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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 1 Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a national provider. It offers 6 months of short-term care and assessments for up to 5 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was closed for a period, and the first child moved in in September 2025 after it reopened. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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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: 2534684 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2024 Full Good 06/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/05/2022 Full Good 20/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled in the home despite knowing their stay is for a short period. The staff form and develop warm and caring relationships with the children, helping them feel part of their current journey.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are keen to understand the children’s views. They listen to children and consider their ideas but also explain why some of them cannot happen. Children participate in meal planning, deciding how they would like their rooms decorated, and sharing their goals and ideas for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are involved in the organisation’s education programme, which is supplemented with a range of activities and experiences in the community. Children benefit from trying new experiences and reflecting on what they have enjoyed. One child makes good use of the gym space in the home, while another child enjoys participating in Scouts. Staff are reflective if an activity has not worked out well and help children consider what else they would like to try instead.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Joint working with other professionals, including the organisation’s specialist teams, is key to supporting children. The wider team regularly reviews children’s experiences, progress, and the staff’s approach to assisting them. Joint working with specialists, such as psychologists, an exploitation lead and the education team, means that children have bespoke packages of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements are recorded in a ‘highlights’ book, which celebrates their ability to manage various situations, whether adapting to last-minute changes, taking independent time or engaging in new activities while on holiday. Children receive reward tokens for these achievements, helping them tangibly understand the progress they are making. Children can explain the rewards, including how they earn tokens and what they are saving for. The daily targets are achievable, and staff help children persist when they struggle, encouraging them to focus on their achievements and how they can improve the following day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in learning independent and life skills in line with their age and stage of development. Those who are likely to move on to semi-independence are learning key skills, such as laundry, cooking and budgeting. Staff encourage children on days when they are struggling to carry out these tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed to the home with an individualised approach. Before children move in, managers ensure that they are aware of all key information to facilitate a smooth transition to their new home. The staff work proactively with the placing authority to ensure that children moving on from the home can understand and prepare for their next steps. When there are concerns or challenges, staff liaise with other professionals and raise how such issues are affecting the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 4 Children know they will live at the home for a limited time. This can lead to anxiety and instability towards the end of their stay. However, the staff team ensures that children still feel cared for and wanted as part of the home.

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

Children have positive relationships with the staff, who help them feel safe. Children learn about risks and how to handle past difficulties through targeted one-on-one sessions and other natural learning opportunities.

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

Staff are confident in how to respond to safeguarding concerns and know the organisation’s approach to reporting child protection safeguarding incidents, including how to escalate them through whistleblowing procedures or to the local authority. Children do not go missing from the home; however, staff know how to respond should such an incident occur.

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

Joint working with specialists in the wider organisation, such as exploitation leads, helps children reintegrate into their home areas and see their friends. Liaison with specialist police officers as required means that children learn how to reduce risk in the future and recognise the dangers they may have faced previously.

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

The new staff team has embraced the therapeutic approach and used curiosity with the children. Staff are clear in their understanding that all behaviour is a form of communication. They are reflective as a team about children’s responses and behaviours, considering how best to support the child through regular sessions with the organisation’s therapeutic team.

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

Physical interventions are used as a last resort. Following incidents, discussions with the child and the staff team are reflective, with some staff now being better able to consider different options and their role in the incident. Reporting and recording of incidents are improving, with staff demonstrating in greater detail the therapeutic approach they have used, such as curiosity, when a child is upset or distressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the team’s strengths. She is aware that there are areas that still require development or need to be thoroughly embedded into practice. She is proud of how some staff have improved their therapeutic thinking and approach to working with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff report feeling well supported and say they learn from each other and the manager’s approach. They benefit from regular supervision and reflective spaces with the organisation’s therapeutic team in team meetings. The manager actively challenges staff when she feels that care, approaches or attitudes fall below what she expects. This is done in a manner that supports staff and helps them learn. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 5 The manager has effective oversight of children’s progress. Monthly reviews highlight children’s successes and areas for continued development. Progress is monitored through regular monthly reviews, considering children’s starting points and their progress against the reviewed targets. As children have specific six-month placements, the process of monitoring is targeted, and assessments of progress or areas for further development are considered consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Continued engagement with partner agencies, including social workers and parents, means that everybody is aware of children’s progress and how the home is continuing to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children embrace other cultures with their ‘world passports’ showing what they have learned about, going on scavenger hunts, and engaging in other cultural experiences, such as using pinatas and sampling authentic foods from various countries. Staff can refer to a cultural calendar for all the events, such as World Planting Day, during which children have plants to nurture and grow, alongside traditional cultural events and celebrations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a gap in training, specifically in relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Staff regularly attend meetings with the organisation’s therapeutic team, which lessens the impact of this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 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, The 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and are enabled to continue to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of the therapeutic approach described in the home’s statement of purpose. 31 March 2026

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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: 2534684 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hillcrest Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2534684 8 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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