344 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Choules

p.7

Inspector

Sasha Reid, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC482344 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8