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

Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 1 SC470290 Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

p.1

Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.1

Good

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

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager supports the staff team to deliver good quality care to the young people and is a strong presence in the home. Young people, staff and professionals speak very positively of the support that he provides.  Young people are cared for and supported by a team that provides consistently good care. They deliver care with warmth and enthusiasm and provide young people with the best experiences possible. The relationships between young people and staff are positive and caring.  The manager and staff have high aspirations for the young people and encourage them to identify, for themselves, the ways in which they can be supported. Consultation with young people is central to the day-to-day running and decision-making in the home. Young people feel valued and respected and respond well to this approach.  The manager and staff know the young people very well. They take time to build trusting and friendly relationships. As a result, young people feel secure in

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

their home and with staff. Consequently, the young people’s behaviour has improved significantly. Young people do not go missing and there is no evidence of any restrictive practices or the need for sanctions.  Young people are helped to understand risk and how to stay safe. A risk- managed approach means that young people can safely navigate their way through adolescence, are learning to be independent and are making safe choices.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and staff would benefit from accessing more frequent training in respect of equality and diversity.  The manager should review the systems that capture the progress made by young people more regularly.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 3

p.2

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, ensure training and learning opportunities in relation to equality and diversity are reviewed and updated, and staff can access these more frequently. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.11)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team are successful in creating a home where young people feel comfortable and safe. Young people play an integral role in the way that the home is organised and how it looks. Through relaxed and informal conversations, young people are helped to decide how to personalise their rooms and contribute to the running of the home. This helps young people feel valued and respected. Young people make sustained positive development in respect of their self-confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are cared for by a small, stable staff team. Caring and trusting relationships exist between the young people and staff. Young people make good progress in all aspects of their lives, and develop strategies that they can use when they are worried, anxious or upset.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work very hard to engage young people in their education. In particular, one young person has made significant progress from their starting point in respect of their education. With the help of the staff, they attend school 100% and enjoy the personalised learning opportunities provided. Staff understand that some young people struggle to attend formal education and therefore create alternative learning opportunities that help young people gradually build the confidence and skills necessary for them to return to formal education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from individualised care, provided by staff who know them very well and who are skilled and experienced. Opportunities are provided for the young people to explore their own identity and develop their own interests. However, staff could benefit from further developing their understanding of equality, diversity and identity. The staff team’s sensitive and responsive approach to young people means that young people have really improved their ability to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff recognise the importance of helping young people learn to take risks and develop resilience and a sense of resolve. Measured and detailed risk Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 4 assessments, which are ratified by all of the key professionals, result in young people being kept safe as they begin to explore independence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to follow a healthy lifestyle and make the right choices in respect of nutrition. They attend all necessary appointments and have access to psychological services provided either by the company or via the local authority.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people spend time with friends and family members on a regular basis. The manager and staff have a good understanding of the need to develop these relationships and go that extra mile when young people visit their family. For example, staff stay overnight close to a family home to ensure that both family and young people have a sense of security and support.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people live in a home that is safe. They are encouraged and supported to take age- and ability-appropriate risks. This means that they are able to experience new opportunities safely. In turn, this builds their confidence and resilience, and broadens their life experiences. Young people say that they feel ‘really safe’ living in the home and that this is because of the staff.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people who have additional needs are supported very well by staff through their attention to well-documented risk assessments. Robust and carefully tailored risk assessments, which are ratified by the local authority and family, help to keep young people safe. Young people form positive relationships and are increasing the time that they spend without staff supervision.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Caring and nurturing responses to young people when they are feeling upset or worried have resulted in a significant reduction in serious or concerning incidents. Physical interventions do not take place, as staff are skilled and proficient in talking with young people and calming them down when they are anxious and worried. Young people develop strategies that enable them to understand their emotions and responses.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people do not go missing, but staff do know how to respond if this should happen in the future.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Regular health and safety checks are carried out by the manager and staff. Young people live in a home that is safe and well maintained. Professionals spoken with during the course of the inspection confirm that young people are cared for safely and that communication is good.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management of the home are provided by a registered manager who has been in the role for a number of years. He has the required skills and qualifications, and is experienced as a registered manager. He provides consistency and stability for the staff and the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 5 The manager provides a supportive environment for the staff, who are as passionate as he is about supporting the young people. Staff have high aspirations for the young people and demonstrate a sense of pride in the young people’s achievements. They are all suitably qualified and receive supervision that includes reflection and guidance. Along with the regular mandatory training, staff’s continuous professional development is supported. As a result, staff feel ‘supported’ and ‘managed well’ by the manager, and their practice remains up to date.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of the relationships between the manager, the staff team and professionals is excellent. Communication is reported by professionals as ‘outstanding’ and ensures that key people are fully engaged with the plans for young people. All notifiable events are reported to the regulator swiftly.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consistently puts the individual needs of the young people first. He works hard to improve the outcomes of the young people; this has resulted in the young people making significant progress from their individual starting point. Plans are reviewed regularly and approved by the local authority and family.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager encourages feedback from the young people, family and professionals. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. The development plan, in the main, identifies strengths and areas for development and there are clear actions set that outline how to achieve improvements.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Systems are in place to monitor and review the quality of care. The manager takes time to ensure that records are meaningful and accurate. He provides a helpful analysis of these records to the staff during team meetings. This ensures that the team remains focused on improving the day-to-day care and experiences of the young people.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Masonic Hall Offices, School Hill, Chepstow, Gwent NP16 5BZ

p.6

Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470290 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7