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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 1

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Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home belongs to a small organisation. There are four other registered children’s homes within the group. The home offers care for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit was conducted following an interim inspection on 22 August 2017 when the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. Two compliance notices were served in respect of Regulations 11 and 13. In addition, nine requirements were set to address the shortfalls identified at that inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to improve the quality of care that they provide to children and young people. The quality of the environment has improved and is now homely. Empty bedrooms are now well-presented in preparation for welcoming new children and young people. Bedrooms no longer contain damaged furniture or smell of tobacco. The facility to isolate the power supply to the bedrooms is deactivated. Children and young people have access to the home’s telephone.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers identified concerns about the compatibility of children and young people living in the home. Subsequently, one young person has moved on, leaving one young person living in the home. This young person has successfully engaged in education. Staff have instilled more structure and routine for children and young people, particularly around bedtime and sleep patterns.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not restrained children and young people since the previous inspection. Leaders and managers keep behaviour support plans under regular review. Staff have attended training to focus on how to best support children and young people. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 2 Leaders and managers have become more critical in their monitoring. Any concerns about practice or areas of development and learning are discussed immediately with the staff team. Team meetings and staff supervisions have increased and now take place every fortnight. Staff have improved the quality of the records that they maintain about children and young people. There are no examples of the poor and derogatory language that had been observed during the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team has a full complement since the recruitment of three permanent members of staff. Leaders and managers have not used agency staff since the last inspection. Senior leaders within the company have reviewed systems to ensure agency staff who they recruit have sufficient employment checks in place.

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This monitoring visit

A case review has determined that the compliance notices are met. Future inspections will measure progress against the nine requirements.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 3

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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, 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(b)(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; (c) ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. Ensure that staff treat each child with dignity and respect with regards to the language that they use to communicate with children. In particular, take immediate action to improve the quality of the home. 19/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard the registered persons must ensure that staff— (2)(i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; (vi) maintain regular contact with each child’s education and 03/10/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 4 training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. In particular, ensure that staff ensure that children have access to education that meets their needs and routines and structure in the home supports learning. *11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure that— (11)(1) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; and

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Requirement Due date

(ix) understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. In particular, ensure that staff provide children with boundaries, structure and routine. Ensure that staff follow behaviour support plans and use appropriate language with children. Ensure that the home’s rules are embedded and children are supported to abide by these rules. 03/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(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; 03/10/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 5 (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (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 (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 from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that leaders and managers take immediate action to safeguard children and young people when they make an allegation about a member of staff. *13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure they inspire and lead a culture that— (1)(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (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; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each

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Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, ensure that leaders and managers lead the home to embed a day-to-day routine that enables children to progress and have aspirations. Ensure that monitoring systems are robust and identify and address poor practice. Ensure that staff, including agency staff, have suitable skills to meet the needs of children. Ensure that staff provide children with consistent care. 03/10/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 6 14: The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to ensure— (b)(ii) that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed. In particular, that leaders and managers ensure that they have the necessary up-to-date local authority care plans, personal education plans and education, health and care plans. Ensure that these plans are used to inform their own internal placement plans and records. 03/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

22: Contact and access to communications 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 telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 22 (3)(a)) 03/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers 32.—(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular, ensure that satisfactory recruitment checks are undertaken prior to employing staff to work in the home; this includes staff employed by an agency as well as permanent staff. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)(d)) 03/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records (3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a 03/10/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 7 record is made which includes— (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so ("the authorised person")— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. Ensure that staff make a record of any consequence or sanction imposed on children. Ensure that leaders’ and managers’ review and analysis of these records challenges unacceptable care practices such as removing the home’s telephone and switching off the electrical power supply to children’s bedrooms. Ensure that staff talk to children to ensure their welfare and seek their views about any measure of control, discipline and restraint. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 8

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chepstow Masonic Hall Limited, The Masonic Hall, School Hill, Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5BZ

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Inspector(s)

Nicola Lownds: social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249196 10 to 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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