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

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.2

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Leaders and managers do not consistently follow child protection procedures. One allegation made by a young person was not reported to the local area designated officer as required. Records relating to actions that managers have taken in response to allegations or disclosures are not recorded on the child protection file.  The manager does not ensure that young people receive statutory missing from home interviews. Young people are not always provided with the opportunity to talk to someone independent of the home about why they go missing. As a result, staff do not work well with partner agencies to understand the prevalence of the incidents and reduce the risk of harm to the young people.  Missing from home protocols are not in place. As a result, staff do not routinely search for young people when they go missing from the home. They rely on telephone communication and police intervention to safeguard the young

p.3

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

people.  Insufficient evidence is recorded in the complaints log to demonstrate the action that leaders take in response to complaints made by young people. As a result, it is not evident that complaints have always been acknowledged, investigated and a satisfactory resolution found. Outcomes of complaints do not contribute to the staff team’s learning.  Monitoring systems that review the quality of care are ineffective. Leaders and managers have failed to recognise weaknesses in the home’s complex recording systems. Opportunities are missed for leaders to identify learning that will improve the quality of care that young people receive.

p.3

The children's home strengths

Overall, young people have engaged well at school. As a result they have made good educational achievements resulting in one young person securing an apprenticeship at a leading high street bank and another has been accepted to volunteer for a local charity. Staff support young people to develop skills to live more independently. One young person has recently moved from the home into his own accommodation. Very positive feedback has been received from a social work team manager, who said, ‘communication is good, the manager and team are good at managing the young person’s behaviour and, as a result, she is achieving in a range of areas.’

p.3

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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard the registered person must ensure that (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. 12/09/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that (1) children are protected from harm and are enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) 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

p.4

Requirement Due date

from harm. 12/09/2016 6: The quality and purpose of care standard

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard relating to ensuring the welfare of young people during their free time, the registered person must (2)(b) ensure that staff-

p.5

Requirement Due date

(ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. 12/09/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person is required to— (2)(a) 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; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on- (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 12/09/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

p.5

Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 12/09/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (5) The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. 12/09/2016 40: Notification of a serious event

p.5

Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child— (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 12/09/2016

p.6

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home's policy on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.6

Information about this children's home

This service is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities. It is owned by a private company that also operates other children's homes in the surrounding area.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

01/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Recent inspection history

07/10/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/06/2014 Full Good

p.6

Inadequate

This inspection has identified serious weaknesses in how well staff help and protect young people. Records relating to the care of children and the running of the home are not well managed. The recording system is complex and records are not well maintained. The manager’s systems to monitor the quality of record keeping is poor. Staff are reliant on recording information in a wide range of different documents to provide an overview of each young person’s day. These records, including the home’s log book, staff handover records and electronic incident reports, lack critical information and, on occasion, are illegible. Staff do not take time to record and provide a comprehensive account of the young people’s daily activities. This means that young people will not have the opportunity in later life to understand and refer to their experiences, achievements and progress while living at the home. Although young people know how to raise a complaint, it is not easy to see what

p.8

Inadequate

action, if any, the manager has taken in response to recent complaints made by young people. One complaint was found during the inspection in a sealed envelope dated June 2016. It was not evident that it had been responded to by the manager. The record of a complaint raised by two young people could not be located. One young person confirmed that the manager had acknowledged her concern and that a resolution meeting had taken place. However, there is no record of the meeting or the outcome. Despite these weaknesses, there have been some good achievements by young people. Young people are helped by staff to develop their independent living skills and are encouraged to do well at school. Young people have achieved nationally recognised qualifications and awards. Overall, the feedback received from a placing authority and a young person consulted with during the inspection is positive. A young person told the inspector

p.8

Inadequate

that she likes most staff. A placing authority manager said, ‘the home maintains regular contact with the social worker, the staff team respond well to the young person’s behaviour and progression is evident.’ The inspector observed positive interactions between staff and a young person during the inspection.

