Children's home run by Headway Adolescent Resources Limited in Monmouthshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness . The home is clean, tidy and well maintained. Some doors are locked unnecessarily, which detracts from the overall homely environment. The requirements made at the full inspection in relation to the need for a locality risk assessment and for the statement of purpose to be amended have been completed. The requirement made at the last inspection in respect of young people’s engagement with education remains unmet. One young person living at the home is only attending their educational provision on one day a week. The other young person is refusing to attend school at all. The registered manager is actively seeking to address this ongoing concern. There is a stable staff team that provides consistent relationships for young people. However, advocacy services are not routinely provided for young people when they

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

arrive at the home. Young people are also not routinely provided with the opportunity to meet with an independent advocate after they have been missing from their home. Young people who have needed to be physically restrained are not given the opportunity to speak with an individual who was not directly involved in the incident. This means that young people are not able to share any concerns that they may have without the fear that this will result in adverse consequences. Therefore, both a requirement and a recommendation have been made in regards to the provision of advocacy for young people. A further requirement has been derived from this inspection in relation to the need for improved support for young people who demonstrate self-harming behaviours. Young people are not provided with the appropriate support to reflect on their feelings.; in order for both young people and staff to understand how to enable

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people to share their feelings safely. The registered manager and staff are not ensuring that positive behaviour is approached consistently. For example, boundaries and consequences are not clear for young people. Furthermore, opportunities to ensure that achievement and praise are recorded to promote positive self-esteem for young people are also not being taken. Feedback logs, which are provided to social workers in order to support good care planning, are very descriptive. Important information is not effectively analysed to ensure that ongoing welfare issues remain the central focus of care planning. Young people’s time with family members and other important people in their lives is fully supported and facilitated by the staff and registered manager. Furthermore, the registered manager has actively advocated for one young person when contact between them and their girlfriend was inappropriately stopped by other

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

professionals. This contact has now been reinstated and is positive for both of the young people involved.

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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

08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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

8: The education standard The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; and help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iv)(viii)) 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk and to support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. Staff should encourage children to express their views about whether they feel safe both within and outside the home. Staff should support children to understand how to ask for help to stay safe and that the home is an environment which supports this (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10) In particular, robust support must be provided to young people who demonstrate self-harming behaviours. This includes seeking to learn from each incident so that staff have a greater understanding of young people’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard The registered person must ensure that each child is given appropriate advocacy support; and ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the 28/04/2017 child’s arrival about 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. (Regulation 7(b)(iii)(d)(iii)) In particular, the opportunity for young people to speak with an independent individual must be provided within 72 hours if they have been missing from their home.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 When the use of positive handling is required, it is important that young people are given the opportunity to talk about how they are feeling after they have been involved in such incidents. It is therefore important that they are able to share their feelings with an individual who was not directly involved with the positive handling. This again links to the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  In order to support the development of young people’s self-esteem and the promotion of positive behaviour, there need to be clear mechanisms in place for recognising young people’s achievements and highlighting when praise has been given. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraphs 8.11–8.15)  Sharing important information with other professionals who are involved in care

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Recommendations

planning for young people must be done in a way which ensures that important information is clearly highlighted and that an analysis of any ongoing concerns is provided. This is in order to ensure that care planning for young people is always evolving to meet the needs of young people (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3)  Promoting positive behaviour also requires clear boundaries for young people. Staff must provide a consistent approach towards behaviour management. This enables young people to be provided with a clear understanding of expectations. Without this, learning opportunities for young people are limited (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 46–47, paragraphs 9.33–9.39)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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 that 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 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

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Information about this inspection

effectiveness of the service 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’. 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 .

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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 children looked after 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,

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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

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