Children's Home run by Headway Adolescent Resources Limited in Somerset

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff have high expectations of young people in terms of presentation, behaviour and achievement.  Young people make exceptionally good progress from their starting points at the time of admission.  Young people develop very positive relationships with staff, which help them to become happier and more confident and to develop social and interactional skills.  Clear and appropriate boundary setting and the establishment of stable routines help young people to feel safe, secure and valued.  Behaviours improve and instances of physical intervention, absence without authority and risk taking behaviours have reduced.  Placement, pathway planning and risk assessment is individualised and focus well on encouraging young people to grow and develop progressively towards adulthood and independence. Placement records are comprehensively kept and retained.  The home has a consultative practice with placing local authority social workers

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The children's home provision is good because:

and other professionals providing support for the young people; seeking views and feedback from them on the provision being made for young people and the impact it is having on their individual progress and outcomes.  Generally the home delivers its services in line with its statement of purpose; however some shortfalls have been identified as a result of this inspection.  These shortfalls have resulted in four requirements and one recommendation. None of the shortfalls identified have an impact on the good quality of care young people are currently receiving or on the positive progress they are making, which will help to equip them to make more positive transitions into adulthood.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who— (1)(c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives. (d) ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child's arrival about (iii) what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (b) ensure that each child— (iii) is given appropriate advocacy support.

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Requirement Due date

In particular this relates to: Young people should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. They should be offered the opportunity to access advocacy support to help them with this.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(c)(d) (2)(b)(iii)) 31/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) 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. (3) The registered person must— (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. 31/01/2016 In particular this relates to:

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Requirement Due date

SCHEDULE 1 - Matters to be included in the Statement of Purpose. Protection of children: 17. Details of the home's approach to behavioural support, including information about— (a) the home's approach to restraint in relation to children; and (b) how persons working in the home are trained in restraint and how their competence is assessed. (Regulation 16(1)(3) (a) (b)) and Schedule 1 para 17 (a) and (b))

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must ensure that suitable facilities are provided within the children's home for any child accommodated there. (3) Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home — (a) a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private; (Regulation 22 (1) (3) (a)) 31/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. In Particular: This is in relation to restraint records having multiple entries on one record. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 31/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 page 45 para. 9.30)

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Information about this children's home

This home is one of a number of homes operated and managed by the organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than three young people who may have behavioural and or emotional difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

The young people experience individualised and consistent care, they develop a more positive view of themselves and grow progressively in terms of confidence and self- esteem. Young people receive a high level of individual attention from staff, this provides them with ample opportunity to talk about the things which are important to them and helps them to make sense of their histories and experiences.

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Good

Those young people who need individualised therapeutic support have very good access to this. The registered manager ensures that young people access consistent support from external professionals. An example of this is that one young person who had ceased to receive support in a previous placement was reconnected with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) worker who they had engaged with before. They are now able to resume much needed consistent support from that professional.

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Good

Young people’s friends and families, if appropriate, are welcomed at the home. Young people have received support from staff to rebuild positive relationships with family members. For some young people this may mean being able to work towards returning to regular contact arrangements when this may have previously seemed not to be possible.

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Good

Young people’s pathway and placement plans fully reflect the aims and objectives of their placing authority care plans. Plans are reviewed each month to reflect on the progress young people have made towards achieving these objectives and they are actively involved in these reviews. Feedback information is shared by staff with the individual social workers on a weekly basis, and young people are fully aware of their entitlement to access their records.

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Good

Some young people were admitted with a poor history of engagement in education, training or employment. They now have good attendance records with the mainstream provisions where they are on role. Those who have left school attend community colleges and are supported in the home to engage further with their learning through homework, managing budgets, shopping and preparing meals.

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Good

Some young people are now working well towards their aspirations of employment and joining the armed services. They are encouraged and supported to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to enable them to move positively towards independence. Pathway plans are individualised according to young people's level of skill and understanding; this helps young people to grow and develop at their own pace. Young people contribute to the development and running of the home through key worker weekly sessions, and weekly residents meetings. These are differentiated to reflect the young people’s different communication needs. Young People are actively encouraged to express their concerns regarding the quality of care they are receiving or any other issue during individual meetings with their key worker. Residents meetings are led, and the agenda set, by the young people. The minutes for this meeting are produced and displayed in the study area of the home for young people,

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Good

staff and visitors to refer to. Invariably, young people feel that their voice is heard and that their views wishes and feelings are well represented. One shortfall has been found in this area, in particular this relates to young people being encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. They should be offered the opportunity to access advocacy support to help them with this. A requirement is made to address this.