p.8

Inadequate

There are widespread failures in safeguarding practice. Leaders, managers and staff fail to understand their responsibility to safeguard young people. Management oversight and monitoring of missing from home episodes, allegations and complaints are poor. Records show that, at times, staff are too reliant on police intervention to manage young people’s behaviour. The reliance on this approach is poor. On two occasions, staff asked the police to collect a young person on their behalf, as the young person refused to return to the home. In addition, an incident occurred whereby staff called the police to remove a young person from the staff office. The young person was arrested and taken to the police station overnight. As a consequence of the action taken by the staff, to call the police, the experience for the young person was distressing. Not all child protection allegations made by young people are managed in line with

p.9

Inadequate

statutory guidance and child protection policies. Safeguarding and child protection records are not well maintained. Information about the actions taken by managers in response to the concerns were not documented in the child protection records and not provided to the inspector for review at this inspection. Staff record safeguarding concerns in a wide range of documents and not always within the home’s designated ‘central safeguarding log’, as required. Young people do not have individualised ‘missing from home’ protocols. Staff do not always search for the young people when they are missing and, on occasion, have requested police intervention to collect and return the young people. When the young people return from going missing, they are not always given an opportunity for a return home interview with an independent person. Leaders and managers have not ensured that this statutory responsibility is carried out. As a

p.9

Inadequate

result, staff have failed to explore where the young person has been and with whom, or considered exploitation indicators. Staff have been unsuccessful in helping young people to understand the risks they place themselves in and about their personal safety. The physical intervention records show that, since the last inspection, there has been one incident resulting in staff using physical intervention on a young person. Following this intervention, the young person independently called the police, alleging injury and assault. The police did not speak directly with the young person and their assessment of the concern was concluded after a discussion with staff. Leaders and managers did not challenge this decision or insist that someone independent of the home speak with the young person about her concern. The local authority designated officer was not notified of the allegation. The placing authority was informed six days after the incident. These weaknesses do not

p.9

Inadequate

safeguard young people’s welfare. Since the previous inspection, two staff no longer work in the home. Two new staff have been appointed and one member of staff has transferred from another home within the organisation. New staff are recruited through robust, safer recruitment procedures and undertake an induction programme that includes basic mandatory training.

p.9

Inadequate

Three recommendations from the previous inspection have not been fully met. These relate in particular to children who go missing from the home and ensuring that a risk management meeting takes place, that the young people’s views are recorded in the central records of restraint and that young people are able to contribute their views to the home’s records. Weaknesses in these same areas were also identified at this inspection.

p.10

Inadequate

The quality of records maintained by the staff team is poor. Records relating to sanctions, complaints, allegations and significant incidents are not comprehensively documented. Staff do not always record the actions taken and the outcomes of investigations in response to these incidents and concerns. Young people are not always spoken with to ascertain their views, and care staff are not always provided with the opportunity to reflect on significant incidents. Minutes of staff meetings do not show that staff always discuss the young people’s needs and agree how the young people will be supported.

p.10

Inadequate

Monitoring undertaken by the manager and the independent visitor is not effective to improve the quality of care provided to young people. The monitoring is not analytical and fails to effectively evaluate the impact that the staff team’s practice has on the young people’s experiences and on improving their outcomes. Neither the manager nor the independent visitor has recognised the lack of clarity and omissions in the records kept by staff and the weaknesses in their responses to young people’s behaviours. As a result, leaders and managers are unable to effectively identify possible trends and patterns in young people’s behaviour and consider indicators of exploitation. This is a particular risk as young people are allowed significant amounts of unsupervised time away from the home. Records do not demonstrate that staff always know exactly how long a young person is away from the home, or what checks they make to ensure their welfare. One incident

p.10

Inadequate

record shows that staff did not identify a potential increased risk to this young person and that they did not take appropriate safeguarding action to protect them. Leaders and managers have not effectively challenged or taken action when there are weaknesses and omissions in other agencies’ practice. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified of all significant events that have taken place.

p.10

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’. 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

p.11

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.11

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

p.12

Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Information about this inspection

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

p.13

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

p.13