Following the Mayor’s visit to our new service; Hillcrest Beachlands the boys have settled in very well and are really enjoying being on the island.

They have made a real effort to make the house look nice and have made their rooms look really cozy. We are doing lots of joint activities with Hayling and Poppy Lodge and the boys are enjoying being so close to each other.

Forthcoming events that the boys are looking forward to include an inter – house football match and Go Kart Racing as well as a game of outdoor laser quest.

James Barlow, Home Manager

Hayling Island beach

On Wednesday 15th February we wished a fond farewell to one of our young people.

Jemma is not leaving Hillcrest completely, she has moved to Hillcrest Oathill Lodge.

As Jemma has been such a pleasure to look after we decided to send her off in style. The arrival of the Hummer caused a bit of a stir with all of our residents.

They all enjoyed a tour of Chipping Norton, “rock star style”, before we all waved Jemma off.

We all wish her well in her next chapter at Oathill Lodge.
Sadie Dangerfield, Home Manager

Stylish send off!

At Hillcrest Hayling Island, we have had an action packed start to the Spring term.

The students have been working hard in English inspired by Michael Morpurgo’s WarHorse. The students read the book before a trip to the cinema to watch the film. They are now starting on the play!

A trip to an assault course saw the boys get really stuck in, students and staff working as a team. Although most were beaten by the rope swing and fell into the cold water!!!

Licence to Cook has seen the boys produce some tasty meals and yummy cakes which they have enjoyed cooking. They eat at lunch time, sharing and sitting round together with staff.

We have made some excellent progress in ASDAN, two students have almost completed their Silver and a year 6 student is set to achieve his Bronze. An amazing effort.

For Sport Relief students and staff are going to swim 66 lengths at Havant Leisure Centre 10-12pm on the 23rd March. You can sponsor us and wish us luck!!

Young people from Hillcrest Hayling left the Island for a day out in the big city!

We arrived at Victoria and headed towards the underground. First stop- Covent Garden. After a mighty climb up the 198 steps we reached the top and out onto the streets. We then took a gentle stroll towards the Square.

Our first encounter of the day were the impressive street performers; a very still golden man, a sliver viking and a man who managed to squeeze himself through a tennis racket then lay on a bed of rusty nails!

Our next stop was Leister Square and lunch in China Town, then onto Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately the Queen wasn’t home and missed the chance for afternoon tea with the children of Hillcrest Hayling!

The sun had started to set on our final stop -Big Ben; it was a pretty sight to see; dusk setting over the River Thames.

As part of the Peers in Schools programme- a government initiative, Baroness Estelle Morris of Yardley recently visited Hillcrest Oaklands College.

The initiative has been running now for over a year and is designed to give young people the opportunity to meet with and talk to people from the House of Lords.

The young people at Oaklands listened to Baroness Morris, who explained the role of the House of Lords,  then had the opportunity to ask questions about the parliamentary process and how it effects them.

The students were keen to learn about proposed changes in the education system, especially the increased school leaving age and how the parliamentary system can affect their lives beyond college.

They also asked questions about being in care and who makes decisions regarding taking children into care and about standards in care homes and in residential education.

Baroness Morris was presented with a bouquet of flowers and was very complimentary about the college and residential provision, as it is so different from the type of schools she normally visits as part of the scheme.

She thanked the staff for the exceptional work they do with the girls and the girls for making her feel so welcome and asking such relevant questions.

The visit will be followed up by the girls visiting parliament during the summer term.

Jo Morris- Principal, Hillcrest Oaklands College

Baroness Morris at Oaklands

The Mayor and Mayoress of Havant came to officially open Hillcrest Beachlands.

It was a perfect day weather wise, with the sun shining through the big bay windows into the newly decorated and furnished lounge.

A young person was on hand at the front door to welcome our special visitors.

The Mayor joined the Home Manager James Barlow, his staff team along with representatives from the local authorities and the neighbours. Guests were shown round the home which has large and airy living and dining areas, decorated with warm colours and modern furnishings.

Each young persons room is individualised to their tastes.

The home also offers an independent flat which provides young people with all the necessary skills to make a successful transition towards living independently.

Hillcrest Beachlands is an ideal placement for young people needing their final years in the care system.

All the guests enjoyed a delicious buffet which included treats baked by the young people. The Mayor gave a speech and wished the young people well in their new home. He was very impressed with the home, the staff and most of all the young people!

James Barlow with the Mayor of Havant

A young person from Hillcrest Oathill Lodge is taking a journalism internship for 1 month in India during the 6 weeks summer holidays.

Formerly known as the Sivakasi Times, the Madurai Messenger was set up in 2002 by Projects Abroad in collaboration with the local business community. This is the first-ever English language magazine produced in the Madurai area. It is sent free to schools and other institutions and is available online.

The Madurai Messenger magazine is run by Volunteers along with local staff that have experience working as journalists throughout the South of India.

The magazine gives volunteers a real opportunity to get involved, whether it be interviewing a local politician or finding out local opinions on the latest Indian cricketing debate.

Talisha will be able to gain an insight into all the different areas of production that a magazine has to go through, from the early planning stages, all the way through to distribution.

We wish Talisha well and look forward to hearing about her experience.

Journalist volunteer from Oathill Lodge

During 2011 we have completely renovated the first floor at Hillcrest Vernon.
Working together we have developed the upstairs into a flat for four people who would prefer to live more independently.  The flat has its own kitchen, laundry and lounge.

“We now have a kitchen just for the four of us, which means I can learn new skills and get involved in cooking my own meals, which I think I’ll be pretty good at!” Says Toby a resident at Hillcrest Vernon.

“My new lounge is where I plan to read my books, play with my puzzles and have quiet time. I’m not always too steady on my feet, so the builders have put in a bigger shower tray and a grab rail in the bathroom which makes my life much easier. ” he says.

West London Community College travelled to Gran Canaria in November 2011 to participate in the second International Festival Del Balon Football Tournament.

Teams from England, Spain and Germany competed and West London Community College made it all the way to the semi finals!

They finished fourth overall which was a fantastic achievement.

As well as the tournament, the students enjoyed excursions into the mountains of Gran Canaria and took a boat trip to see dolphins in their natural environment. They also went to a water park and spent time on the beach.

Craig Appleton, Deputy Manager

West London Community College in Gran Canaria

Arun District Council’s Environmental Health team is pioneering a new health and safety regulatory scheme.

The authority has teamed up with Hillcrest to forge a new partnership under a government scheme that makes the Council the single point of contact for all its food hygiene and health & safety needs.

The new partnerships aim to help businesses that operate across two or more council boundaries to comply with legal requirements by providing consistent advice that applies to all their premises, regardless of location.

The Commercial Team of Arun District Council’s Environmental Health Service has been asked by Hillcrest Care Ltd. to enter into a partnership to cover health and safety and food safety regulation across all its sites – a first for Arun.

Councillor Paul Dendle, Arun’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Being part of this partnership means we will be able to reduce unnecessary burdens on Hillcrest Care by being the single point of contact for their regulatory needs.

“This allows Hillcrest Care to focus on delivering its successful service across England and Wales with high quality advice and support from Arun District Council.”

The agreement sets the two organisations as partners under the new Primary Authority scheme for business, administered by the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO).

Graham Grey: Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO), Cllr Dendle and Richard Greenwell: Managing Director of Hillcrest attended the signing.