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Good

Young people are well supported to properly access health services in general. Overall their emotional and physical health are mostly good, they have their annual health checks and visit the dentist when needed. The wider organisation commissions additional therapeutic and emotional support, which is available and widely used by the young people. Staff also access this support on a consultancy basis to look at the behaviours young people exhibit and discuss strategies which will reduce and prevent reoccurrences. This service is currently helping young people to look at managing their anger and aggression more successfully. As a result they are learning to manage volatile situations in a better way, building self-esteem.

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Good

Young people are well supported to develop skills for independent living. They are encouraged to eat regular healthy meals and are actively engaged in the full preparation of them. As a result they learn how to buy and prepare the right healthy food stuffs on a limited budget.

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Good

The home is located in quite an isolated situation but is only a short distance, by car, from several nearby towns and local amenities. Young people like the home's location and say that it does not impact at all on their capacity to see friends or access activities. One young person says’ I like living here it is the best place I have ever been at’. The home is well maintained and is decorated and furnished to a very good standard, providing homely, comfortable and welcoming accommodation. A shortfall has been identified which relates to young people not having reasonable, unrestricted access to a phone without having to ask the staff. A requirement is made to address this.

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Good

Staff are appropriately qualified and experienced. There are good ratios of staff to young people. This ensures that young people always have one-to-one staffing, from professionals who are able to manage their complex needs. Young people have very good access to activities of their choice. These include army cadets, cinema, ice skating, ten pin bowling, a sports centre and swimming pools, museums in nearby towns and cities, outdoor/indoor rock climbing and other outdoor pursuits to name but a few. Consequently young people can access different community based activities at similar times without disappointment of not being able to get to where they would like to be. This also positively impacts on the young people’s self-esteem and discourages them from absenting themselves without permission.

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Good

Young people feel safe at the home. Policies, procedures and practices with regard to safeguarding are good. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and child protection to ensure that they are confident in the action they take should a young person make a disclosure or allegation. Staff upon appointment and within the first few weeks of their probationary period, engage in mandatory online child protection training. This is then followed up by completion of a local authority child protection refresher course. The manager also ensures that he and his deputy complete the higher level local authority safeguarding board training. These practices are clearly reflected in the homes training matrix.

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Good

The manager and staff are good advocates for young people because they place the safety and well-being of young people at the centre of their own practice and expect the same commitment from the professionals they work alongside. The Registered Manager consults well with local safeguarding services, the police and young people's placing authorities. As a result multi agency support networks are created for young people whose behaviours have the potential to place them at risk. Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is taken seriously by staff in the home. An example of this is that staff closely monitor young people’s friendships and relationships formed inside and outside of the home. E-safety policy and practice is good, staff complete an awareness course on e-safety for young people. Individual risk assessments are completed where it is thought the young person is at risk. These are regularly reviewed with the young

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Good

Young people who reside at the home present complex, challenging, potentially unsafe and sometimes aggressive behaviours. Some young people have sometimes previously been accommodated in provisions where their movements both inside and outside of the provision may have been limited. Clear impact risk assessments are completed prior to service provision being offered, they are regularly reviewed with the effectiveness of previous risk management actions used to inform the young person’s current plan. The home offers all young people easy access to individualised therapeutic support which assists in managing their transitions. Some difficulties do occur during the settling in periods for young people, these are positively supported by staff who work proactively with all of the young people concerned to overcome relationship problems. Since the last inspection there have been periods when instances of young people

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Good

being missing or absent from the home have been high. When young people have gone missing the records clearly show what the triggers were and why the incident occurred and what action staff are taking to prevent or reduce the risk of a reoccurrence. A shortfall has been identified in the practice of the home and in the statement of purpose. In particular independent return home interviews are not automatically offered to the young people upon returning to the home. A recommendation will be made to address this.

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Good

The use of restraint and sanctions has also increased between these times. This is related to the young people who have been in residence and their levels of need. The Registered Manager’s monitoring clearly represents how periods such as these link to young people settling into the routines of the home or at times of particular stress. Individual therapeutic support and good staffing levels help to alleviate these anxieties for young people. As a result the need for the use of restraint has lessened over time.

