Children's home run by Headway House Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 1 Registered provider: Headway House Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last full inspection in May 2017, there has been a drive to recruit and develop the staff team. This has resulted in a number of new staff joining the team and less of a reliance on agency staff. Relationships between staff and young people are beginning to develop with this group of new staff. The responsible individual, who is now based at the children’s home two days a week, is supporting the registered manager. This has enabled good progress to be achieved with the previous requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. Action plans are in place, and they are regularly reviewed. There has been a focus by the management team on identifying areas for improving practice in the children’s home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the last six months, there has been a reactive, rather than proactive, response to young people’s behaviours. Staff and the managers have tried to ensure that young Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 2 people are safe, rather than fully exploring the underlying reasons for some of the behaviours that have been exhibited by them. There has been a high level of damage to the property and violence towards staff. Since May 2017, a total of 55 physical interventions have been recorded. There have also been other similar incidents which haven’t involved physical intervention. A cycle of behaviour has been created, and one young person stated, ‘There’s lots of broken windows and a lot of restraint; it’s normal here.’ Recording of physical interventions has improved, and there is a debrief straight after an intervention. However, young people are not given opportunities to talk through the incidents with key workers, and strategies have therefore not been reviewed to

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

determine whether they are effective. There is no evidence that staff help each young person to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively, and key-work sessions are brief and not reflective. Staff have been in contact with the child and adolescent mental health services and have attended appointments with the young people. The impact of this has yet to be seen. Analysis of trends and patterns of physical intervention has not taken place to look at how incidents may be prevented in future. There have also been significant incidents in which young people have threatened to, and attempted, self-harm. Staff have not received any training in this area; for some young people, this was a known behaviour before being placed in the children’s home. However, key-work sessions do not explore young people’s feelings following these incidents. Staff have not been provided with training to attain the skills to fully identify

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments, care plans and behaviour management plans have been reviewed, and there is better oversight by managers. However, the high level of continued disruptive behaviours indicate that the plans are not effective enough. Opportunities for learning have not been used to improve experiences for young people. Incidents of young people going missing from the home have decreased significantly, with protocols now updated so that staff follow clear procedures.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work very closely with parents and professionals to assess young people’s needs prior to them coming to the home. One young person has left the home since the last inspection. This transition was not planned but was managed well by staff. There have been two admissions to the home. Staff have worked with professionals and each other to support the two young people to adapt to group living. Two further young people have remained in placement throughout this time. One professional spoken with during the inspection stated about a young person that ‘despite the incidents, he has a good relationship with staff’, and another commented, ‘I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. They employ the necessary strategies to keep him safe.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are receiving insufficient educational input. One young person is only receiving 10 hours of tutoring a week, and another is not enrolled at a school. The staff have been chasing educational arrangements with the placing authorities and are in contact with the virtual school headteacher. There has been some attempt by staff to ensure that young people are engaged in educational activities. However, the staff have not determined at what level each young person is academically, to enable them to tailor activities and work accordingly. Too much time during the school day is spent on independence skills, resulting in young people falling further behind peers academically Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 3 because they are missing formal education. One young person stated that he wanted to go to school and he felt that staff were not equipped to help him with any educational work.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The organisation has invested a lot of time in training the staff team, including in areas such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attachment disorders. In addition, the manager has also started to implement workshops for staff to ensure that they are aware of the quality standards and how to implement them in practice. Monitoring systems have improved, and managers now have a better oversight of what is happening in the home through the various audits in operation. The manager is aware that there is still have work to do in developing systems and processes. There is a new independent visitor in post. However, due to a delay in receiving references, the visitor is unable to fulfil the entirety of her role. In addition, her reports do not evaluate or give an opinion on how well young people are safeguarded.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff team work effectively in partnership with external agencies such as health services and the local police. Information is communicated well to ensure that staff have the appropriate and necessary knowledge to support young people’s individual needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are genuinely enthusiastic about the care of young people, and there is a commitment to providing a good service. Relationships between young people and staff were seen to be positive. Young people appeared happy in the presence of staff. One young person commented that he liked the staff and that they have helped him with contact with family members. There is a real dedication from the management and staff team to further raise the standard of care provided to the young people who are living in the home. Staff and managers have a clear vision for the service and for achieving positive outcomes for the young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/04/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 4

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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

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. promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (2)(a)(iv)(v)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff — encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff undertake training in recognising and responding to self-harming behaviours. 22/12/2017

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Recommendations

 Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 5 must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular that this person interviews the children privately.

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Recommendations

 Review records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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.

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Information about this inspection

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.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway House Limited

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Inspector

Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 6 Emeline Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1214688 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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