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Good

Improvements in the behaviour of young people are noticeable; with a real reduction in relation to them causing damage to property or harm to themselves or others. A shortfall has been identified in relation to two aspects of restraint, the first is that the restraint records have multiple entries on one record, the second is that the homes statement of purpose does not include information on the home's preferred approach to restraint in relation to young people, how staff working in the home are trained in restraint and how their competence is assessed. Requirements are made to address these deficits.

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Good

The leaders and managers of the home work closely and constructively with the placing local authorities, police and local designated officer (LADO) in all matters related to safeguarding young people. The Registered Manger consults with the LADO if he feels there are incidents which may place young people at risk of significant harm, but may not meet their thresholds for investigation. In such cases prompt action is taken to ensure the young person’s safety. This is well recorded in the safeguarding log with all necessary parties being appropriately informed. As a result young people’s safety and wellbeing is protected.

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Good

The recruitment processes for new staff are governed by the wider organisation’s procedures and are robust. Records are kept locally on site and are easily accessible to managers. All safer recruitment procedures are correctly followed. At the time of the inspection no agency staff were being employed and any gaps in the staffing rota were being covered through bank staff working for the wider organisation who go through exactly the same recruitment procedures as full time staff.

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Good

Staff all receive training in administrating medicines. Consequently the arrangements for appropriately recording its administration and for dealing with medication are safe. Health and safety policies, practices and procedures in the home all meet statutory requirements, with all appropriate testing of equipment and fire drills being completed. Young people are made fully aware of how to make a complaint and are supported in the process. When they do they are kept fully informed about the investigation and action being taken. A young person making a complaint has the right to have the complaint investigated by an independent person if they are not entirely satisfied with the initial investigation and outcome. It necessarily follows that young people have confidence in the manager and the process and feel that they will be listened to and taken seriously.

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Good

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced and has been in post since this home was first registered with Ofsted in December 2013. The staff team are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring with them different skill and experience. A social worker says ‘ Staff are good role models for ‘X’ who has recently come on in leaps and bounds… six months ago ‘X’ did not know what he wanted to do with his life, staff have given ‘X’ goals and boundaries and support him to achieve them.’

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Good

The Registered Manager is extremely pro-active in following up the provision of essential information and in ensuring that all professionals fulfil their obligations to young people.

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Good

The requirements and recommendations of previous inspections have been addressed; this demonstrates the manager's commitment to developing and maintaining a service of consistent good quality.

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Good

Practice within the home is young person centred and reflective practice is progressing well, this promotes ongoing development and improvement for staff in general and the home in particular. This is further enhanced by the manager's internal monitoring and independent monthly monitoring visits to the home. This provides a clear oversight of care practice in the home. The manager's oversight of practice is focused and reflective. It enables him to identify any emerging trends or patterns. He uses his findings to inform realistic, achievable and timely development plans for the home. These are targeted on improving outcomes for young people.

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Good

Staff complete the organisation’s induction and foundation training. Each staff member has a training and development plan which outlines their individual training needs. Staff attend a minimum of six full in house training days each year. Staff receive regular supervision on a one to one basis. New staff receive supervision on a one to one basis every two weeks during their probationary period, for established staff this is monthly. Supervision and team meetings incorporate reflective practice as a method of ensuring safeguarding is at the forefront of the team’s agenda. Staff also feel that informal mutual support systems are particularly good in this home which underpin the delivery of a good standard of care.

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Good

Relationships with a range of associated professionals working with the young people have been developed well by the Registered Manager and staff team. Good communication and a regular exchange of information have been established. Placing local authority social workers say that they receive weekly reports and updates on progress or any barriers for young people and that if difficulties do arise the home works closely with them to resolve these and find positive solutions. One social worker says’ The staff appear to understand the needs of the young people and ensure they are well cared for and provided with everything they need to help them develop into mature young men who can eventually live independently’.

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Good

The Registered Manager demonstrates a resolve to ensure that services provided by associated professionals contribute towards improving the lives of young people. He is secure in challenging associated services and professionals when he identifies any deficits in the services that young people should be receiving from them and will challenge this appropriately. An example of which is ensuring that the same mental health worker supports a young person from a previous placement. This can at times put additional stresses on working relationships, however it demonstrates that the home will advocate and act as champion for young people living there. It reflects the level of care and support the home is willing to give to young people to ensure that positive outcomes are reached for them.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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